CBDC Financial News

Digital Rupee (or the e₹), it indicates the design choices that the RBI is inclining towards to pursue these motivations, it briefly charts a forward-looking path till the launch of the e₹, and it pushes policy debate into the next gear – from speculation to contentions on merits on motivations, design, outcomes. Yet, misalignments abound – particularly about what the RBI expects of the e₹ and what it can be reasonably expected to deliver. One example is the impact a CBDC would have on the wider adoption of crypto assets and stablecoins. Globally, central bankers are divided in opinion on whether the emergence of crypto assets led to an acceleration of their CBDC projects: in a May 2022 survey by the Bank for International Settlements, six out of ten respondent central banks agreed. This may have been because a clear assessment of the adoption of crypto assets for different use cases and their impact on the economy appears to have so far eluded policymakers: the same survey indicated that a majority of central banks largely characterized the use of crypto assets in their jurisdictions – both in relation to domestic payments and cross-border payments, as “use by niche groups” and “trivial or no use”. Earlier in February 2022, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) had acknowledged significant data gaps that made an assessment of the impact of crypto assets on financial stability difficult to identify and quantify.

crypto assets led to an acceleration of their CBDC projects: in a May 2022 survey by the Bank for International Settlements, six out of ten respondent central banks agreed. This may have been because a clear assessment of the adoption of crypto assets for different use cases and their impact on the economy appears to have so far eluded policymakers: the same survey indicated that a majority of central banks largely characterized the use of crypto assets in their jurisdictions – both in relation to domestic payments and cross-border payments, as “use by niche groups” and “trivial or no use”. Earlier in February 2022, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) had acknowledged significant data gaps that made an assessment of the impact of crypto assets on financial stability difficult to identify and quantify. The RBI’s stated expectation is that the e₹ will provide the benefits of virtual currencies but at the same time protect financial consumers and avoid the ‘damaging social and economic consequences’ of crypto assets. If it’s too good to be true, it usually is, and this appears to be the case with the RBI’s projection of the e₹ as being a panacea to the many risks associated with crypto assets and stablecoins.

A United States central bank digital currency (CBDC) would not enhance the qualities of the U.S. fiat dollar that foreign companies value most, U.S. Federal Reserve Board governor Christopher Waller in a speech released Oct. 14. CBDC skeptic Waller took a look at the question through the lens of national security at a symposium held at Harvard University. Waller had a more favorable view of dollar-backed stablecoin.

China's digital yuan has processed over 100 billion yuan (close to $14 billion) worth of transactions so far, becoming the most widely adopted central bank digital currency (CBDC) across the globe. 

RBI) on Friday released its concept note for central bank digital currency (CBDC), which was announced by the Finance Minister Nirmal Sitharaman in Parliament during her budget speech in February. The RBI clarified that the concept note aims to create awareness about CBDC and features of the digital rupee (e₹). It explains the objectives, choices, benefits, risks of CBDCs in India. It discusses technology and design choices, possible uses of Digital Rupee, issuance mechanisms and examines the implications of introduction of CBDC on the banking system, monetary policy, financial stability, and privacy issues. The RBI will soon commence pilot launches of CBDC for specific use cases. As the extent and scope of such pilot launches expand, RBI will continue to communicate about the specific features and benefits of CBDC, from time to time.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will soon launch pilot tests for its upcoming digital rupee in a bid to increase awareness around its Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).

The European Central Bank (ECB) Eurosystem digital euro project’s two-year investigative phase has reached its halfway point. The ECB published a progress report Sept. 29 that looked at design and policy issues that are under consideration or have been decided.

The Caribbean region is in a tough situation for banking. The 35 nations comprising the region face challenges common to many tiny economies, such as dollarization and dependence on foreign trade and remittances. In addition, the increasingly common banking practice called de-risking is taking a heavy toll. So, it is probably no coincidence that the region is also at the forefront of digital currency adoption. 

The Bank for International Settlements, or BIS, has reported it will be partnering with the central banks of Israel, Norway and Sweden to explore international retail and remittance payments use cases for central bank digital currencies, or CBDCs.

As more countries make progress in terms of developing and implementing central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), Ghana’s central bank aims to keep up and complete its research on CBDCs with the goal of financial inclusion according to Kwame Oppong, the head of fintech and innovation at the Bank of Ghana.

The European Central Bank (ECB) needs a wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC) because market players expect it, ECB executive board member Fabio Panetta told a banking symposium in Germany on Monday. Two options for wholesale CBDCs are currently under consideration. 

Making it to the list of countries that intend to launch an in-house central bank digital currency (CBDC), the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) released a white paper outlining an elaborate plan for conducting a pilot project for eAUD.

The Central Bank of Iran will make a pilot launch of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) on Sept. 22, the Iranian Chamber of Commerce has announced. The so-called “crypto-rial” has been in the planning stage for several years.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) published a paper outlining the state of research on its proposed retail central bank digital currency (rCBDC) and plans for its further development. This is the third paper the HKMA has published on the e-HKD, as the proposed CBDC is called. 

The People’s Bank of China, or PBoC, will reportedly expand deployment of its central bank digital currency, the e-CNY, to four of the country’s provinces, including Guangdong.

 

By the end of last week, the federal agencies presented the results of their six-month-long work on the principal directions for digital assets regulation in the United States. The resulting first-ever crypto framework, published on the White House website, may not contain many surprises or exact details, but, as a part of President Joe Biden’s executive order, it will undoubtedly affect the policymaking decisions to come. 

United States President Joe Biden ordered more than a dozen reports to be written when he released his Executive Order (EO) 14067 “Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets.” Five had due dates wiin 90 days, and the last three were published simultaneously by the Treasury Department on Sept. 16. The reports were prepared in response to instructions in Sections 4, 5 and 7 of the EO.

Sheila Warren, CEO of the Crypto Council for Innovation, said the Digital Commodities Consumer Protection Act currently being considered by U.S. lawmakers was a “pivotal step” towards achieving regulatory clarity, but recommended changes to determine the role authorities will take on digital assets.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said that the central bank will launch its digital currency as a pilot project this year. Addressing the India Ideas Summit, Sankar said that Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) is the most efficient system for cross-border payments. Though, it reiterated that RBI aims to give viable alternatives and not going for a cashless society. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the launch of CBDC during her union budget speech, which was tabled earlier this year. Pratik Gauri, Co-founder & CEO, 5ire said that as cautious as the government has been about both VAs and digital currency, it is a novel step to be taken by a central bank.

Members of the House Committee on Financial Services have called for Federal Reserve vice chair Lael Brainard to clarify her position on a central bank digital currency ahead of deadlines set by United States President Joe Biden’s executive order on digital assets.