Payments
ECJ asked to rule on whether public bodies can reject cash
German high court asks European Court of Justice to rule on legal tender definition, which could allow public institutions to refuse cash payments
Access to cash a priority for UK’s PSR this year – report
Regulator criticised for response to earlier report which said 17% of population would struggle without cash
CBDC may see central banks adopt retail lending role – BIS’s Carstens
Two-tier banking system could be turned on its head by CBDC, but BIS will “flash warning light” if central banks fail to appropriately consider stability, Carstens says
Boston Fed research encourages tokenisation for ecommerce
Payment method could reduce fraud, paper says, given account information is removed from the process
Riksbank reports positive feedback on second e-krona report
Central bank argues electronic currency would protect access to state-guaranteed money
Bahamas to explore CBDC access to government securities
Governor John Rolle outlines some near-term payment system reforms
EBA launches register of payment and electronic money firms
Freely available online register brings together national authorities’ data
Regulators might not allow cash to circulate were it invented today – panellists
Anonymity of cash poses risks for the financial system, some central bankers say
ECCB announces digital currency pilot
Governor Antoine says the pilot is not “an academic exercise”, as the central bank plans to roll out the new instrument to the public within 18 months
Bank of Mexico and Amazon to co-operate on mobile payments system
Central bank aims to tackle low banking levels through digital payments
Danish mobile phone use cuts cost of P2P payments
Widespread adoption of technology fosters more efficient operations
Print-your-own banknotes could be the future – DNB official
Single-use banknotes with QR codes could be the future of cash, DNB cash head says
Sub-Saharan Africa could be fintech hub – IMF author
Wider adoption of mobile banking provides platform for further developments, says Amadou Sy
Central banks disagree over cash regulation
The BoE has issued legislation demanding banks supply certain denominations, but other regulators remain on the fence about how they should manage the future of cash
Lack of accurate data poses challenges for cash forecasting
Anonymity of cash makes it hard to track as a payment instrument, panel agrees
Fourth non-bank gains BoE settlement account
Bank of England continues to level the playing field with new entrant FairFX, following FCA audit
The role of e-cash in China
The use of e-cash stored on integrated circuit cards notably reduces cash handling fees and increases security. It also offers greater convenience notwithstanding the rise of mobile payments
UN report questions value of fintech sandboxes
Regulators are “unprepared” for the level of effort and resources needed to launch a sandbox, but complementary policies and thematic sandboxes could be the answer
Bank of Spain paper rejects bitcoin as alternative to large-scale payment system
Objectives of crypto asset make it unsatisfactory as a payment network – research
EU to cut price of cross-border euro payments
Amended law will also give customers information on currency conversion charges
Big tech companies poised to disrupt financial services – FSB
New report claims fintech hasn’t affected competition in financial sector, but big tech firms could pose stability risk
Central Banking expands fintech bandwidth
New fintech category; newsletter to offer insights into related opportunities and threats
UK cash system needs revamp, says Payment Systems Regulator chair
Charles Randell tells lawmakers the regulator will look at entire cash provision infrastructure in 2019
Lifetime achievement: Zhou Xiaochuan
The former People’s Bank of China governor stands out for his high levels of integrity, intellectual rigour and bold reforms that have served the public interest in China and elsewhere