Kyrgyzstan has launched a national stablecoin and central bank digital currency in collaboration with cryptocurrency exchange Binance, announced President Sadyr Japarov on Saturday.
A mountainous former Soviet republic with a population of around 7 million, Kyrgyzstan has increasingly positioned itself as a cryptocurrency leader in Central Asia, despite its traditional reliance on labor migrants in Russia.
The A5A7 stablecoin, backed by the Russian rouble and based in Kyrgyzstan, has been sanctioned by Western governments, which claim it facilitates the circumvention of sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine.
Changpeng Zhao, founder of Binance, was appointed as an adviser on digital assets to Kyrgyzstan's president in May. On Saturday, Zhao revealed on X that the Kyrgyz national stablecoin had been launched on the BNB Chain, and that the digital version of the Kyrgyz som was ready for use in government transactions. He also mentioned that a national cryptocurrency reserve, including Binance's BNB token, had been established.
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump pardoned Zhao, who had previously been convicted of money laundering-related offenses.
While Kyrgyzstan was once the most democratic among the five former Soviet Central Asian republics, Japarov has since tightened control over dissent following his rise to power after the 2020 street protests. The country is set to hold a snap parliamentary election on November 30, with Japarov's allies aiming to strengthen their hold on the legislature.
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U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing an unnamed source. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said American envoys will visit the capitals of both countries.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August and 2 September.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar with the matter said. They were met by Russian Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, according to three senior Iranian sources. Washington is escalating pressure in hopes of securing concessions in future negotiations.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 4th of September, covering the latest developments.
A unique architectural monument dating back to the 9th to 12th centuries has been discovered in the village of Gargara, in the Korez village commune in Dangara district in Tajikistan.
Japan and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime have launched a $9.4 million, two-year project across five Afghan provinces to help former poppy-growing families and expand drug prevention and treatment services.
For centuries, Lahore has been shaped by the people, cultures and empires that passed through it. Now, the Pakistani city is preparing to put that rich history before a wider regional audience.
Israel is ready to move Palestinians from Gaza as soon as the U.S. approves, the country’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has said. He told a conference hosted by Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on Wednesday that there was “no real solution” for Gaza without migration.
Flights between Central Asia and Russia have faced widespread disruption, with aircraft diverted, turned back or cancelled amid restrictions in Russian airspace and conflicting claims from Moscow and Kyiv over aviation safety.
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