The Novi pilot's introduction has not been without criticism – which is to be anticipated from Zuckerberg's firm.

This week, Facebook announced the launch of a pilot programme for its digital wallet Novi, first targeting users in the United States and Guatemala. Coinbase, a publicly traded cryptocurrency exchange in the United States, was selected by Mark Zuckerberg's firm to test the new Facebook product via Coinbase Custody. The news garnered attention from both the cryptocurrency community and the mainstream media, who characterised the announcement as significant.

However, just because an announcement made the news and became a trending topic does not mean it was favourably accepted by crypto aficionados or even policymakers. As is the case in other arenas, voices in favour and against Novi coalesced and began debating unanimously on a single point: privacy.

On the one hand, it is well documented in the media that governments have focused their attention on Facebook due to privacy concerns regarding the social media platform and the way Zuckerberg's firm handles user data.

Having said that, critics of the Facebook crypto wallet are concerned about the wallet's ability to be a decentralised product or even ensure users' privacy. On the other side, supporters of Novi noted that widespread usage of cryptocurrency-related products and services is always beneficial to the sector.

US Congressmen Are Concerned About Novi

This week, a group of US politicians expressed worry over Facebook's handling of cryptocurrency.

Additionally, lawmakers urged the technology company to immediately halt its trial operation. Brian Schatz, Sherrod Brown, Richard Blumenthal, Elizabeth Warren, and Tina Smith were among the Democratic senators who signed the letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

"Facebook cannot be trusted to operate a payment system or digital currency given its demonstrated inability to manage risks and keep users safe," the letter read.

However, it appears as though Zuckerberg is far from abandoning his current crypto initiatives. According to reports that made news last week following the introduction of the Novi pilot, Facebook intends to alter its name to reflect its most recent endeavour: the metaverse. On October 28, Zuckerberg will reveal the rebranding at the company's annual Connect Conference.

What About Diem's Case?

The most often asked question in the aftermath of Facebook's Novi announcement is: why cryptos? Of course, there are numerous possible responses, but the majority of them are confusing when asked directly on Facebook. Finally, there is an answer to the question of whether or not Facebook wishes to fund Diem Association (formerly referred to as Facebook's Libra):

"I want to emphasise that our commitment to Diem has not altered, and we aim to launch Novi alongside Diem once it receives regulatory permission and goes live. We are committed to interoperability and want to do it right," Novi project lead David Marcus stated on Twitter.

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