e-CNY wallet borrows Alipay and WeChat Pay’s electronic red packet feature to woo users
As part of its e-CNY central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) has reportedly launched a “hongbao” red packet feature, that allows users to send each other digital yuan-filled red packets. This comes just a month ahead of the Lunar New Year, when the Chinese traditionally give out red envelopes filled with cash to family and friends as a symbol of well wishes. The e-CNY app has been available in limited trials since 2020, but it continues to be an uphill battle to convince the Chinese public to use it. Digital yuan transactions hit $88 billion yuan ($12 billion) at the end of 2021, crossed the $100 billion yuan threshold at the end of August 2022. [Read more at the South China Morning Post]
The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) published a paper that shows how stablecoins can maintain a constant price even though they face run risk and pay no interest. Stablecoin holders are indirectly compensated for stablecoin run risk because they can lend the coins to levered traders. Levered traders are willing to pay a premium to borrow stablecoins when speculative demand is strong. Therefore, the stablecoin can support a $1 peg even with higher levels of run risk. However, when speculative demand falls, stablecoin issuers can keep their debt trading at par only by moving to a safer portfolio or allowing redemptions. Such reallocation or change in stablecoin supply can cause disruptions in the real economy. Stablecoin issuers will need to adjust quickly if expected returns for cryptocurrencies fall; otherwise, they face the risk of collapse. These adjustments can cause disruptions in the markets they invest in, like the commercial paper market that provides financing to the real economy. [Download the paper at the NBER]
The Financial Inclusion Trilemma
A paper by Adam Levitin argues that financial inclusion presents a policy trilemma. between the three goals of widespread availability of services to low-income consumers; fair terms of service; and profitability of service. It is possible to provide fair and profitable services, but only to a small, cherry-picked population of low-income consumers. Conversely, it is possible to provide profitable service to a large population, but only on exploitative terms. Or it is possible to provide fair services to a large population, but not at a profit. The paper argues for giving more serious consideration to a menu of stronger regulatory interventions: hard service mandates that impose cross-subsidization among consumers; taxpayer subsidies; and public provision of financial services, including the adoption of a mandate for the provision of free or low-cost basic banking services to all qualified applicants. [Read more at SSRN]
2nd Edition of DC³ Conference – From Cryptocurrencies to Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will hold (virtually) the second edition of its DC3 Conference – From Cryptocurrencies to Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) from January 24 to 27 2023. On January 27 I will be moderating two panels on offline central bank digital currency (CBDC). Also, on January 24, Jacques Francouer and I will be providing an update to our ITU Digital Currency Global Initiative digital currency ontology work. [For more event detail go to the ITU DC3 conference site]
Kiffmeister’s global central bank digital currency monthly monitor
Just a reminder that I produce a monthly digest of central bank digital currency (CBDC) developments exclusively for the official sector. So for any of you out there who work for a central bank, ministry of finance or international financial institution who would like to receive it by email on the first business day of every month, please DM me on LinkedIn or email me at chronicles@kiffmeister.com.
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