Central Bank Digital Currency: Where Are the Biggest Opportunities for Public Policy? 2022 | Global Government Forum | 19 September 2022 | Webinar

At present, much exploration and experimentation with state-backed digital money (and related questions), is focused on technical matters: for example, challenges that available technologies, such as blockchain, could face with delivery; identity, privacy and security (for example related to cybersecurity); and challenges with offline use.

But beyond (and underlying) these important questions, there are also public policy considerations. Indeed, these questions are fundamental: beyond the potential threat of private ‘stablecoins’ and cryptocurrencies, what are the positive reasons why a nation would actually to launch a CBDC, in respect of benefitting citizens?

This webinar seeks to focus here, examining specifically the benefits that CBDCs could provide to governments and policy delivery.

Different governments and central banks have put the emphasis in different areas in their announcements on the topic to date, depending on their own situation and priorities. But examples cited of CBDC benefits have included boosting financial inclusion; programmability (programmable money – money that can only be spent for a specific purpose); improving remittance flows; as well aiding monetary policy effectiveness, payment systems efficiency and tax collection.

Our panel will seek to explore: why would a government want to encourage the introduction of a CBDC in respect of benefitting its citizens? And how important are technology choices to realising these benefits?

2022 Speaker

PANEL:
Ian Hall
Editor, Global Government Fintech

2022 Partner

• Mastercard