An increasing number of countries are exploring central bank digital currencies as a means to increase financial inclusion for unbanked populations, increase competition and resilience within domestic payments markets, and decrease transaction costs.
Most CBDCs currently being developed rely on banks as intermediaries, trusting them to manage customer accounts and comply with anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism regulations – an arrangement which limits its flexibility.
What is a CBDC?
CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currencies) are digital currencies issued and governed by central banks that can be used for retail and wholesale transactions within domestic borders or across international boundaries. A CBDC can increase security in payment systems while creating competition among banks for deposits while increasing financial inclusion.
Central banks require new decision-making processes and change management practices in order to implement CBDCs successfully, along with talent capable of forging partnerships between retail banks, merchants and payment service providers. They should also carefully consider any effects CBDCs may have on existing infrastructure investments or regulatory reporting processes.
CBDCs can be programmed to allow their owners to spend them on specific goods and services, making them more efficient, secure, trackable, and trackable than cash. Their programmability makes CBDCs especially valuable in countries with underdeveloped financial systems; however, strong cybersecurity controls must also be in place in order to maintain integrity of CBDCs; McKinsey research reveals their success hinges upon developing interoperable, scalable payment system architecture.
What are the benefits of CBDCs?
CBDCs offer many advantages to both society and financial system. They can promote financial inclusion by offering easy, secure access to money for those unbanked and underbanked; foster competition and resilience within domestic payment systems; reduce transaction costs; increase transparency regarding money flows; as well as enhance implementation of monetary policy.
Payment systems such as digital currencies provide a safer alternative to cash, and increase security by giving central banks full ownership and control over the money supply. They can also reduce intermediary fees while offering more efficient, secure, and rapid cross-border payments.
Different countries explore CBDCs for various reasons, but some common motivations include enhancing financial inclusion by providing access to funds for those unbanked or underbanked; strengthening domestic payment systems through greater competition; decreasing transaction costs through faster and cheaper payments; improving transparency regarding money flows; and strengthening implementation of monetary and fiscal policies.
What are the challenges of CBDCs?
Central banks are seeking ways to modernize their payment systems, but introducing CBDCs presents many unique challenges.
A CBDC requires a secure and resilient digital platform capable of fast, cross-border settlement. Furthermore, this platform must accommodate new features like programmability and fractionalization for rapid operation.
There is also concern that a CBDC might have unintended repercussions for the financial system, including increasing payments volatility or depressing bank liquidity. Furthermore, this service could have privacy repercussions as its provider would have access to data regarding all transactions and private keys belonging to users.
CBDCs will owe their success to their ability to interact with existing dollar financial channels, particularly in Asia where trade invoicing and foreign exchange trading rely heavily on dollars. Furthermore, CBDCs are susceptible to cyber attacks; thus it must be designed with security in mind–including against quantum hacking–in mind as well as comply with rules for money laundering and terrorist financing.
How can CBDCs help us?
General, CBDCs can significantly strengthen payment systems, financial inclusion and other national objectives when designed appropriately. But to maximize benefits while mitigating risks effectively, central banks require new decision-making processes as well as individuals skilled at forging partnerships in an ever-evolving digital landscape.
Most countries’ primary goal for financial inclusion initiatives is increasing financial inclusion by providing safe and easy access to money for unbanked and underbanked people – as seen with Nigeria’s eNaira launched in 2021 and The Bahamas’ Sand Dollar launched in 2020 – while also improving national payments systems to increase transparency and efficiency.
Policy objectives associated with CBDCs may include lowering transaction costs, supporting competition and strengthening resilience within the digital payments environment. They can even serve as a way for nations to implement negative interest rates or targeted economic stimuli through these digital payments environments. But in order to fully take advantage of their benefits, policymakers need to gain an understanding of their technology behind CBDCs as well as which blockchain solution best meets their needs.
