Search Results
Journal Article
Banking on Distributed Ledger Technology: Can It Help Banks Address Financial Inclusion?
Despite its promise, distributed ledger technology is unlikely to draw unbanked consumers into the financial mainstream
Briefing
Change is Coming: What the EMV Migration May Mean for Payments Innovation
This article considers how the upcoming shift from magnetic stripe to chip technology may affect the survival of card-based payment innovations.
Discussion Paper
Examining CBDC and Wholesale Payments
This paper explores whether a new settlement asset in the form of central bank money is essential for a new platform that processes wholesale payment transactions. Central bank money currently exists for wholesale transactions in the form of depository institution balances at the Federal Reserve (Reserve Banks) used for Fedwire® Funds Service (Fedwire).
Working Paper
Driver of choice? the cost of financial products for unbanked consumers
This paper examines whether some of the unbanked consumers' choice of general purpose reloadable (GPR) prepaid cards over checking accounts and alternative financial service (AFS) products can be explained by the cost incurred by those consumers. We compare the three types of products by constructing consumer models based on the actual behavior of GPR prepaid cardholders and applying those models to the fee schedules of actual products offered in the market. Overdrafts are a major factor affecting the cost rankings. For consumers who regularly or occasionally overdraw their accounts, checking ...
Briefing
Déjà Vu All Over Again: What the Return of Private Currencies Could Mean for Central Banks
Private digital currencies, or “crypto-assets,” have surged in popularity recently, but they are not new to the payments landscape and may present familiar challenges for central banks. Although they have yet to fulfill the main functions of money, crypto-assets still have the potential to affect financial stability and the implementation of monetary policy.