On Monday, Zimbabwe released a gold-backed digital currency for peer-to-peer and peer-to-business transactions as well as to act as a store of value as the country’s currency continues to lose ground against major currencies. “Holders of physical gold coins, at their discretion, will be able to exchange or convert, through the banking system… into gold-backed digital tokens,” the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe said in a statement inviting individual and corporate entities to use the digital currency that can be bought either in Zimbabwean dollars or foreign currency. But the digital currency, the first ever by the country’s central bank, hit the market Monday to lukewarm reception from economists and ordinary Zimbabweans. The southern African country now joins other African states like Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa that have introduced digital currencies, even as several others have plans in the works.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA