In this episode of FRT, Tommaso Mancini-Griffoli, Division Chief in the Monetary and Capital Markets Department, and Gabriel Soderberg, Financial Sector Expert, of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) discuss Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), including design choices and interoperability, risks and opportunities in implementation, and how the IMF is working with countries as they explore CBDCs.

Among a range of issues, the two discuss the IMF’s February 2022 report titled “Behind the Scenes of Central Bank Digital Currency” that highlighted, in particular, research and development efforts by the Bahamas, Canada, China, Sweden, Uruguay, and the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU). As countries take note of others’ development efforts, what insights might they glean that may benefit their own exploration of a possible CBDC?

A July 2021 joint report to the G20 by the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI), the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub, the IMF, and the World Bank focused on cross-border payments asserted that CBDCs may benefit worldwide development. How will trade-offs in design impact inclusion and integrity of CBDC systems? How might a CBDC improve financial stability, rather than only presenting potential risks? Must a CBDC be widely adopted to be considered “successful”? Tommaso and Gabriel share their thoughts on these questions and more.