A survey by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) published in May states that there are currently 81 countries participating in Central Bank Digital Currency research and development (CBDC), compared to only eight countries before 2017.

 The value of one bitcoin has gone past $10,000 (£7,493).The virtual currency reached the benchmark for the first time, just days after it passed $9,000.

 Bitcoin regained its footing on Monday, having suffered its heftiest falls since early 2015 between Thursday and Saturday as investors sold the digital currency on worries about its future.

 A top U.S. Federal Reserve official on Friday raised caution about central banks issuing digital currencies as they are vulnerable to cyber attacks and criminal activities along with privacy issues that still need to be addressed.