BFC Bulletins Monthly News Digest
Tokenized deposits, stablecoins and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) represent pivotal innovations in digital finance, each distinguished primarily by their issuer: banks issue tokenized deposits; non-banks issue stablecoins; and central banks issue CBDCs. Despite these differences, they share technological similarities, allowing for round-the-clock transactions and integration with DeFi protocols. Importantly, these digital assets cater to both wholesale (high-value transactions among financial institutions) and retail payments, with innovations like the JPM Coin System showcasing the potential for blockchain to facilitate over USD 1 billion in transactions daily. Moreover, the landscape is continuing to evolve, with CBDCs undergoing experimentation and pilot trials globally. This signals a shift towards digital currencies becoming an integral part of the future of finance. At the same time, there is a need for reduced intermediaries and harmonized regulations across jurisdictions if these innovations are to become foundational. Initiatives like Global Layer One aim to help in this regard by fostering an open, trusted financial ecosystem capable of avoiding the pitfalls of centralized systems while also embracing the inclusivity and efficiency of digital finance.
