The IMF Launches 'Central Bank Digital Currency' Handbook, Says CBDCs Could Someday Replace Cash

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Central bank digital currencies have the potential to replace cash, but adoption could take time, said Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund on Wednesday.

'CBDCs can replace cash which is costly to distribute in island economies,' she said Wednesday at the Singapore FinTech Festival. 'They can offer resilience in more advanced economies. And they can improve financial inclusion where few hold bank accounts.' 'CBDCs would offer a safe and low-cost alternative [to cash]. They would also offer a bridge to go between private monies and a yardstick to measure their value, just like cash today which we can withdraw from our banks,' the IMF chief said.

The IMF has said that more than 100 countries are exploring CBDCs — or approximately 60% of countries in the world. 'The level of global interest in CBDCs is unprecedented. Several central banks have already launched pilots or even issued a CBDC,' the IMF said in a September report. According to a 2022 survey conducted by the Bank for International Settlements, of the 86 central banks surveyed, 93% said they were exploring CBDCs, while 58% said they were likely to or may possibly issue a retail CBDC in either the short or medium term. But as of June, only 11 countries have adopted CBDCs, with an additional 53 in advanced planning stages and 46 researching the topic, according to data from the Atlantic Council...

On Wednesday, the fund launched a CBDC handbook as a reference guide for policymakers around the world...

Georgieva also said that artificial intelligence 'could amplify some of the benefits of CBDCs' by providing accurate credit scoring and personalized support.

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