Cash
Counterfeit notes continued to decline in Europe in 2025
ECB records ‘one of the lowest levels’, though Belgium, Cyprus and Czech Republic see uptick
Ex-ECB official: central banks need to vouch more for CBDCs
Monetary authorities have been cornered by banking industry, argues Ulrich Bindseil
China’s interest-bearing CBDC a world first, experts say
E-CNY now more integrated with commercial banking, thus solidifying country’s two-tier system
Japan’s monetary base declines for first time in 18 years
BoJ’s balance sheet also shrank by 9.4% last year amid policy normalisation drive
Renato Gomes on Pix, Drex and digital asset regulation
Brazil’s deputy governor speaks with Christopher Jeffery about pros and pitfalls of open finance, financial inclusion and crime on Pix, and the need to sideline DLT for Drex phase 3
Book notes: Money in crisis, by Ignazio Angeloni and Daniel Gros
This book should be essential reading for policy-makers at a time of uncertainty and technological change
Serbia vows to ‘prevent unjustified pressure’ on FX market
Central bank says it will fight for stability as crisis prompts citizens to swap dinars for euros
The prospects for retail CBDCs
Open instant payments systems offer a quicker route to financial deepening, for now
Nigeria to discourage cash withdrawals and make deposits easier
Central bank says reform package aims to reduce cash usage and tackle money laundering
RBNZ’s Breman to discuss greater transparency with MPC
New governor says she will raise issue of attributing votes on rate decisions to individual policy-makers
Cash is the tender of last resort – panel
Officials at Central Banking Autumn Meetings discuss risks of long-term outages in era of digital payments
Lebanon strengthens oversight of financial system after US visit
Central bank tightens AML/CFT rules as Washington tells it to contain Hezbollah funding
South Sudan opens new currency centre as UN warns of looming war
Efforts to decentralise ops come after General Assembly hears that political transition is ‘falling apart’
Why Europe cannot afford to delay the digital euro
CBDC would counter the erosion of sovereignty as cash recedes, substitution by foreign digital monies and weaponisation of access, argue Biagio Bossone and Céu Pereira
Interesting developments in currency denomination structures
Antti Heinonen explores recent changes in currency structures and the reasons behind them
Digitisation of money brings more regulatory risks – IMF head
Georgieva says crypto regs are in early stages and not yet coherent internationally
ECB’s Evelien Witlox on design choices for the digital euro
The digital euro’s program director speaks about holding limits, waterfall arrangements, programmability, blockchain usage and offline ‘secure elements’ for cash-like exchanges
Europeans flock to cash during times of crisis – ECB research
Study highlights hard currency’s role as ‘spare’ tyre in payments system
EEA non-banks to gain direct Target access from October 6
Fintechs to benefit from reaching beyond Sepa, Lithuanian central bank says
Book notes: Central banking at the frontier, by Thammarak Moenjak
This well-structured book provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges digitalisation poses for finance and includes possible actions for central banks
Austria boosts rural access to cash with 120 new ATMs
Central bank provides cash machines to communities with at least 500 inhabitants