Facebook’s crypto project Libra will be more similar to email tech than payment services such as PayPal, vice president of product at Calibra said. Speaking at the Web Summit in Lisbon on Nov. 5, Kevin Weil, vice president of product at Facebook's Calibra digital wallet unit, emphasized that interoperability — the basic principle of email — will the key concept of Libra. “A journey of years and decades” Noting that any global developer or entrepreneur can build wallets for Libra, Weil encouraged the global community to collaborate on the interoperable protocols. He said: “You and me don’t have to collaborate …

Calibra CEO David Marcus recently claimed that the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) standards of Libra — Facebook’s proposed stablecoin project — will be better than other payments networks. Citing statements from Marcus’ speech at the Money 20/20 conference in Las Vegas, finance publication Finextra reports on Oct. 29 that he explained the nuances of the project during an interview. He said, ”I want to say that the efficacy of sanction enforcing can be much higher on Libra than other payments networks.” Marcus stated that the network’s underlying blockchain technology will allow regulators to better trace transactions and identify suspicious activities, adding: …

In an interview with Cointelegraph on Friday, Oct. 18, United States Representative Warren Davidson gave his thoughts on the Securities Exchange Commission’s (SEC) flawed approach to regulating digital assets as well as Mark Zuckerberg’s upcoming Oct. 23 testimony before the House Financial Services Committee. Congressman Davidson (R-OH) is a figure familiar to many in the crypto world for his role in authoring the Token Taxonomy Act, as well as his general optimism about the role of blockchain in the U.S. On regulating Libra as a security While discussing regulating cryptocurrencies at large as opposed to Libra, Davidson was highly precise …

⁠David Marcus, the head of Facebook’s forthcoming cryptocurrency wallet Calibra, said that he is a fan of Bitcoin (BTC) but it is totally different to the proposed Libra stablecoin. Bitcoin is digital gold, Marcus says In a Squawk Box interview on Oct. 16, Marcus stated that he has been looking at Bitcoin since 2012 and considers it to be akin to digital gold. When asked by Squawk Box co-host Joe Kernen if he owns any Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, Marcus did not answer directly but noted that he was an early fan of the major cryptocurrency. He said: “I’m a …

The head of Facebook's Calibra has claimed that the recent withdrawal of the seven companies from the Libra Association has no impact on the project. Dropouts will still be able to work with Libra In an interview with Yahoo Finance on Oct. 15, Calibra’s David Marcus argued that Facebook’s cryptocurrency project is “absolutely not” in jeopardy after PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, eBay, Mercado Pago and Booking quit the Libra Association. Marcus emphasized that companies outside the formal association will still be able to offer services on the platform: “One thing that is not well understood is that you don’t need …

Facebook has acquired the artificial intelligence-based chat-bot startup Servicefriend for customer service for Calibra, the digital wallet for Facebook’s planned Libra cryptocurrency. AI chatbots for Calibra’s customer service A Sept. 19 article by Israeli business newspaper the Marker reported that Facebook has acquired startup Servicefriends in order to build a messaging bot for customer service for Calibra. Announcing Libra and Calibra, Facebook said that it wanted to reach unbanked consumers and give them access to financial services and to make Calibra available through a specially created app and via its WhatsApp and Messenger platforms. Servicefriend provides artificial intelligence-powered messaging bots …

David Marcus, the head of Calibra at Facebook, has said that a 2020 launch for Libra remains the company’s goal, despite regulators’ intense hostility toward the project. In an interview with Swiss newspaper NZZ on Sept. 20, he said that in the intervening time, the team behind Libra would need to address all concerns adequately and to create a suitable regulatory environment. “I see Libra facing greater user acceptance problems than regulatory ones” Marcus addressed regulators’ fears that the social media giant’s planned stablecoin could potentially disrupt central bank monetary policy and destabilize the global financial system. Such concerns have …

Public authorities across the globe continue to press the developers of Libra, Facebook’s proposed stablecoin-like digital asset. On Sept. 16, Libra representatives met with the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructure (CPMI), a part of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) — an umbrella group for 60 central banks and monetary authorities — to discuss the regulatory hurdles around stablecoins developed by large financial institutions and tech companies. Members of blockchain-powered digital cash system firm Fnality International and JPM Coin — another stablecoin-like project, hosted by one of the largest private banks in the United States, JPMorgan Chase — were …

CEO of Calibra, Facebook’s digital wallet for its proposed Libra stablecoin, has attempted to debunk the notion of Libra’s threat to the global financial system. Not new money but a better payment network Amid the ongoing meeting between Libra founders and 26 global central banks in Basel, Calibra CEO David Marcus has stepped up to protect the position of the Libra Association on Twitter on Sept. 16. In a Twitter thread titled “About monetary sovereignty of Nations vs. Libra,” Marcus wrote: “Recently there's been a lot of talk about how Libra could threaten the sovereignty of Nations when it comes …

United States Rep. Maxine Waters, chair of the United States House of Representatives’ Financial Services Committee, says the committee will continue to review Facebook’s proposed cryptocurrency Libra and the corresponding digital wallet Calibra. A priority for autumn 2019 Waters announced the committee’s priorities for fall 2019 on Aug. 23. According to the statement, the committee plans to receive the testimony and opinions from governmental officials and regulators. Specifically, Waters lists Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Kathy Kraninger, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mark Calabria, and Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Randal Quarles. Waters remains cautious on Libra …

Facebook-owned messaging service, WhatsApp, is purportedly in preliminary talks with multiple digital payments firms as well as a state-owned bank to launch digital payment services in Indonesia. Reuters reported that they had learned of this development from anonymous sources on Aug. 20. According to the report, WhatsApp is currently negotiating with transportation booking service Go-Jek, mobile payments provider DANA, fintech startup OVO and state-owned Bank Mandiri. Bank Mindri operates a digital wallet service, per the report. WhatsApp’s plan for Indonesia is to support payments through digital wallets in the region, according to Reuters’ sources. The report further speculates that Facebook’s …

On Aug. 18, the developers of ZenGo, a non-custodial keyless cryptocurrency wallet solution, announced that their app now supports Facebook’s Libra testnet. Experimenting with Libra According to the announcement, now users “can send and receive Facebook’s new cryptocurrency, Libra, just like any other cryptocurrency in ZenGo.” The developers also noted that the “testnet funds don’t hold any real value and are only for testing purposes.” The post explains: “If you would like to experiment with Libra, you can turn on Libra testnet from the Account tab in the wallet. Once you turn on the feature, make sure your wallet is …