WAO ART #283

South Korea has announced plans for a comprehensive pilot program for its Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) in 2024. The program will involve 100,000 citizens who will test the CBDC. The pilot will focus on the feasibility and effectiveness of issuing and distributing the CBDC for payments.

Ripple's recent membership in the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) has boosted XRP's position in the derivatives market, leading to hopes of a major surge in price. XRP supporters believe that this surge could potentially push the token to surpass $100.

Director Carl Erik Rinsch reportedly used $4 million from the budget of Netflix's sci-fi series "Conquest" to invest in Dogecoin, resulting in a profit of $27 million. Rinsch is now in a legal battle with Netflix, demanding an additional $14 million for breach of contract.

Austria's Raiffeisen Bank is teaming up with cryptocurrency exchange Bitpanda to offer crypto trading services to its retail customers in Vienna. The service, set to launch by the 2024, will be accessible through the Raiffeisen app and aims to provide an intuitive and secure trading experience.

Kenyan startup 14 Trees is using 3D printing technology to construct affordable and eco-friendly homes. The company, backed by investors Holcim and British International Investment, initially focused on sustainable building bricks before pivoting to 3D printed buildings.

The Australian government has expanded its Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) to 32 GW of renewable energy and storage capacity. The scheme, which underwrites new renewable generation and storage, was initially launched in December 2022 and was expected to deliver AUD 10 billion of investment.

DLocal, an emerging markets payments provider, has expanded its partnership with eSky Group to enhance payment solutions in Latin America and Africa. The collaboration aims to improve the payment process, decrease processing costs, accelerate settlement, and upgrade customer support.