Kiffmeister’s #Fintech Daily Digest (20251008)

October 8, 2025October 8, 2025 ~ kiffmeister

Just a reminder that I produce a monthly digest of digital fiat currency (DFC) developments exclusively for the official sector (e.g., central banks, ministries of finance and international financial institution (e.g., the BIS, IMF, OECD, World Bank)) plus academics and firms that are active in the DFC space (commercial banks, technology providers, consultants, etc.). (DFCs include central bank digital currency (CBDC), stablecoins and tokenized deposits.) It goes out via email on the first business day of every month, and if you’re interested in being on the mailing list, please email me at john@kiffmeister.com.

BOE Plans Carveouts on Stablecoin Cap After Industry Backlash (Bloomberg)

The Bank of England (BOE) reportedly plans to grant exemptions to its proposed £20,000 cap for individuals and £10 million cap for businesses on stablecoin holdings, specifically targeting crypto exchanges and other firms that require large stablecoin positions. The central bank will also allow firms to use stablecoins as settlement assets in its experimental Digital Securities Sandbox, marking a notable shift from Governor Andrew Bailey’s earlier warnings that stablecoins could destabilize public trust in money. This policy adjustment comes amid growing concerns that the UK is falling behind the US in stablecoin regulation, with only $581,000 worth of pound-pegged stablecoins in circulation compared to $468 million in euro-pegged tokens, and fears that talent and investment could flow to New York under the Trump administration’s more favorable Genius Act framework. The changes reflect pressure from the digital payments industry. [Source: Bloomberg]

Pricing in Fast Payments: A Practical and Theoretical Overview (BIS)

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) published a paper that provides an overview of how fast payment systems (FPS) are priced at various levels, including system participants (banks and payment service providers) and end-users. It reviews global practices, such as free, paid, freemium, and subscription models, highlighting incentives and trade-offs for financial inclusion, innovation, and competition. Using a two-sided market theoretical model (focused on person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions), the authors show that zero-fee models are unsustainable without external subsidies, while different pricing approaches influence both usage volume and social welfare. Some systems (eg Türkiye, Brazil) avoid joining or fixed fees for participants to encourage adoption, while others (eg Australia, the United Kingdom) use a mix of fee types. At the end user level, many (eg Brazil, Malaysia, Thailand) offer free or low-cost transactions for individuals. Fees for merchants can be market-based or regulated (eg Türkiye, India, Mexico). The model shows that FPS usage may be sub-optimal under many pricing schemes that are currently applied in practice. [Source: BIS]

Upcoming Speaking Engagements:

Stablecoin C-Suite Summit (New York City on November 14-15) will be the definitive conference for exploring the future of digital money and intelligent payments. The event brings together founders, C-level executives, investors, policymakers, and developers for two immersive days of talks, panels, and networking. This be the place to be if you’re building, backing, or regulating the next wave of programmable finance. [Register here]

The Digital Euro Conference 2026 (Frankfurt, March 26) will explore the future of money with a focus on CBDCs, stablecoins, and commercial bank tokens. This hybrid event offers the perfect platform to understand the future of digital money! When you register, get 20% off the regular ticket price by using the Kiffmeister20 code! [register here]

I produce a monthly digest of digital fiat currency (DFC) developments exclusively for the official sector (e.g., central banks, ministries of finance and international financial institution (e.g., the BIS, IMF, OECD, World Bank)) plus academics and firms that are active in the DFC space (commercial banks, technology providers, consultants, etc.). (DFCs include central bank digital currency (CBDC), stablecoins and tokenized deposits.) It goes out via email on the first business day of every month, and if you’re interested in being on the mailing list, please email me at john@kiffmeister.com.

Kiffmeister’s #Fintech Daily Digest (20250924)

September 24, 2025September 24, 2025 ~ kiffmeister

Digital Euro May Be Rolled Out in Mid-2029, ECB’s Cipollone Says (Bloomberg)

The digital euro could be launched by mid-2029, according to ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone, speaking at a Bloomberg Future of Finance event. A recent agreement among euro-area finance chiefs on customer holding limits has accelerated the project’s momentum, but the initiative’s progress now depends on the European Parliament passing required legislation. Cipollone suggests that the Parliament’s formal position may be ready by early May 2026, with broader agreement among EU member states likely by year-end. [Source: Bloomberg]

CFTC Launches Tokenized Collateral and Stablecoins Initiative (CFTC)

The U.S. Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has launched an initiative to allow tokenized collateral—including stablecoins—to be used in U.S. derivatives markets, citing the need for modernization and greater market efficiency. Industry leaders from Circle, Coinbase, Ripple, Tether, and Crypto.com publicly support the move, emphasizing how regulated stablecoins could enhance liquidity, reduce risks, and strengthen U.S. global leadership in financial innovation. The CFTC is inviting stakeholders and the public to submit feedback by October 20, 2025, as it prepares to implement new pilot programs and regulatory updates in line with recommendations from the President’s Working Group and its own Global Markets Advisory Committee. [Source: CFTC]

Drivers of Digital Payment Adoption: Lessons from Brazil, Costa Rica, and Mexico (NBER)

The U.S. National Bureau of Economics and Research (NBER) published a paper that explores why digital person-to-person (P2P) payment platforms like Brazil’s Pix and Costa Rica’s Sinpe Móvil achieve broad, cash-like usage while Mexico’s CoDi lags. It finds that mass adoption depends on rapid spread from affluent early adopters to lower-income groups, which is enabled by low barriers to entry, strong network effects, policy support, universal connectivity, and public trust. For example, CoDi’s adoption plateaued at only 2–3% of adults, due to pre-existing low bank account ownership (~40%), lower mobile and internet penetration, and restrictive access. For example, opening a bank account in Mexico is more cumbersome than in Brazil because it typically involves heavier and stricter documentation requirements, in-person branch visits, and processes that are not fully digitized or simplified for unbanked or low-income populations. [Source: David Argente]

Stablecoins and the Future of Money: Economic Principles and Policy Implications (IMK)

The Institut für Makroökonomie und Konjunkturforschung (IMK) published a paper by Peter Bofinger that argues for the integration of national payment systems across European Union (EU) member states as a means of strengthening European payment sovereignty and resilience, particularly in the face of risks posed by foreign-currency stablecoins—most notably those denominated in USD. The rationale is that by unifying fragmented domestic payment infrastructures, the EU can achieve faster, cheaper, and more seamless cross-border transactions for both consumers and businesses, reducing dependence on non-EU payment schemes and lessening the appeal of private stablecoins for euro area payments. This integration would build on the existing Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) and extend its ease and efficiency, allowing instant, interoperable euro payments at scale. [Source: IMK]

Upcoming Speaking Engagements:

Stablecoin NYC 2025 (New York City on November 14-15) will be the definitive conference for exploring the future of digital money and intelligent payments. The event brings together founders, C-level executives, investors, policymakers, and developers for two immersive days of talks, panels, and networking. This be the place to be if you’re building, backing, or regulating the next wave of programmable finance. [Register here]

Kiffmeister’s #Fintech Daily Digest (20250919)

September 19, 2025September 19, 2025 ~ kiffmeister

The Digital Euro has Enraged Half of Brussels (Politico)

Politico published an article about how the European Central Bank (ECB) push for a digital euro is provoking controversy across Brussels, especially among banks and right-leaning politicians. The legislative process, led by skeptical European Union (EU) lawmaker Fernando Navarrete, is mired in political debate: privacy advocates demand strong safeguards, some governments insist on offline use. Another ongoing debate is whether banks should be paid for distributing digital euros and ensuring their payment rails accept and profit from digital euro transactions. Also the lEuropean Parliament will have to work with the Council of the European Union, which represents member countries whose ministers are being lobbied by their respective banking industries. The final legislative framework likely won’t be ready before May 2026, so practical rollout is unlikely before 2028. [Source: Politico]

Wholesale Central Bank Money in the Context of Technological Innovation (BIS)

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) published a report, produced by a group of major central banks, that examines the implications of technological innovation—especially distributed ledger technology (DLT) and tokenization—for wholesale central bank money (CBM) and settlement systems. The report finds that while wholesale CBM has existed for decades in the form of reserves, “wholesale CBM tokens” represent a new technical form enabling programmability and composability, but their fundamental economic function remains unchanged. The report lays out options and trade-offs for central banks, including whether to support private settlement solutions, enhance existing systems, or build new infrastructures—potentially with integration of multiple assets/tokens. While technological advances like DLT could improve efficiency, interoperability, and resilience, the report stresses that choices will differ by jurisdiction and caution is needed to avoid liquidity fragmentation, loss of central bank oversight, and inefficient duplication. Ultimately, central banks must balance innovation, risk management, and policy objectives when considering whether and how to make central bank money available for the settlement of tokenized wholesale transactions, with international cooperation seen as important for navigating trade-offs and possible next steps. [Source: BIS]

Upcoming Speaking Engagements:

Kiffmeister’s #Fintech Daily Digest (20250620)

June 20, 2025June 20, 2025 ~ kiffmeister

BoE Governor Expresses Doubts About Case for Digital Pound (BoE)

Bank of England (BoE) Governor Andrew Bailey expressed doubts that there is a need for the central bank to introduce retail central bank digital currency (CBDC). Instead, he thinks that “commercial banks need to step up to the challenge of digital money provision… [because] if there are real benefits to digital technology in payments, we should want to see them in commercial bank money”. He also mentioned tokenized deposits as a way to apply digital technology to the form of money that we have today, with the challenge being to apply them to both domestic and cross-border payments. [Read more at the BoE]

The HKMA and the PBoC Launch Payment Connect (HKMA)

On June 20, 2025 the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) announced the launch of Payment Connect. It will link Mainland China’s Internet Banking Payment System (IBPS) and Hong Kong’s Faster Payment System (FPS), to support secure, efficient and convenient real-time cross-border payments for residents and institutions in both countries. Residents will be able make instant small-value cross-boundary remittances by simply inputting the recipient’s mobile number or account number. [Read more at the HKMA]

Retail Central Bank Digital Currency: A Review and Assessment (SUERF)

SUERF published a paper by David Llewellyn, Charles Goodhart and Alistair Milne that critically examines the potential benefits, costs, and risks of introducing a retail central bank digital currency (CBDC). The authors argue that while proponents highlight advantages such as maintaining trust in the monetary system, enhancing competition, and promoting financial inclusion, these benefits may not outweigh the drawbacks or be uniquely addressed by a CBDC. The authors highlight risks like disintermediation of banks, financial instability, cybersecurity threats, and privacy concerns. Plus, retail CBDC could struggle to become a significant payments mechanism with the necessary critical mass unless it can offer additional or better payments mechanisms than are already available with commercial bank money and the wide range of other payment mechanisms. The paper emphasizes the need for a thorough cost-benefit analysis. [Read more at SUERF]

Upcoming Speaking Engagements:

The CB+DC Conference (Nassau, Bahamas, September 9-11) is a premier gathering centered on CBDCs, tokenized assets, and stablecoins. It provides a forum for central bankers, commercial bankers, technology innovators, policymakers, and academics to explore the latest advancements in digital currency, engage with experts and peers, and discuss the future of digital currency. [Register here but before you do, email me at john@kiffmeister.com for a 15% discount]

And 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 john@kiffmeister.com.

Kiffmeister’s #Fintech Daily Digest (20250527)

May 27, 2025May 27, 2025 ~ kiffmeister

Circle Files IPO on NYSE at $6.7 Billion Valuation (Decrypt)

USDC stablecoin issuer Circle filed paperwork with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to offer 24 million shares for $24 to $26 each. The firm is targeting a $6.7 billion fully diluted valuation. Circle is expected to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker CRCL. USDC was launched by Circle and Coinbase in 2018 via the Centre Consortium. Coinbase, which went public in 2021, took an equity stake in Circle in August 2023 amid the dissolution of the consortium. In April, Bloomberg reported that Ripple made a $4-5 billion offer for Circle, but was rebuffed due to the offer being too low. [Read more at Businesswire]

Competing Digital Monies (TSE)

In a University of Toulouse School of Economics (TSE) working paper, Jon Frost (BIS), Jean-Charles Rochet, Huyn Song Shin (BIS), and Marianne Verdier analyzed the competition between three digital payment instruments: bank deposits, private stablecoins, and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). Using a theoretical model grounded in two-sided market economics, the authors explore how market structure and social welfare are affected by “walled gardens” (non-interoperable payment ecosystems) versus interoperable systems such as central bank-operated fast payment systems (FPS) or CBDCs. They find that both CBDCs and FPS can increase financial inclusion, raise trade volumes, and enhance welfare—though they may reduce the market share of traditional financial intermediaries and paradoxically lead to higher merchant fees due to decreased price elasticity. The paper concludes that, in many cases, a well-designed FPS may offer similar benefits to a retail CBDC, suggesting that countries with robust FPS infrastructure may not urgently need a CBDC. [Read more at the TSE]

Upcoming Speaking Engagements:

Kiffmeister’s #Fintech Daily Digest (20250425)

April 25, 2025 ~ kiffmeister

CBDCs included in the EAC Draft Cross-Border Payment System Masterplan (EAC)

The East African Community (EAC) Draft Cross-Border Payment System Masterplan was validated by its eight member countries (Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania). The Masterplan aims to enhance the speed, security, affordability and integration of payment systems across the region. It tackles key obstacles such as fragmented regulations, high transaction costs, and limited interoperability by outlining twenty targeted initiatives. These include a regional instant retail payment switch, and exploring using central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) for regional transactions. [Read more at the EAC]

Kiffmeister’s #Fintech Daily Digest (20250328)(Updated)

March 28, 2025April 4, 2025 ~ kiffmeister

BCB report on Drex proof-of-concept project Phase 1 (BCB)

Banco Central do Brasil (BCB) published a report on the main developments in the first phase of its Drex central bank digital currency (CBDC) proof-of-concept work, which took place between July 2023 and October 2024. (None of the Drex tests involved real clients or assets, but rather fictitious ones.) The report highlighted the trilemma of finding a solution that balances decentralization, programmability, and privacy issues at the same time, while being compliant to the Brazilian legal framework. I’m still digesting a Google Translate version (it’s only available in Portuguese) of the 73-page report, and may come back with more detail later. [Read more at the BCB]

UAE Central Bank Reveals Digital Dirham Symbol, Targets Late 2025 Launch (Bitcoin.com)

The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) unveiled the official symbol for its blockchain-based Digital Dirham central bank digital currency (CBDC). Issuance is expected to take place in the last quarter of 2025 for retail sector. The Digital Dirham, underpinned by Federal Decree-Law No. (54) of 2023, is set to become a legal tender, ensuring its acceptance across all payment outlets and channels alongside physical currency. According to R3, Corda will serve as the underlying infrastructure for cross-border payments implementation. Read more at the CBUAE]

And so we pay: more digital and faster, with cash still in play (BIS)

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Committee on Payment and Market Infrastructures (CPMI) published a brief that highlights key retail payment trends based on 2023 data collected from member jurisdictions. It demonstrates that the use, or volume, of cashless payment methods continued to grow in 2023 and that consumers increasingly choose to pay digitally for small value transactions. Although broad based, the growth in cashless payments was especially strong in emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs), driven by a sharp increase in the use of credit transfers (mostly fast payments) and e-money. It also finds that the uptake of fast payments is generally higher in jurisdictions with lower levels of cash in circulation and wider use of payment cards, especially for small payments. However, the demand for cash withdrawals generally remained stable versus previous years. [Read more at the BIS]

Kiffmeister’s #Fintech Daily Digest (20250327)

March 27, 2025March 27, 2025 ~ kiffmeister

Wyoming State to issue its own stablecoin by July 2025 (Bloomberg)

The U.S. State of Wyoming plans launch its own U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin as soon as July 2025. The WYST token will be fully backed by US Treasuries, cash and repurchase agreements, and maintain a statutory requirement of no less than 102% capitalization. The income generated through interest income on the reserve assets will be used to fund education and infrastructure. They have been tested on Avalanche, Solana, Ethereum, Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon, and Base testnets. in collaboration with token issuance partner LayerZero. [Read more at the Wyoming government]

The effect of instant payments on the banking system (BCB)

A paper published by Banco Central do Brasil (BCB) shows that instant payments (IPSs) may have the unintended consequences of increasing the banking sector’s demand for liquidity. Using banking data and transaction-level payment data from Brazil’s Pix instant payment systems, it finds that banks increased their liquid asset holdings after the adoption of instant payments. These findings arise because the convenience of instant payments to consumers comes at the expense of banks’ ability to delay and net payment flows. The inability to delay payments increases banks’ demand for holding liquid assets over transforming illiquid ones. [Read more at the BCB]

Senator Cruz introduces companion bill to prohibit the Fed from issuing a CBDC (Coin Telegraph)

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz introduced a bill on March 26, 2025 to prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a retail central bank digital currency (CBDC). The “Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act,” would prohibit the Fed from offering certain products or services directly to American individuals, a key component of any retail CBDC. The Texas Republican’s bill is similarly worded to the bill introduced by Representative Tom Emmer to the House of Representatives on March 6. [Read more on Ted Cruz’s website]

Kiffmeister’s #Fintech Daily Digest (20250224)

February 24, 2025February 24, 2025 ~ kiffmeister

Binance.US restores US dollar deposits and withdrawals (Binance.US)

Binance.US has seen its US dollar fiat services restored, after the firm’s ability to handle USD deposits and withdrawals was choked off under the Biden administration. Users will be able to deposit and withdraw USD with zero fees using bank transfer (ACH) and continue buying, selling, converting and trading cryptocurrencies on the exchange. [Read more at Binance.US]

Interlinking fast payment systems to enhance cross-border payments (CPMI)

The Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI) published a summary of the high-level findings of a July 2024 conference on expediting the interlinking of fast payment systems (FPSs). It found that emerging markets and developing economies have made considerable progress in fast payment adoption. As the number of domestic FPSs grow, opportunities are emerging to facilitate the cross-border interlinking of safe and efficient FPS. Work is under way in many jurisdictions to enhance FPS readiness to participate in such links, particularly to improve their functionality and align with messaging and compliance standards. Successful links to date have prioritized interoperability and smoothly managed coordination between the public and private sectors and among jurisdictions. It is expected that FPS links in the near term will be based on bilateral links, while over the longer term, these may coexist with more open and future-proof multilateral arrangements. Over time, the market will likely evolve to link between regional groupings (see https://www.bis.org/cpmi/publ/brief5.htm). [Read more at the BIS]

Open-source software in the context of fast payment systems (World Bank)

The World Bank published a paper that examines the use of open-source software (OSS) in the context of fast payment systems (FPSs), as well as relevant implementation models, risks, benefits, and costs. It identified only one live FPS using OSS for core functionalities, but interest is growing among payment system operators, particularly in initiatives such as Mojaloop. Moreover, some FPS operators may choose to use OSS for non-core components, making it crucial for both operators and regulators to be aware of the potential impacts that OSS may have, both positive and negative, on the overall efficiency and resilience of FPSs. While OSS offers advantages, such as cost savings from reduced licensing fees and the flexibility to customize systems, it also presents challenges. For example, institutions need significant in-house expertise for customization, maintenance, and operation and must align their long-term FPS goals with the chosen open-source solutions to ensure adaptability and scalability. [Read more at the World Bank]

Upcoming Speaking Engagements:

The Crypto Assets Conference (Frankfurt, March 26) will delve into the advancements in digital assets, tokenization, crypto assets, web3, and more, through insightful talks, interactive debates, and presentations by industry experts, founders, investors, and representatives from public institutions. [Register here]
The Digital Euro Conference 2025 (Frankfurt, March 27) will explore the future of money with a focus on CBDCs, stablecoins, tokenized deposits, and the intersection of AI and digital ID. When you register, get 20% off the regular ticket price by using the Kiffmeister20 code! [Register here]

Kiffmeister’s #Fintech Daily Digest (20241219)

December 19, 2024December 19, 2024 ~ kiffmeister

Faster digital payments: global and regional perspectives (BIS)

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) published a paper on the insights and lessons learned from a range of fast payment systems (FPS). Over 100 jurisdictions worldwide, including 15 jurisdictions in Latin America, have implemented FPS. The first, overview chapter draws out general insights from experiences in the Americas, such as on the impact of fast payments on financial inclusion, the role of central banks and domestic and cross-border interoperability. The next chapter looks in greater depth at Pix in Brazil, and its complementarities with other means of payment. A further chapter dives into the experiences of SINPE Móvil in Costa Rica, including the impact on banks. The final chapter explores the experience of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in India. [Read more at the BIS]

El Salvador to scale back bitcoin efforts under $1.4 billion IMF deal (Decrypt)

IMF staff and the El Salvadoran authorities reached a staff-level agreement on a new arrangement under the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for about US$1.4 billion to support the government’s reform agenda. The agreement is subject to IMF Executive Board approval. Provisions on the agreement imply that if approved, El Salvador would have to scale back certain aspects of its bitcoin strategy. Bitcoin acceptance will be made voluntary for the private sector and public sector involvement in crypto activities will be confined. Also, taxes will only be paid in U.S. dollars, and the government will gradually unwind its role in the Chivo digital wallet program. [Read more at the IMF]

Deutsche Bank tries to tackle compliance hurdles for public blockchains (Bloomberg)

Deutsche Bank is working on a fix for the regulatory challenges financial institutions face when trying to use public blockchains, such as the risk of inadvertently transacting with criminals or sanctioned entities. The bank unveiled a test version of Project DAMA-2, a Layer-2 Ethereum-based asset-servicing pilot in November 2024, as part of the bank’s contribution to the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) Project Guardian. [Read more at Axelar]

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Upcoming Speaking Engagements:

Digital Euro Conference 2025, Frankfurt, March 27, 2025. The DEC25 conference will explore the future of money with a focus on CBDCs, stablecoins, tokenized deposits, and the intersection of AI and digital ID. When you register, get 20% off the regular ticket price by using the Kiffmeister20 code! [Find out more and register here]