The DPF’s goal is to act as a catalyst among stakeholders across the public and private sectors, including academia to explore and articulate the case for a well-conceived digital Pound, in both publicly and privately issued forms. Beginning with a programme of research, advocacy and multi-stakeholder engagement, our work will progress through to regulatory engagement and industry testing, via provision of a forum and ecosystem for multi-participant collaboration on practical experiments, proofs-of-concept, and pilot work, as needed. The DPF will support and complement other projects and associations having similar objectives, including the Bank of England’s consultation framework and Engagement and Technology Forums, existing industry associations, and private sector initiatives. 

Our intention is to create an inclusive, well-functioning forum for collaboration that looks at the implementation of a digital Pound from a holistic perspective, addressing narrow questions, such as the design, implementation and successful adoption of CBDC, and the wider impact of a digital Pound, in both publicly and privately issued forms and on the UK’s economy and society. We will advocate and provide constructive input on vital considerations such as privacy, financial inclusion and technology inclusion, and will consider the digital Pound’s role in enabling the UK’s transition to a digital economy and underpinning a more efficient, sustainable payments and financial markets infrastructure.