Payments
The evolving ‘strategy function’ in central banks
Some institutions participating in a survey of 27 central banks still struggle to fully harness an effective ‘strategy function’, according to the ECB’s Jean-Charles Sevet and Alejandro de la Cuesta
DNB survey finds 49% of respondents ready to use digital euro
Over half of sample had not heard of central bank-issued digital currency, survey finds
Zhang Tao on the IMF’s fintech agenda, CBDCs and big tech oversight
IMF deputy managing director speaks about the fund’s perspectives on CBDC operating frameworks, regulating big tech and macrofinancial oversight in a digital world
BoE broadens access to RTGS with ‘omnibus’ account model
Accounts will allow payment system operators to ‘pool’ client funds for transfers in central bank money
BoE and Treasury launch CBDC task force
Central bank also forms new division to lead “internal exploration” of digital currency
Sweden may have a digital currency in five years, says Riksbank governor
Sveriges Riksbank is testing e-krona pilot as Swedish cash use falls rapidly
Fintech & IT Benchmarks 2021 report – executive summary
Shedding light on fintech initiatives, staffing, salaries, cyber security and more
RBI to give some non-banks access to payments systems
Indian central bank to allow non-bank payment service providers to use payments architecture
Fintech & IT Benchmarks 2021 report – detailing the evolution of technology
Benchmarking data sheds light on staffing trends, priority areas of research and uptake of new technology, cyber security challenges and central bank digital currencies
ECB’s digital euro consultation says public worried over privacy
Nearly half of responses to ECB come from Germany
Regulating big tech and non-bank financial services in the digital era
Big tech incursions into financial services in China and elsewhere demonstrate the potential benefits of adopting a digital-bank or holding-company approach to financial regulation
Central banks take less than 50 minutes to fix critical outages
Time tolerances for critical system downtime range from one to 32 hours
HKMA and BoJ launch new securities settlement framework
New “delivery versus payment link” aims to reduce settlement risk
Cuban central bank approves new money transfer app
Digital wallet offered by Cuban telecoms firm will only receive and pay out in pesos
Riksbank prepares for second phase of e-krona pilot
Next phase will explore whether blockchain can handle scaled-up retail payments
Payment innovation is top fintech research priority for central banks
CBDC ranked second as central banks explore wider implications of fintech for payments
‘Giant of the field’ Robert Mundell dies
The Nobel laureate influenced a generation of economists via the Mundell-Fleming model
ECCB launches live CBDC pilot
Blockchain-issued DCash is the world’s first CBDC within a currency union
Richmond Fed: is US ready for digital dollar?
Brief argues there are questions to answer before embarking on CBDC
Central banks considering interlinked CBDC options
Agustín Carstens presents results of cross-border CBDC survey
Bank of Jamaica announces prototype CBDC partner
Irish firm eCurrency Mint will provide technology that connects with central bank’s RTGS system
PBoC and Swift to offer cross-border payments services
Joint venture will set up local network and data centre to support financial messaging, PBoC says
A bellwether moment for CBDC plans
The launch of the ‘sand dollar’ may herald a new era of CBDCs as the Fed and ECB step up their preparations
Nine in 10 central banks are working on CBDCs
Very few central banks have progressed past the research phase, but those that do are working on general purpose variants