Upgrade to Bring Bitcoin Cash Smart Contracts, Ted Cruz on BTC, Global De-Dollarization Efforts — Week in Review

Software developer Jason Dreyzehner says smart contracts “comparable to Ethereum,” but remarkably more efficient will be made possible by the May 15 upgrade coming to the Bitcoin Cash network. In other news, the world’s largest regional organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) plans to switch to settlements in national currencies, moving away from the U.S. dollar. This and more, just below, in the latest Bitcoin.com News Week in Review.

Bitcoin Cash Smart Contracts ‘Comparable to Those on Ethereum’ Possible via May Upgrade, ‘1000x Efficiency Advantage’: Dev Jason Dreyzehner

Pro-freedom technologies advocate and software developer Jason Dreyzehner recently spoke with Bitcoin.com News via email about the upcoming Bitcoin Cash network upgrade on May 15. One of the most talked about improvement proposals set to go through on that date — which proponents view as a boon to economic freedom — is the Cashtokens CHIP. Beyond UTXO-level token creation, the upgrade will allow for “advanced on-chain applications like higher-security vaults, decentralized exchanges, and bridged sidechains,” comparable to ethereum, more scalable, and cheaper, according to Dreyzehner.

Read More

World’s Largest Regional Organization to Switch to Settlements in National Currencies

A China-led regional organization that covers more than half of Eurasia intends to transition to settlements in the currencies of its members. While the plan is to abandon the U.S. dollar in mutual payments, participating nations are yet to consider a common currency.

Read More

Syria Urges BRICS to Lead in Ditching Dollar, Talks Yuan Adoption With China

BRICS nations can lead efforts to abandon the U.S. dollar in international settlements, according to President Bashar Assad of Syria. At a meeting with China’s top diplomat for the region, the leader of the war-torn Middle Eastern country called for using the Chinese yuan for cross-border trade.

Read More

US Senator Ted Cruz: ‘I Like BTC for the Same Reason the Chinese Communist Govt Doesn’t Like BTC’

United States Senator Ted Cruz has said he remains “incredibly bullish on bitcoin” which he described as the “alpha in the crypto sphere.” According to Cruz, people are attracted to bitcoin because they see it as a hedge against inflation and also as an “important check” against government spending.

Read More

What are your thoughts on this week’s developments in crypto and global finance? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below.