Central Bank Coalition Share Legal and System Design Considerations of Retail CBDCs
A coalition of seven central banks – the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan, the European Central Bank, the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Sveriges Riksbank, and the Swiss National Bank – in collaboration with the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), has been examining key aspects of central bank digital […]
40+ Financial Firms Join Project Agorá to Enhance Cross-Border Payments Using Tokenization
More than 40 private sector financial firms have joined forces with the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) and a consortium of leading central banks in Project Agorá, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at enhancing wholesale cross-border payments through tokenization. The project is being facilitated by the Institute of International Finance (IIF) and represents a significant step […]
Bank of England and BIS Unveil Pyxtrial: A Tool for Stablecoin Reserve Monitoring
A new report from the Bank of England and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has shared the outcomes of a proof of concept (PoC) for Pyxtrial, a regulatory or supervisory tool designed to monitor the asset backing of stablecoins. This joint project between the BIS Innovation Hub and the Bank of England explores how […]
BIS Release Results of Survey on CBDCs and Cryptocurrency
94% of central banks are actively exploring the development of a central bank digital currency (CBDC), and the results from an extensive survey performed by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) involving 86 central banks highlights a significant increase in experiments and pilot programmes, particularly in advanced economies, with a notable rise in activity among […]
BIS Outlines Six New Projects Focussed on Tokenization, AI and Big Data, Privacy and Security, and Environmental Sustainability
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has outlined its 2024 work programme, introducing six new projects focusing on digital financial technologies. These projects aim to address various challenges in the financial sector, including security and environmental sustainability. The upcoming projects in the 2024 agenda include: Cecilia Skingsley, Head of the BIS Innovation Hub, commented on […]
Project Promissa: A New Collaboration Between World Bank, Swiss National Bank and the BIS Innovation Hub to Test Financial Instrument Tokenization
Project Promissa, a new collaboration announced between the BIS Innovation Hub Swiss Centre, the Swiss National Bank, and the World Bank, is spearheading an experiment to revolutionise the way financial instruments, particularly promissory notes, are managed. These notes, traditionally paper-based, are crucial in funding international financial institutions, including multilateral development banks. As part of a […]
Project Tourbillon: Balancing Anonymity and Security in the CBDC Landscape
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has today released a new report from Project Tourbillon. In an era where digital transactions are rapidly outpacing cash, Project Tourbillon aims to explore the intricate balance of privacy, security, and scalability in Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). This project, a response to the global decline of cash usage […]
The Future of Finance: BIS General Manager Highlights Cybersecurity in CBDC Development
In a significant gathering convened by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in Basel, Switzerland, Agustín Carstens, the General Manager of BIS, underscored the pivotal role of cybersecurity in the realm of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). Addressing a global assembly of financial experts, Carstens heralded CBDCs as the cornerstone of a rapidly approaching digital […]
The Truth About Stablecoins: Are They as Stable as Promised?
In the dynamic world of cryptocurrency, stablecoins have emerged as a promising bridge between traditional finance and the novel crypto market. A new paper from the Bank for International Settlements delves into this growing sector, questioning the ‘stability’ of stablecoins—a key selling point that distinguishes them from their more volatile counterparts. Stablecoins, designed to be […]
BIS Unveils Comprehensive Guide on Offline Payments for CBDCs
The BIS Innovation Hub has recently published a pivotal high-level design guide for Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) as a part of its ongoing Project Polaris, focusing on the intricate realm of offline payments. Creating an effective offline payment system using CBDC is a formidable task, fraught with challenges and requiring careful consideration of various […]
