England's central bank is set to launch a new series of tests involving distributed ledger technology (DLT) and wholesale central bank digital currencies (wCBDC).
These initiatives aim to explore the evolving landscape of payments and assess the implications of new financial technologies.
As cryptocurrencies and their underlying technologies gain traction, central banks globally are investigating how to integrate these innovations.
The Bank of England is involved in Project Agora, a BIS-led initiative examining the exchange of tokenized bank deposits and central bank money across different currencies.
Governor Andrew Bailey highlighted the need for the Bank to adapt alongside technological advances to ensure monetary and financial stability.
The experiments will focus on asset transfers between platforms, including those using DLT, while ensuring compatibility with the bank’s Real Time Gross Settlement system.
Additionally, the Bank of England plans to collaborate with the Treasury and financial regulators to maintain the consistency of different forms of money, including stablecoins and tokenized deposits, ensuring they remain interchangeable.
The hype around blockchain gaming has taken a noticeable dip, but industry insiders suggest the lull may signal something positive: maturation.
Central banks are beginning to explore how programmable blockchain tools could reshape the execution of monetary policy.
A growing wave of financial institutions is turning to stablecoins, not just for cost-cutting—but as a cornerstone of future growth.
Mastercard is deepening its involvement in the crypto space with a new global initiative that will allow users to spend stablecoins as easily as fiat.