Facebook to launch a global crypto-currency
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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to unveil details of an ambitious plan for his company to create a new global crypto-currency. A white paper outlines a plan that is designed to create a new global currency. It will represent the entry of the social network site into the lucrative financial services market. The crypto-currency is called Libra. Facebook said it is aimed at the millions of people around the world who cannot get a bank account. Libra will allow people to send and receive payments anywhere in the world with minimal fees. The banking will be done online via the myriad of Facebook-owned apps. The 2.7 billion users of Facebook and WhatsApp will have access to the Libra crypto-currency.
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Analysts say Libra has some similarities to the Bitcoin crypto-currency. However, a major difference is that Libra will be a more stable currency and will avoid the wild fluctuations in value that Bitcoin has experienced. Libra will be backed up by a basket of currencies, such as the dollar, euro and yen. It will also have the backing of major multi-national companies like Mastercard, PayPal, Spotify and Uber. The new crypto-currency could revitalize Facebook's fortunes. The finance company RBC Capital Markets said: "We believe [Libra] may prove to be one of the most important initiatives in the history of the company, to unlock new engagement and [generate new] revenue streams."
Sources:
- https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/18/technology/how-libra-would-work-for-you.html
- https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/facebook-crypto-currency-launch-details
- https://cointelegraph.com/news/facebook-releases-crypto-currency-white-paper-for-libra-currency
