The advent of digital stablecoins and the continuing decline of cash are prompting central banks across the world to explore developing their own digital currencies. Although few have launched so far, the potential for central bank digital currency (CBDC) promises a revolution in banking.

Michael Lloyd considers the opportunities and threats that the arrival of CBDCs will have for commercial banking and the world’s monetary system. The choices facing central banks regarding the use, design and technology of digital currencies are examined as well as the potential impacts on consumer security and privacy.

This book deals with an important and topical matter: central bank digital currencies. It provides sophisticated yet understandable insights into the world of cryptocurrencies, which have profound implications not only for the stability of the global monetary and financial systems, but also for the well-being of ordinary citizens.

As the debate on Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) intensifies, we need an informed society-wide debate about the potential impact on fractional reserve banking, privacy, and taxation, within a deeper discussion of the role of credit in a modern economy. I welcome a book that helps citizens enter that debate by providing a comprehensive overview of CBDCs, their benefits and risks, and their potential impact on the global financial system, while also being accessible and practical.

Michael Lloyd is a senior research fellow at the international affairs think tank, the Global Policy Institute, and a former visiting fellow at Newcastle University. His books include British Business Banking (Agenda 2021).