{"id":24011,"date":"2019-02-06T21:49:27","date_gmt":"2019-02-07T01:49:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=24011"},"modified":"2019-02-06T21:49:29","modified_gmt":"2019-02-07T01:49:29","slug":"pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/","title":{"rendered":"PM: Crypto-Payments Will be \u201cVery Important\u201d for Overcoming Banking Issues in Caribbean"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"antig-3656038747\" class=\"antig-ecab antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div><div id=\"antig-2009577610\" class=\"antig-before-content antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/medicalbenefitsscheme\" aria-label=\"ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1200\/h:400\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1200\/h:400\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:341\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1200\" height=\"400\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>(www.imidaily.com)<\/p><div id=\"antig-2866439212\" class=\"antig-content_5 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ablpag\" aria-label=\"Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:169\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:576\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:432\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1536\/h:864\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Cryptocurrency will be \u201cvery important\u201d for overcoming banking issues, lack of progress on harmonization may be due to inertia, and new CIP competition from Europe is ultimately a good thing, Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua &amp; Barbuda told Investment Migration Insider in Davos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>De-risking a \u201csignificant threat\u201d<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"antig-3165237186\" class=\"antig-content_4 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div><div id=\"antig-2985196073\" class=\"antig-content_12 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ablpag\" aria-label=\"WhatsApp Image 2026-04-26 at 07.24.59\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-04-26-at-07.24.59.jpeg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-04-26-at-07.24.59.jpeg 1080w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:240\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-04-26-at-07.24.59.jpeg 240w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:819\/h:1024\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-04-26-at-07.24.59.jpeg 819w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-04-26-at-07.24.59.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1350\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Elaborating on his continued chastisement of the US, EU, and OECD, Browne expressed frustration at the rules policy-makers in developed countries had crafted, noting that they put countries like his own \u201cat a major disadvantage\u201d.<\/p><div id=\"antig-1378988412\" class=\"antig-content antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.antiguabarbudaculinarymonth.com\/\" aria-label=\"culinary\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:843\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:843\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:132\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:450\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:337\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1536\/h:675\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:842\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1124\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEven though we\u2019re small island states, our people have a right to live, and our people also have a right to enjoy a good standard of living. And some of the rules that have been introduced in the global space put small island states at a major disadvantage. If we are unable to make payments, or even to receive payments, then clearly our country will be plunged into poverty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDe-risking, for example, is perhaps one of the most significant threats facing small island states in the Caribbean.\u201d<\/p><div id=\"antig-1894699541\" class=\"antig-content_2 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courts.com\/antigua\/\" aria-label=\"IMG_0783\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:500\/h:500\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_0783.png\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:500\/h:500\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_0783.png 500w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_0783.png 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:150\/h:150\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_0783.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Read also:<\/strong>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.imidaily.com\/caribbean\/back-with-a-vengeance-antigua-cip-applications-more-than-double-in-2018\/\">Back With a Vengeance: Antigua CIP Applications More Than Double in 2018<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among the proposed solutions to the de-risking\/correspondent banking issues have been the expanded use of alternative methods of payment. Last summer, the Antiguan Parliament introduced legislation to pave the way for cryptocurrency payments under the country\u2019s CIP. Interest in that payment mechanism, said Browne, had been underwhelming.<\/p><div id=\"antig-797084024\" class=\"antig-content_3 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courts.com\/antigua\/\" aria-label=\"1000436969\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1000436969.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1000436969.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:240\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1000436969.jpg 240w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:819\/h:1024\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1000436969.jpg 819w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1000436969.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1350\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s been very low so far. I think we have not been successful in marketing the program as one that takes cryptocurrencies as a form of payment. But I think that, as more and more investors recognize that we accept cryptocurrencies, the demand will increase. But we also intend to broaden that payment mechanism to accept payments in RMB as well. We\u2019re trying to make it as easy as possible for the investor to make a payment and to work around the issues associated with correspondent banking.\u201d<\/p><div id=\"antig-4077002605\" class=\"antig-content_6 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.imidaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Screen-Shot-2019-02-04-at-2.00.52-PM.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9325\"\/><figcaption>Prime Minister Browne discussing the key role cryptocurrency could have for his country\u2019s CIP during a panel in Davos.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Responding to a question about what role he thought cryptocurrency could play in helping the region overcome its correspondent banking woes, the PM said it would be \u201cvery important\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt provides an alternative payment mechanism, it\u2019s cheaper, it\u2019s easier to move and there\u2019s traceability as well,\u201d said PM Browne, who was careful to point out that he also knew the compliance risks associated with the use of cryptocurrency, risks he explained the government had taken into account when drafting the legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c[Accepting payments in cryptocurrencies] also creates an&nbsp;additional&nbsp;market for the CIP; those who operate with cryptocurrencies, they too have the opportunity to invest in our CIP.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Read also:&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imidaily.com\/caribbean\/pm-antigua-will-amend-laws-to-keep-out-of-the-crosshairs-of-the-oecd\/\">PM: Antigua Will Amend Laws to \u201cKeep Out of the Crosshairs of the OECD\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Slow progress on CIP harmonization due to \u201cinertia\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Questioned as to what\u2019s holding up work on Caribbean leaders\u2019 stated goal of deeper integration on due diligence and processing among the region\u2019s CIPs, the Prime Minister re-affirmed his support for the notion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been an ardent proponent for harmonization, especially for the due diligence process. So, I remain hopeful that, very soon, we shall be able to proceed. In fact, I am of the view that [CIP harmonization] should not exclusively be enshrined in policy, but in legislation, to avoid any potential policy abuse,\u201d said Browne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pressed about what\u2019s causing the delay in the harmonization process, considering the broad acknowledgement of the need for such among Caribbean leaders, Browne indicated the work on integration had perhaps not received the degree of prioritization it warrants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMaybe inertia, to some extent,\u201d commented Browne on what could be the cause of the sluggish progress. \u201cMaybe we need one or two of us to really drive the process. Even though we have spoken about the need for harmonization, the follow-up has been weak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Welcoming competition from new European CIPs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Asked to share his view of the implications of having new programs in Europe \u2013 chiefly Montenegro and Moldova, both of which enter the market at a price point similar to that of Caribbean programs \u2013 Browne pointed out that further competition would ultimately be beneficial, both for his own program and for the industry as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWell, I think competition is good. Ultimately, it just means we\u2019ll have to improve our product offering. And I believe it will help broaden the global CIP space and give further legitimacy to CIPs. If you only have a handful of countries doing citizenship by investment, then the naysayers will continue to look at these programs as programs for crooks, and their arguments will prevail,\u201d said the PM, explaining that the more jurisdictions that open CIPs, the more accepted the industry would become.<\/p>\n<div id=\"antig-77543139\" class=\"antig-in-comments_2 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/@hadeedmotorsltd\" aria-label=\"Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 1000w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:75\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:192\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1000\" height=\"250\"   \/><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(www.imidaily.com) Cryptocurrency will be \u201cvery important\u201d for overcoming banking issues, lack of progress on harmonization may be due to inertia, and new CIP competition from Europe is ultimately a good thing, Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua &amp; Barbuda told Investment Migration Insider in Davos. De-risking a \u201csignificant threat\u201d Elaborating on his continued chastisement of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":23457,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.1 (Yoast SEO v24.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>PM: Crypto-Payments Will be \u201cVery Important\u201d for Overcoming Banking Issues in Caribbean - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"PM: Crypto-Payments Will be \u201cVery Important\u201d for Overcoming Banking Issues in Caribbean\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"(www.imidaily.com) Cryptocurrency will be \u201cvery important\u201d for overcoming banking issues, lack of progress on harmonization may be due to inertia, and new CIP competition from Europe is ultimately a good thing, Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua &amp; Barbuda told Investment Migration Insider in Davos. De-risking a \u201csignificant threat\u201d Elaborating on his continued chastisement of [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Antigua News Room\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-02-07T01:49:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-02-07T01:49:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/GastonBudget2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1137\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"640\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Editor\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@AntiguaNewsRoom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@AntiguaNewsRoom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Editor\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Editor\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/36cac05ef6398fe56ae3e6317f8535c5\"},\"headline\":\"PM: Crypto-Payments Will be \u201cVery Important\u201d for Overcoming Banking Issues in Caribbean\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-02-07T01:49:27+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-02-07T01:49:29+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/\"},\"wordCount\":816,\"commentCount\":9,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1137\/h:640\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/GastonBudget2.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/\",\"name\":\"PM: Crypto-Payments Will be \u201cVery Important\u201d for Overcoming Banking Issues in Caribbean - Antigua News Room\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1137\/h:640\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/GastonBudget2.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-02-07T01:49:27+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-02-07T01:49:29+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1137\/h:640\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/GastonBudget2.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1137\/h:640\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/GastonBudget2.jpg\",\"width\":1137,\"height\":640},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"PM: Crypto-Payments Will be \u201cVery Important\u201d for Overcoming Banking Issues in Caribbean\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/\",\"name\":\"Antigua News Room\",\"description\":\"News As It Happens\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Antigua Newsroom\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1080\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_1584.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1080\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_1584.jpeg\",\"width\":1260,\"height\":1260,\"caption\":\"Antigua Newsroom\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/AntiguaNewsRoom\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/antiguanewsroom\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/36cac05ef6398fe56ae3e6317f8535c5\",\"name\":\"Editor\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96\",\"caption\":\"Editor\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/author\/editor\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"PM: Crypto-Payments Will be \u201cVery Important\u201d for Overcoming Banking Issues in Caribbean - Antigua News Room","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"PM: Crypto-Payments Will be \u201cVery Important\u201d for Overcoming Banking Issues in Caribbean","og_description":"(www.imidaily.com) Cryptocurrency will be \u201cvery important\u201d for overcoming banking issues, lack of progress on harmonization may be due to inertia, and new CIP competition from Europe is ultimately a good thing, Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua &amp; Barbuda told Investment Migration Insider in Davos. De-risking a \u201csignificant threat\u201d Elaborating on his continued chastisement of [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/","og_site_name":"Antigua News Room","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom","article_published_time":"2019-02-07T01:49:27+00:00","article_modified_time":"2019-02-07T01:49:29+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1137,"height":640,"url":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/GastonBudget2.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Editor","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@AntiguaNewsRoom","twitter_site":"@AntiguaNewsRoom","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Editor","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/"},"author":{"name":"Editor","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/36cac05ef6398fe56ae3e6317f8535c5"},"headline":"PM: Crypto-Payments Will be \u201cVery Important\u201d for Overcoming Banking Issues in Caribbean","datePublished":"2019-02-07T01:49:27+00:00","dateModified":"2019-02-07T01:49:29+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/"},"wordCount":816,"commentCount":9,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1137\/h:640\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/GastonBudget2.jpg","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/","url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/","name":"PM: Crypto-Payments Will be \u201cVery Important\u201d for Overcoming Banking Issues in Caribbean - Antigua News Room","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1137\/h:640\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/GastonBudget2.jpg","datePublished":"2019-02-07T01:49:27+00:00","dateModified":"2019-02-07T01:49:29+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1137\/h:640\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/GastonBudget2.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1137\/h:640\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/GastonBudget2.jpg","width":1137,"height":640},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-crypto-payments-will-be-very-important-for-overcoming-banking-issues-in-caribbean\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"PM: Crypto-Payments Will be \u201cVery Important\u201d for Overcoming Banking Issues in Caribbean"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/","name":"Antigua News Room","description":"News As It Happens","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization","name":"Antigua Newsroom","url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1080\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_1584.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1080\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_1584.jpeg","width":1260,"height":1260,"caption":"Antigua Newsroom"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom","https:\/\/x.com\/AntiguaNewsRoom","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/antiguanewsroom\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/36cac05ef6398fe56ae3e6317f8535c5","name":"Editor","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96","caption":"Editor"},"url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/author\/editor\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24011"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24011\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/23457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}