Arab markets were flooded with new investors in April after an Islamic scholar announced cryptocurrency is halal under Sharia law. The announcement settled contradicting statements issued by several other Islamic experts, but there are still conflicting interpretations of Sharia’s allowance of virtual currencies among Muslim leaders. The mufti’s announcement opened crypto markets to potentially 1.6 billion new customers, but it is certain that Middle Eastern governments will play a central role in the development of the crypto industry in order to ensure individuals and institutions adhere to Sharia law. Sharia law places strict guidelines on economic activity whereby value must …

Nigerians have been warned by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) against the use of cryptocurrencies because the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) does not recognize them as legitimate currency, local news outlet Business Post Nigeria reported yesterday, March 23. Business Post Nigeria notes that this is not the first warning against cryptocurrencies, as “various government agencies in Nigeria have cautioned citizens on the new form of money.” Adikwu Igoche, an executive at the Research Department at the NDIC, said that digital currencies were not authorized by the CBN and were thus not “insured by the NDIC.” During an interview …