The rise of CBDCs

April 22, 2022

The rise of CBDCs

Pim Korsten
April 22, 2022

The rise of CBDCs

Pim Korsten gives a rundown on the opportunities and risks of the rise of central bank digital currencies.
Pim Korsten
April 22, 2022
Design by RDVector. © Shutterstock

The rise of CBDCs

April 22, 2022

Both in developed and developing economies, cash usage is declining as people increasingly use digital forms of money (such as credit/debit cards, payment apps). Combined with the rise of decentralized cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, this trend shifts the balance between central-bank issued public money and private money. In response, central banks across the world are exploring central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), a new digital form of public fiat money. The number of countries exploring CBDCs has increased from only 35 in 2020 to around 100 in February 2022. Emerging markets with large unbanked populations are the most eager.

CBDCs have certain advantages for public policy makers: they would give central banks a new tool to directly influence the money supply and monitor how money is used. Moreover, CBDCs could increase financial inclusion and support citizens in time of need by enabling governments to directly transfer funds, even if people have no (access to) commercial bank accounts. Because it is digital, the use case of money could be programmed into the issuing of welfare funds, e.g. a subsidy that could only be spent on specific goods and services. It could also increase the efficiency and stability of digital payment systems, with money-creating activity being redirected towards central banks instead of commercial banks, economic activity being brought out of the shadows into the tax net, reduced counterfeiting, and the fact that it will be much more difficult to use official money for illicit purposes (e.g. money laundering, drug trafficking, terrorist financing). As a result, CBDCs would significantly expand the central bank's toolkit for ensuring financial stability. Lastly, these developments motivate central banks to exercise discipline in order to maintain the value of their currency and prevent inflation.

However, CBDCs could also infringe upon our privacy, as transactions in which CBDCs are used are likely to be auditable and traceable, as no central bank would want to allow its money to be used for illicit transactions. Furthermore, CBDCs also pose risks for countries and companies, because if currencies are less convenient or volatile, they could be displaced by private stablecoins or CBDCs issued by large economies. This would result in a loss of monetary sovereignty. In terms of money as a medium of exchange, powerful private companies with strong digital ecosystems (e.g. Apple, Meta) could come to issue their own currency at the expense of smaller companies. 

Burning questions: 
  • What would the future mix of both private and public money look like?
  • What will be the future of centralized (e.g. CBDCs) and decentralized money (e.g. cryptos such as Bitcoin)?
  • Which countries will be likely to introduce their own CBDCs, and which countries risk losing monetary sovereignty? What about companies?
About the author(s)
Pim Korsten has a background in continental philosophy and macreconomics. At the thinktank, he is mainly involved in research and consultancy projects, as well as writing articles on the latest developments in technology, politics and the economy. He is also very interested in the philosophy of history and economics, metamodernism and cultural anthropology.
You may also like