Kazakhstan NBK okays gold tokenization, QR crypto payment pilots; plans $1B reserve

Kazakhstan’s central bank has approved three pilots, including tokenizing refined gold and testing crypto payments via QR codes, with a third focused on a tenge-pegged stablecoin. The nation plans a $1 billion crypto reserve, with $300 million earmarked, and gold holdings increased by at least 32 tonnes this year. A regulator stated cryptocurrencies cannot be used for payments.