(
Central
Bank
Digital
Currency) Electronic money that is issued and regulated by a government. A CBDC enables people to pay in "digital cash" like a debit card. If a blockchain architecture is adopted, the CBDC is a "permissioned blockchain network," which means that network participants must be granted permission from the country's central bank to operate. This is contrary to the decentralized nature of blockchains.
CBDCs Are Coming On Strong
As of 2024, more than 60 countries are in advanced stages of CBDC development, including the U.S. (see
Project Hamilton). Several Caribbean countries have already launched a CBDC. China, Japan, Sweden and Russia are in trial stages. See
blockchain,
cryptocurrency and
digital dollar.