Will Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) become mainstream?

CBDCs, or Central Bank Digital Currencies, can catapult bitcoin into the mainstream market. The concept is to create a digital form of fiat money issued by the country’s central bank that can be used as legal tender.

Numerous business areas incorporate blockchain technology, and institutional interest in cryptocurrencies has resulted in a surge in the widespread use of digital currencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.

The cryptocurrency sector is still in its infancy, and consequently, volatile. If governments accept digital currencies as legal cash, the only way to accomplish this is by introducing central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).

Learn more: Blockchain Principles: Understanding Blockchain Technology

What is a Central Bank Digital Currency?

Central bank digital currency (CBDC) refers to a fiat currency’s virtual representation. A CBDC is a digital representation of an official national currency issued and regulated by the nation’s central bank or monetary authority.

CBDCs can facilitate the implementation of monetary and fiscal policy and enhance financial inclusion in an economy. CBDCs are now at various phases of development worldwide.

Why do central banks want to issue central bank digital money

CBDCs would serve as a reliable and stable alternative to currency. This is critical because the central bank’s mandate is to act in the public interest.

While Bitcoin and Ethereum continue to generate much buzz, the difficulty with using these cryptocurrencies as legal tender is their volatility. If a currency is to fuel national finance, it must be the least volatile currency possible.

A central bank digital currency can assist in ensuring that citizens of the region continue to have access to a simple, generally accepted, secure, and dependable public payment method. Having access to both digital and physical money provides individuals with additional possibilities.

This would be consistent with the central bank’s mandate, which includes defending financial stability and an efficient, dependable, and inclusive payment system.

However, because they are a centralized type of cash, they may jeopardize citizens’ privacy.

Addressing Security and Privacy concerns

Striking the proper balance between anonymity and transparency is critical. CBDCs must function as a digital representation of national money free of privacy concerns and user control. CBDCs can revolutionize the business world by adding functionality on top of them.

Governments must understand completely why they are implementing CBDCs. While tighter financial monitoring will assist in combatting money laundering and payment-related crime, winning the public’s trust and maximizing the potential of CBDCs is critical.

It is critical to establish the value of central bank digital currencies and enhance their functionality to support the digital economy’s growth.

CBDCs are sure to impact businesses and individual customers. This is backed by the fact that interest in digital assets has been steadily increasing in recent years among retail and institutional investors in financial markets.

What are the advantages of CBDC?

CBDCs could be used to secure payment automation – programmable payments are highly appealing to enterprises.

Another area where digital currencies can excel is in the area of quick and inexpensive borderless transactions.

CBDCs can provide a banking option for the unbanked, contribute to constructing more efficient tax systems, and provide real-time information into the present macroeconomic condition, allowing for more immediate modifications if necessary.

Other advantages offered by CBDC include:

• The cost of cash might be quite expensive for countries located on isolated islands. CBDCs can help to offset some of these expenditures.

• Traditional financial systems can involve a large number of intermediaries, which increases the expenses and fees involved.

• CBDC may be an innovative way to bank the unbanked. According to the World Bank, around 80% of people in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam are unbanked, compared to 30% in Malaysia and Thailand. In Myanmar, only 23% of the population has a legitimate bank account. CBDC can contribute to the development of an inclusive financial system.

• According to the IMF, a correctly implemented CBDC can mitigate the threat posed by new digital currencies. Regulating privately issued digital currencies can be a nightmare. A CBDC issued domestically would help address this issue.

• A major disadvantage of cryptocurrencies is their price volatility. Governments can use CBDCs to control price volatility by utilizing a private blockchain. While this compromises decentralization, it may assist expand blockchain technology’s adoption.

• Regarding the widespread use of blockchain technology, adopting CBDCs enables banks to expand their experimentation with Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). Several central banks propose restricting CBDC distribution to institutional market players only to foster the development of DLT-based asset markets.

• CBDCs can amplify the economy’s responsiveness to policy rate adjustments. CBDCs, for example, might theoretically be used to charge negative interest rates during a lengthy time of crisis.

• CBDCs can assist foster financial sector competition and innovation. Newcomers can leverage the technology to enter the payments market and provide solutions.

• As electronic and digital payments supplant physical currency, central banks will seek to replace physical cash with its electronic equivalent, i.e., CBDC. This increases the bank’s revenue from money creation or seigniorage.

Will CBDC gain acceptance?

CBDCs have captured the attention of several governments recently because their integration has the potential to profoundly alter the existing currency and payments ecosystem.

China is the market leader in this industry; the Digital Yuan is currently testing and being put into the metro system. China will allow overseas users to utilize the Digital Yuan during the Winter Olympics (February 2022) if they present their passport details to the People’s Bank of China.

In Europe, the European Central Bank has formally initiated a two-year investigation into establishing a Digital Euro and the associated complexities.

The Bahamas debuted the Sand Dollar – a digital version of the Bahamian Dollar – in October 2020. The Sand Dollar was the world’s first CBDC product readily available. India, too, is considering the implementation of digital currency.

Greater regulatory certainty will be required before CBDCs can enter the mainstream. Central banks must establish a stable foundation for financial service companies to expand.

See also: https://cbdctracker.org/

What is the future of CBDCs?

Five nations have already deployed central bank digital currencies, while 14 more are pursuing pilot projects.

In total, 81 countries are examining the prospect of incorporating CBDCs into their economies – 16 are in the development stage, while 32 are in the research stage. These countries account for more than 90% of global gross domestic product (GDP). Among the pilot countries are big economies such as South Korea and Sweden.

The USA is the furthest behind in the race to install CBDCs of the countries with the four largest central banks. As the US is a global leader in creating payment monitoring and regulation norms, this might have long-term geopolitical ramifications. Particularly, if China maintains its first-mover advantage in developing CBDC technology.

It is safe to say that the widespread adoption of CBDCs will result in a seismic shift in global financial systems. While central bank digital currencies would be more cost-effective than physical cash, promote financial inclusion, help streamline monetary policy, and potentially have additional functionalities layered on top, several challenges must be overcome before they can be fully implemented.

Regulations must be strengthened, as the ability to track cross-border flows will be tested.

While much ground has to be covered, if done correctly, central bank digital currencies can alter the global payments environment and usher in a new financial era.