Kiffmeister’s #Fintech Daily Digest (20240315)*

KPIs for the assessment of the ECB’s “wCBDC” work

The European Central Bank (ECB) published the learning strategy and key performance indicators (KPIs) proposed for its exploratory work on new technologies for central bank money settlement of wholesale financial transactions. The work is focused on three interoperability-type solutions, (i) trigger (ii) TARGET Instant Payment System (TIPS) hash link, and (iii) full distributed ledger technology (DLT) interoperability. The first two solutions involve the market platform interoperating with the existing TIPs platform. Only the last one (full-DLT) involves what the rest of the world calls wholesale central bank digital currency (wCBDC), in which the payment instrument is DLT-based central bank money (CeBM). [Read more at the ECB]

How do privacy concerns impact actual adoption of CBDC?

Quantitative Finance and Economics (QFE) published a paper that, based on a quantitative questionnaire among 682 Chinese citizens, explored the impact of privacy concerns on e-CNY central bank digital currency (CBDC) adoption. It found that several antecedents significantly influenced privacy concerns that negatively influenced e-CNY usage, particularly perceived vulnerability and self-efficacy concerns. Perceived vulnerability may arise from concerns related to the security of the technology, the potential misuse of personal information, and the risk of financial losses. Self-efficacy relates to potential e-CNY user confidence that they can securely and manage associated privacy risks. [Read more at the QFE]

CBDCs will need to work across borders. Here are the models exploring how to do it

The Atlantic Council published an article that compares three main models of CBDC interoperability across borders. The IMF “XC” three-layer platform is based on a DLT-based global centralized ledger to simplify and streamline cross-border payments. The BIS Universal Ledger model advocates for a shared application programming interface (API) based (rather than DLT-based) global ledger that supports the issuance and transaction of both CBDCs and tokenized assets. SWIFT’s New Cross-Border Project model facilitates the connection of disparate domestic CBDC networks, enabling them to communicate and transact with one another while leveraging SWIFT’s existing infrastructure and security protocols. [Read more at the Atlantic Council]

*For those interested in intra-day updates, check out my searchable Diigo Fintech developments database, which is also a good place to go to query for past developments: https://www.diigo.com/user/kiffmeister/ART.

Kiffmeister’s 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 (only) if you work at a central bank, ministry of finance or international financial institution (e.g., the BIS, IMF, OECD, World Bank) and 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

The Sovereign Official Digital Association (SODA) is a technology-agnostic firm offering advisory services at the intersection of central banking, digital finance and the web3 industry, aiming to make public digital money a reality. SODA believes institutions in the existing financial ecosystem should have access to the tools and resources they need to move from discussion to action. SODA offers ‘real life’ use cases to help test digital money and drive adoption as central banks and other public institutions explore the future of a more financially inclusive world powered by interoperable blockchain-based networks. SODA would love you to join us on this journey – please get in touch (chris@sodapublicmoney.org).

Satoshi Capital Advisors is a New York-based, global advisory firm that works with central banks, governments, and the private sector to architect, implement, and operate varying initiatives. Satoshi Capital Advisors’ central bank work revolves around CBDC architecture and implementation, providing advisory services from research phase through to growth phase. Utilizing a product-market fit and technology agnostic approach to CBDC architecture and implementation enables Satoshi Capital Advisors to build tailored solutions, bespoke to local financial system nuances. Satoshi Capital Advisors welcomes requests from central bank officials for virtual and in-person CBDC workshops. [Click here for more information]

WhisperCash offers the first fully offline digital currency platform that has the same properties as physical cash. It can perform secure consecutive offline payments without compromising on security, privacy or accessibility. WhisperCash allows direct person to person offline payments without any server infrastructure or internet connectivity. It comes in various form factors including the self-contained credit card-sized “Pro” that sports an eInk screen and capacitive keyboard, and lasts for two weeks between recharges assuming a few transactions per day. [Click here for more information]