E-commerce company Shopify Inc said on Friday it would join Libra Association, a group that manages Facebook led efforts to launch a global digital currency, Libra.

"We will work collectively to build a payment network that makes money easier to access and supports merchants and consumers everywhere," Shopify said.

The company added:

"Our mission is to make commerce better for everyone and to do that, we spend a lot of our time thinking about how to make commerce better in parts of the world where money and banking could be far better. That’s why we decided to become a member of the Libra Association. This is one step, but not the only step we’ll be taking to be a part of the solution to this global problem.

As a member of the Libra Association, we will work collectively to build a payment network that makes money easier to access and supports merchants and consumers everywhere."

Several companies including Vodafone Group PLC, Paypal Holdings Inc and Mastercard Inc have exited the association in recent months.

Facebook announced in June last year its plan to launch Libra in partnership with other members of the association, but the project soon ran into trouble with skeptical regulators around the world.

The Libra Association originally expected to have as many as 28 total members when the project to create a new global cryptocurrency was announced in June last year. It now has 21 members.