Kiffmeister’s #Fintech Daily Digest (20230518)*

May 18, 2023May 18, 2023 ~ kiffmeister ~ Leave a comment

A legal framework for the digital euro

The European Parliament published a study that assesses the European Central Bank’s (ECB’s) first three progress reports on the digital euro from a legal perspective. It looks into what key design choices proposed by the ECB reveal in terms of the legal qualification of the digital euro and discusses legal aspects of the infrastructure supporting it. It distinguishes between the object of the digital euro and the infrastructure or “scheme” needed for its distribution and settlement. Overall, the objective of ensuring a strong monetary anchor in the financial system should take centre stage. A simple and cash-like design of the digital euro would not only aid that objective, but also reduce legal risk. [Read more at the European Parliament]

Commencement of new phase of the e-HKD’s research programme

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) today announced the commencement of a new phase of its e-HKD central bank digital currency (CBDC) research program. A total of 16 firms from the financial, payment and technology sectors have been selected to participate. There will be deep dives into potential use cases in six categories, including full-fledged payments, programmable payments, offline payments, tokenised deposits, settlement of Web3 transactions and settlement of tokenised assets. [Read more at the HKMA and the list of projects here]

Note: The HKMA called this new phase a “pilot” but it’s not clear whether it will engage with actual users. If yes, it is a pilot, but if not, it would likely be a proof-of-concept phase.

Ripple to demonstrate tokenization in HKMA e-HKD program

Ripple is one of the firms participating in this new phase of the HKMA’s e-HKD digital Hong Kong dollar (e-HKD) research program by showcasing a real estate asset tokenization solution. Ripple will partner with Taiwan’s Fubon Bank and others to demonstrate equity release with tokenized assets using a retail version of the e-HKD CBDC. The project will run on the new Ripple CBDC Platform, that uses a new private ledger with XRP Ledger technology and enhanced functionality, including offline transactions and non-smartphone use. It’s the same platform that may be piloted in Bhutan, Montenegro and Palau. [Read more at Coin Telegraph]

Crypto, tokens and DeFi: navigating the regulatory landscape

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) published a paper that provides an overview of policy measures taken in 19 jurisdictions to address the risks associated with activities that incorporate crypto-assets and distributed ledger technology (DLT) programmability capabilities in financial services. The paper classifies policy measures into three categories and identifies different types of initiatives across jurisdictions, including bans, restrictions, clarifications, bespoke requirements, and initiatives to facilitate innovation. It finds that, for centrally managed issuance activities, current regulatory initiatives focus mainly on issuers of security tokens and stablecoins. Initiatives related to centrally managed infrastructure activities mainly explore the benefits and risks from traditional financial intermediaries’ use of DLTs and their programmability capabilities. Initiatives related to centrally managed service provision activities often extend the regulatory perimeter to new non-bank centralized intermediaries. [Read more at the BIS]

*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.Upcoming conferences, webinars and speaking engagements:

I’ll be moderating a panel on “what happens when the lights go out…different schemes for offline functionality” at the in-person Digital Currency Conference (DCC) in Mexico City on May 18. [Register here]
I’ll be participating in Currency Research’s in-person Central Bank Payments Conference and Global Payments Summit in Cape Town from June 26 to 30. [Register here and here respectively]
I’ll be lecturing at the Digital Euro Association (DEA) Digital Money Academy on July 27, 2023. [Register here]

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.

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]

Kiffmeister’s #Fintech Daily Digest (20230517)*

May 17, 2023May 17, 2023 ~ kiffmeister ~ Leave a comment

The MNB Student Safe mobile application has been renewed

The Magyar Nemzeti Bank (MNB) and the Money Compass Foundation launched a new version of the Student Safe mobile app, to increase financial literacy and strengthen digital financial inclusion among 8 to 14 year-olds. The new app, operated by the central bank and commercial banks, is now able to handle real money in the form of an MNB-issued central bank digital currency (CBDC). By successfully completing quizzes children can collect “tallérs” that can be redeemed for webshop (eMAG) vouchers. In addition, the new app allows users to transfer funds to bank accounts, and make QR-code payments. Parents can also send their children forints or student tallérs. [Read more at the MNB]

Nigeria’s eNaira, one year after

The IMF published a paper that reflects on the first year of the eNaira—the first CBDC in Africa. Despite the undisrupted operation for the first full year, the project has not yet moved beyond the initial wave of limited adoption. Network effects suggest the initial low adoption spell will require a coordinated policy drive to break it. The eNaira’s potential in financial inclusion requires a strategy to set the right relationship with mobile money, given the former’s potential to either complement or substitute the latter. Cost savings from integrating CBDC—as a bridge vehicle—in the remittance process may also be substantial. [Read more at the IMF]

International aspects of CBDCs: update on digital euro

The European Central Bank (ECB) has released a deck on key considerations relating to the internationalization of a digital euro. The ECB aims to make the digital euro accessible to everyone within the euro area before focusing on users outside the euro area. However, the ECB sees opportunities offered by the international dimension that should be explored by gradually introducing different use cases. These include person-to-person cross-border payments (e.g. remittances), and e-commerce payments from (to) online merchants outside the euro area. [Read more at the ECB]

I’ll be moderating a panel on “what happens when the lights go out…different schemes for offline functionality” at the in-person Digital Currency Conference (DCC) in Mexico City on May 18. [Register here]
I’ll be participating in Currency Research’s in-person Central Bank Payments Conference and Global Payments Summit in Cape Town from June 26 to 30. [Register here and here respectively]
I’ll be lecturing at the Digital Euro Association (DEA) Digital Money Academy on July 27, 2023. [Register here]

Kiffmeister’s global central bank digital currency monthly monitor

Kiffmeister’s #Fintech Daily Digest (20230516)*

May 16, 2023May 16, 2023 ~ kiffmeister ~ Leave a comment

The digital euro: a solution seeking a problem?

A Financial Times (FT) article documented rising public opposition to a digital euro, as the European Central Bank (ECB) struggles to communicate convincing arguments for the central bank digital currency (CBDC) project. The ECB says a digital euro would modernize European payments by giving people an electronic alternative to cash that is riskless and universally accepted. However, detractors don’t see any big market failures that require the public sector to step in, and given that the eurozone’s payment options are already reliable and innovative. There has also been CBDC pushback in other jurisdictions, most notably in the United States, where it has become a political issue on account of potential threats to privacy and self control. [Read more at the FT]

EU’s MiCA gets unanimous nod from European Council

The European Union’s Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) legal framework received unanimous approval from the European Council (comprised of the finance ministers from all 27 EU member states) on May 16, 2023. It will require crypto-asset firms to seek a license to operate across the bloc, and for stablecoin issuers to hold suitable reserves. Although it does not encompass every aspect of digital assets, leaving out areas like non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and decentralized finance (DeFi), they are expected to be included in subsequent versions of the law. [Read more at the European Council]

Coinbase hasn’t proven SEC needs to create crypto-specific rules, regulator says

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) told an appeals court that crypto exchange Coinbase hadn’t proven the regulator needs to create a new regulatory framework for the digital asset industry. The federal regulator asked the court to reject a Coinbase petition asking for additional regulatory guidance specifically tailored to the digital asset industry. SEC Chair Gary Gensler has argued (got to about the 25:00 mark in the video) that most crypto-assets, apart from Bitcoin, fall under the SEC’s definition of “securities” and the SEC has well established rules and regulations for securities firms. [Read the SEC filing here]

I’ll be moderating a panel on “what happens when the lights go out…different schemes for offline functionality” at the in-person Digital Currency Conference (DCC) in Mexico City on May 18. [Register here]
I’ll be participating in Currency Research’s in-person Central Bank Payments Conference and Global Payments Summit in Cape Town from June 26 to 30. [Register here and here respectively]
I’ll be lecturing at the Digital Euro Association (DEA) Digital Money Academy on July 27, 2023. [Register here]

Kiffmeister’s global central bank digital currency monthly monitor

Kiffmeister’s #Fintech Daily Digest (20230515)*

May 15, 2023May 15, 2023 ~ kiffmeister ~ Leave a comment

G-7 finance ministers discuss crypto regulation and retail CBDC norms

The Group of Seven (G-7) has signaled its commitment to the forthcoming Financial Stability Board (FSB) crypto-asset regulatory norms and IMF central bank digital currency (CBDC) recommendations. The FSB is expected to finalize its high-level crypto-asset recommendations by July 2023. The first installments of the IMF “Retail CBDC Handbook”, to be produced in close cooperation with and drawing from the inputs of experts and stakeholders including other international organizations, standard setters and national authorities, will be published by the October 2023 IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings. [Read more at the European Council]

I’ll be moderating a panel on “what happens when the lights go out…different schemes for offline functionality” at the in-person Digital Currency Conference (DCC) in Mexico City on May 18. [Register here]
I’ll be participating in Currency Research’s in-person Central Bank Payments Conference and Global Payments Summit in Cape Town from June 26 to 30. [Register here and here respectively]
I’ll be lecturing at the Digital Euro Association (DEA) Digital Money Academy on July 27, 2023. [Register here]

Kiffmeister’s global central bank digital currency monthly monitor

Kiffmeister’s #Fintech Daily Digest (20230513)

May 13, 2023May 13, 2023 ~ kiffmeister ~ Leave a comment

Binance to withdraw from Canadian market due to regulatory climate

Binance is withdrawing from the Canadian market, citing regulatory guidance. “New guidance related to stablecoins and investor limits provided to crypto exchanges makes the Canada market no longer tenable for Binance at this time. We put off this decision as long as we could to explore other reasonable avenues to protect our Canadian users, but it has become apparent that there are none… We are confident that we will someday return to the market when Canadian users once again have the freedom to access a broader suite of digital assets.” [Read more at Binance]

CBDC and business cycle dynamics in a New Monetarist New Keynesian model

The European Central Bank (ECB) published a paper on the impact of an interest-bearing central bank digital currency (CBDC) on the economy. It integrates a New Monetarist-type decentralized market that accounts for the means-of-exchange function of bank deposits and CBDC into a New Keynesian model with financial frictions. It concludes that the introduction of an interest-bearing CBDC does not impair monetary policy transmission. Also it stabilizes the liquidity premium, thereby affecting bank funding conditions and the opportunity costs of money, which dampens and smooths the reaction of investment and consumption to macroeconomic shocks. [Read more at the ECB]

Upcoming conferences, webinars and speaking engagements:

I’ll be moderating a panel on “what happens when the lights go out…different schemes for offline functionality” at the in-person Digital Currency Conference (DCC) in Mexico City on May 18. [Register here]
I’ll be participating in Currency Research’s in-person Central Bank Payments Conference and Global Payments Summit in Cape Town from June 26 to 30. [Register here and here respectively]
I’ll be lecturing at the Digital Euro Association (DEA) Digital Money Academy on July 27, 2023. [Register here]

Kiffmeister’s global central bank digital currency monthly monitor

Kiffmeister’s #Fintech Daily Digest (20230512)

May 12, 2023May 12, 2023 ~ kiffmeister ~ Leave a comment

ECB digital euro 3rd progress report summary

The European Central Bank published its third progress report on the investigation phase of a digital euro, on April 24, 2023. Jonas Gross has now provided a nice summary of its key takeaways. [Download the progress report at the ECB and read Jonas’s summary here]

The role of central bank digital currencies in financial inclusion

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) published a paper that explores the potential for central bank digital currency (CBDC) to help promote financial inclusion. It considers how CBDC could leverage digital finance technologies and enhance the reach and value of formal financial products and services among the unbanked or underserved. It also looks at the challenges involved and how these could be addressed. The paper provides recommendations for policy makers and regulators on designing CBDCs, establishing preconditions, and managing risk. [Read more at the ADB]

World Bank Eswatini digital economy diagnostic

The World Bank published a Digital Economy Diagnostic for Eswatini that provides an assessment of the five pillars of Eswatini’s digital economy comprising digital infrastructure, digital platforms, digital financial services, digital skills, and digital entrepreneurship. Overall, it concludes that the potential of the digital economy in Eswatini has not yet been fully realized. A coordinated and holistic approach will be needed to build an inclusive digital economy, as each of the foundations play an important role in their own right, but also depend upon and reinforce the others. [Read more at the World Bank]

Upcoming conferences, webinars and speaking engagements:

I’ll be moderating a panel on “what happens when the lights go out…different schemes for offline functionality” at the in-person Digital Currency Conference (DCC) in Mexico City on May 18. [Register here]
I’ll be participating in Currency Research’s in-person Central Bank Payments Conference and Global Payments Summit in Cape Town from June 26 to 30. [Register here and here respectively]
I’ll be lecturing at the Digital Euro Association (DEA) Digital Money Academy on July 27, 2023. [Register here]

Kiffmeister’s global central bank digital currency monthly monitor

Kiffmeister’s #Fintech Daily Digest (20230511)

May 11, 2023May 11, 2023 ~ kiffmeister ~ Leave a comment

BIS publishes handbook for offline payments with CBDC

The BIS Innovation Hub published a handbook on offline central bank digital currency (CBDC). It covers the complex matrix of issues including security, privacy, likely risks, the types of solution, their maturity and applicability, and operational factors, as well as objectives for resilience, inclusion, cash resemblance, accessibility and other desired attributes. The degree to which CBDCs will be provided or used offline will vary significantly by country, region, demographics and specific contexts, which will also influence the solutions chosen. [Read more at the BIS]

Enabling offline payments in an online world: privacy considerations

Lipis Advisors published a paper that explores potential enhanced privacy benefits of offline payment functionality. One key takeaway is that it is important that payment system operators consider how other facets of the system design (e.g., security, interoperability) interact with privacy and how these different aspects should be prioritized. [Download the paper at Lipis Advisors]

IMF cautions Zimbabwe against plan for gold-backed digital currency

The IMF has reportedly called on the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to carefully consider the benefits of issuing a gold-backed digital currency versus the potential macroeconomic, financial stability, governance, legal and operational risks, plus the cost of forgone FX reserves. The IMF urged country authorities to rather use conventional measures to address economic challenges, such as maintaining a tight monetary-policy stance and accelerating the liberalization of the foreign-currency market. [Read more at Bloomberg]

Hungarian central bank sees no imminent need for e-forint

Hungary reportedly sees no urgent need for a widely available retail CBDC but it is exploring possibilities via a series of pilots, and would like to remain in the forefront of CBDC research. [CoinDesk] For example, Magyar Nemzeti Bank has collaborated with the Sovereign Official Digital Association (SODA) to issue non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on a private blockchain. [Read more at OMFIF]

China launches national blockchain center to train half a million specialists

China’s National Blockchain Technology Innovation Center officially started its work, collaborating with local universities, think tanks and blockchain businesses to develop blockchain technology in China. It will reportedly train more than 500,000 specialists in distributed ledger technology (DLT). The center’s mission is to connect various blockchain use cases in the country into a single cohesive network. [Read more at Coin Telegraph]

Tether Boosts T-Bill Holdings, Cuts Banks Exposure

Tether, the issuer of the USDT stablecoin, cut its exposure to cash and bank deposits in Q1 2023, shifting into US Treasury Bills and leveraging the reverse repo market. As of March 31, 2023, Tether held $81.8 billion assets (versus $79.4 billion USDT issued) of which $68.8 billion (84% of assets) was held in the form of US Treasury Bills, reverse repo agreements, and money market funds. The remaining $13.0 billion was held in the form of secured loans to unaffiliated entities ($5.4 billion), gold ($3.4 billion), Bitcoin ($1.5 billion) and commercial bank deposits ($0.5 billion), and “other” investments ($2.2 billion). [Read more at Tether]

Upcoming conferences, webinars and speaking engagements:

I’ll be moderating a panel on “what happens when the lights go out…different schemes for offline functionality” at the in-person Digital Currency Conference (DCC) in Mexico City on May 18. [Register here]
I’ll be participating in Currency Research’s in-person Central Bank Payments Conference and Global Payments Summit in Cape Town from June 26 to 30. [Register here and here respectively]

Kiffmeister’s global central bank digital currency monthly monitor

Kiffmeister’s #Fintech Daily Digest (20230510)

May 10, 2023May 10, 2023 ~ kiffmeister ~ Leave a comment

Visa uses CBDC for programmable finance prototype for Brazilian farmers

Visa developed a programmable finance platform that allows Brazilian soybean farmers to securely fund and sell their crop harvests on a permissioned version of the Ethereum blockchain. Partnering with Agrotoken, Microsoft, and Sinqia, Visa was one of nine finalists tasked with exploring innovative blockchain-based use cases for Brazil’s real digital central bank-issued digital currency (CBDC) as part of the Banco Central do Brasil’s most recent LIFT Challenge. The CBDC’s programmability allows delivery and payment of assets and currencies to be automatically settled only when certain conditions are met, for more efficient capital usage and reduced counterparty risks. [Read more at Visa]

ECB calls for candidates to participate in the digital euro workstreams

The European Central Bank (ECB) is inviting relevant experts to contribute to two new digital euro scheme rulebook workstreams. The first one is focused on identification and authentication the second on infrastructure-related requirements (e.g., IT security, connectivity, reconciliation, and end-to-end service level requirements, plus key performance indicators). Participation will not be remunerated, although an earlier version of the announcements said that participants will not be reimbursed for travel and subsistence expenses in connection with their attendance at workstream meetings, which have now been specified as all virtual. [Read more at the ECB here and here]

Decentralized or disintermediated finance: what regulatory response?

The Banque de France l’Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR) published a discussion paper on possible regulatory approaches to decentralized finance (DeFi). The paper provides an analysis of the structure and risks of disintermediated finance and its various components before formulating different regulatory framework scenarios, some of which are alternative, others complementary. The purpose of this document is to inform the ACPR’s positions and to contribute to ongoing discussions, particularly at the European level, on the value of and procedures for regulating disintermediated finance. [Read more at the ACPR]

Upcoming conferences, webinars and speaking engagements:

I’ll be moderating a panel on “what happens when the lights go out…different schemes for offline functionality” at the in-person Digital Currency Conference (DCC) in Mexico City on May 18. [Register here]
I’ll be participating in Currency Research’s in-person Central Bank Payments Conference and Global Payments Summit in Cape Town from June 26 to 30. [Register here and here respectively]

Kiffmeister’s global central bank digital currency monthly monitor

Kiffmeister’s #Fintech Daily Digest (20230509)

May 9, 2023May 9, 2023 ~ kiffmeister ~ Leave a comment

Bitcoin Based-Memecoin Surge Seen Driving Binance Anxiety

The bitcoin blockchain is being clogged up by a recent spate of Bitcoin-based memecoins such as Pepe, driving up transaction fees and renewing concern about Binance. Several memecoins use bitcoin for transaction settlement, using a new BRC-20 bitcoin-based token standard. Binance halted withdrawals of Bitcoin twice in less than 12 hours on May 7, 2023, citing congestion on the network, saying that higher fees have been applied to pending transactions so they get picked up by Bitcoin miners. [Read more at Bloomberg]

Upcoming conferences, webinars and speaking engagements:

I’ll be moderating a panel on “what happens when the lights go out…different schemes for offline functionality” at the in-person Digital Currency Conference (DCC) in Mexico City on May 18. [Register here]
I’ll be participating in Currency Research’s in-person Central Bank Payments Conference and Global Payments Summit in Cape Town from June 26 to 30. [Register here and here respectively]

Kiffmeister’s global central bank digital currency monthly monitor

Kiffmeister’s #Fintech Daily Digest (20230508)

May 8, 2023May 8, 2023 ~ kiffmeister ~ Leave a comment

Bank of Canada launches public consultations on a digital dollar

The Bank of Canada (BoC) launched an online public consultation on the features that could be included in a digital Canadian dollar. The BoC is also seeking opinions about how people would likely use a digital dollar, what security features are important, and what concerns they have about accessibility and privacy. The BoC says that, at this time, a digital dollar is not needed, but Canada may need one in the future, so BoC wants to be ready. [Read more at the BoC]

Binance halts Bitcoin withdrawals twice in 12 hours

Binance halted Bitcoin withdrawals twice on May 8, 2023, citing a large backlog of pending withdrawals, as its set fees did not anticipate a surge in network gas fees. Withdrawals resumed after a few hours with pending transactions being processed with higher transaction fees. Binance is now working on enabling withdrawals via the Lightning Network which it claimed could help mitigate such withdrawal halts in the future. [Read more at CoinTelegraph]

Upcoming conferences, webinars and speaking engagements:

I’ll be moderating a panel on “what happens when the lights go out…different schemes for offline functionality” at the in-person Digital Currency Conference (DCC) in Mexico City on May 18. [Register here]
I’ll be participating in Currency Research’s in-person Central Bank Payments Conference and Global Payments Summit in Cape Town from June 26 to 30. [Register here and here respectively]

Kiffmeister’s global central bank digital currency monthly monitor