A struggling cryptocurrency backed by Facebook has changed its name, in a bid to get it off the ground and approved by regulators.
Libra was launched in June 2019, backed by the social media giant back, to deliver an “inclusive and open” financial ecosystem.
However, after a number of backers pulled out of the scheme, including payment providers Visa and Paypal, and questions being raised about privacy and financial stability, it has been rebranded as Diem.
The name change is part of a move to double down on its simpler, revamped structure, according to the chief executive of the Diem Association, Stuart Levey.
He said: “The original name was tied to an early iteration of the project that received a difficult reception from regulators. We have dramatically changed that proposition.”
Diem will now aim to launch a single dollar-backed digital coin, possibly as early as January, but it will first need approval from the Swiss markets watchdog.
Facebook, which changed the name of its payment unit from Calibra to Novi Financial in May, remains one of 27 backers of the project, with its head, David Marcus, one of five board members.
Mr Levey said Facebook “are a critically-important member of the association.”
“We are not trying to cut all ties, by any stretch. It (the name change) is to signify that the association is operating autonomously and independently,” he added.
Facebook’s David Marcus remains on the board of the project
Diem wants to set itself apart from other cryptocurrencies by focusing on aspects that concern western governments and regulators.
The project will also develop policies on anti-money laundering, terrorist financing and sanctions compliance, while ditching previous plans that would have allowed anyone to join its network.