Not the best news for cryptocurrencies come from the Southern Hemisphere. Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) says its completely against the possibility of launching the national digital currency "eAUD" and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) has echoed the same position.
Both countries follow the rest of the world in this regard, believing that at this stage, cryptocurrencies have not solved a sufficient number of problems. In particular, RBA representatives note the high volatility of digital currencies and the vulnerability to various kinds of cyberattacks.
Tony Richards, head of the payments policy department of the RBA, is confident that the demand for digital assets does exist. He said that he has owned a bitcoin wallet since 2014 and used the cryptocurrency for personal purposes. At the same Richards believes that the risks from the official acceptance of cryptocurrency significantly exceed the possible profit from its application.
“Nine years after its launch and about five years since it entered the public consciousness, bitcoin continues to have structural flaws that make it unsuitable for many uses, many of which stem from its inefficient verification process,” he said.
Geoff Bascand, governor of RBNZ had a similar view, adding that "at this stage it is yet to be seen that a central bank digital currency will bring conclusive benefits.”
At the same time, the cryptocurrencies are becoming exceedingly popular in Australia with Brisbane becoming a flag-bearer for spreading crypto in the country. The local airport introduced cryptocurrency payments in its stores. Meanwhile, "Australia's first digital currency town" appeared five hours north of Brisbane.
By Ekaterina Ulyanova