+ The Ghanaian central bank is in advanced stages in its development of a central bank digital currency (CBDC), with a pilot set to start in September. According to the bank’s deputy governor, Ghana will be seeking to use the CBDC to reduce its reliance on cash. Maxwell Opoku-Afari, the first deputy governor of the Bank of Ghana, revealed the advancements in the West African country’s CBDC development during a recent industry event. Speaking to the media at the sidelines of a workshop organized by a journalists body, the deputy governor stated, “We have to take out time to design it with all the security features and so have started it in a pilot phase through what we call a sand-box to learn lessons before we open it up to the general public.”