Share this article
Lebanon Preparing Central Bank Digital Currency for 2021 Rollout
Central bankers hope the CBDC will help restore confidence in Lebanon's shaky banking sector.
By Danny Nelson
Updated Sep 14, 2021, 10:29 a.m. Published Nov 10, 2020, 4:32 p.m.
Lebanon's chief central banker said the country is preparing a national digital currency (CBDC) for a 2021 debut.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
- Banque Du Liban Governor Riad Salameh told state-run media Tuesday the CBDC project is part of a "regulatory mechanism" to restore confidence in Lebanon's troubled banking sector.
- Lebanon's private banks have deep ties to the government, which defaulted on its debts in March. Neither institutions garner much trust from the public. Lebanese citizens currently store over $10 billion in their homes, Salameh said.
- CBDC will also help Lebanon move to a "cashless system" that enables more seamless cash movement locally and abroad, he said.
- Salameh has advocated for a Lebanese CBDC since at least November 2017.
More For You
What to know:
- As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
- GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
- Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.
More For You
Japan’s Higher Rates Puts Bitcoin in the Crosshairs of a Yen Carry Unwind
A stronger yen typically coincides with de-risking across macro portfolios, and that dynamic could tighten liquidity conditions that recently helped bitcoin rebound from November’s lows.
What to know:
- The Bank of Japan is expected to raise interest rates to 0.75% at its December meeting, the highest since 1995, affecting global markets including cryptocurrencies.
- A stronger yen could lead to de-risking in macro portfolios, impacting liquidity conditions that have supported bitcoin's recent recovery.
- Governor Kazuo Ueda indicated a high probability of a rate hike, with officials prepared for further tightening if their economic outlook supports it.
Top Stories
