Mali’s Ministry of Economy and Finance has said that claims circulating on social media about the imminent introduction of a common currency for the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) are false.

Further to the news that Pakistan’s federal government has formed a committee to investigate whether the 10 rupee banknote should be phased out in favour of its existing equivalent coin (see CN January 2026), a new currency management report has recommended that it should, noting that the shift could save the country billions.

CCL Secure has been awarded a tender by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) to supply GUARDIAN™ polymer substrate for the 200,000 dong (VND) denomination.

The UK is navigating a pivotal moment in its national infrastructure, embarking on major security printing tenders totalling over £1 billion covering banknotes, passports, and excise-control stamps.

The National Bank of Ukraine has released a modified 200 hyrvnia (UAH) banknote. While the 2019 design and security features remain, the revised notes carry the slogan: ‘Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the Heroes!’

Ethiopia is apparently done waiting on foreign firms to print its cash. At the Finance Forward 2026 conference in Addis Ababa, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed made it official: the country is moving to print its own currency. For decades, the Ethiopian birr has been produced overseas, but the government is now betting that ‘monetary sovereignty’ is worth the massive upfront investment.

On 1 January 2026, the euro replaced the Bulgarian lev, making Bulgaria the 21st of European Union’s 27 member states to join the eurozone, following Croatia’s entry in 2023. This means 358 million Europeans now use the euro as their currency.

Some big changes in the Indian ATM market are planned over the next six months with 17,350 new machines, 75% of which will be capable of cash recycling.

Giesecke+Devrient is continuing its business transformation strategy with the acquisition of critical German payment infrastructure in the form of the Payments & Banking Services business of Bank-Verlag. A subsidiary of the Association of German Banks, the business processes one in four card and internet-based payment transactions in Germany.

Korea Minting, Security Printing & ID Card Operating Corporation (KOMSCO) has released two more currency-themed goods made from recycled currency by-products, following the launch of the Money Pen, Money Keyring, and Money Envelope earlier this year.