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Discussion Paper
Preconditions for a General-Purpose Central Bank Digital Currency
Over the last few years, interest in the potential issuance of a general-purpose central bank digital currency (CBDC) has increased. Introducing and operating a CBDC would require actions by many stakeholders and not just the central bank. In view of the far-reaching implications of introducing a new form of money to the public, the decision cannot be taken lightly. This paper outlines foundational preconditions and proposes areas of work that may help achieve them prior to the possible implementation of a potential future general-purpose CBDC in the United States. These foundational ...
Discussion Paper
An Examination of First-Mover Advantage for a CBDC
This paper explores whether there could be a first-mover advantage for a jurisdiction issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) compared to other jurisdictions that subsequently issue their own CBDC. Conventional academic literature provides a framework by which one can assess a CBDC in the domestic payments market, the international payments market, and the technology markets that support payments. However, a CBDC may be more than just a means of payment and thus first-mover advantage is examined for both the asset component of reserve currency and a future financial system built on ...
Discussion Paper
Using Distributed Ledger Technology for Payment Directories
Although distributed ledgers frequently are viewed as a revolutionary technology that could transform many markets, the technology has not yet received wide-scale business adoption. This may be due in part to a lack of use cases for which the decentralized and distributed features of distributed ledger technology (DLT) are optimal. But payment directories (known in certain markets as registries), which facilitate the lookup of payments-related information, may be a use case that has specific challenges that take better advantage of these features than other use cases explored by businesses to ...
Discussion Paper
Tokens and Accounts in the Context of Digital Currencies
This report provides an overview of two concepts that come up frequently in discussions of digital currencies: tokens and accounts. The meaning of each concept differs depending on context. For cryptocurrencies, the term "token" has a relatively straightforward, technology-specific definition. For central bank digital currencies (CBDC), the term "token" takes on more of a conceptual or analytical meaning. To further complicate matters, "tokens" and "accounts" are not always mutually exclusive ideas. This paper identifies areas where this terminology has caused confusion and explains why the ...
Discussion Paper
Comparing Means of Payment: What Role for a Central Bank Digital Currency?
This paper looks at the potential benefit that a central bank digital currency (CBDC) could provide in the context of existing payment mechanisms. Central banks today provide the primary payment mechanisms for trade and commerce: cash, used by the public, and electronic payment services, used by eligible financial institutions.
Discussion Paper
Observations from the FooWire Project: Experimenting with DLT for Payments Use
In 2019, a team at the Federal Reserve Board (Board) conducted small-scale experimentation, named the "FooWire project," to build a payment system using distributed ledger technology (DLT). The team built the system using Hyperledger Fabric, a popular DLT platform, because it generally met the team's design requirements of a closed network, mature technology, and enterprise readiness.