Safaricom war with Bitcoin dealer sparks CBK warning
In Summary- BitPesa is locked in an acrimonious court battle with Safaricom over the telecom operator’s decision to terminate M-Pesa payments to the platform’s gateway dubbed Lipisha Consortium.
- Through the BitPesa platform, users can convert bitcoin into Kenya shillings and use it to make retail payments or remittances via M-Pesa.
- The CBK on Tuesday asked the public to desist from transacting in bitcoin and similar products as they are not regulated in Kenya.
BD wrote:The CBK’s quest to slam the brakes on use of bitcoin in Kenya comes at a time when BitPesa is locked in an acrimonious court battle with Safaricom over the telecom operator’s decision to terminate M-Pesa payments to the platform’s gateway dubbed Lipisha Consortium.
Mr Mucheru, the ICT minister-designate, is both a director and shareholder in the firm, making his appointment to the docket significant.
BD wrote:Mr Mucheru, who was vetted on Friday last week, said the CBK and lawmakers should move to develop regulations for crypto-currencies likening it to the advent of pioneer mobile money platform M-Pesa which was viewed with suspicion at its birth in March 2007.
"We need to change regulations to take into account innovations such as virtual currency as this is currently outside CBK’s mandate,” said Mr Mucheru.
This one is going to get very interesting. Watch out!
Live and learn; and don’t forget, nothing ventured, nothing gained.