Hong Kong Monetary Authority identifies three use cases where CBDCs can add unique value to payments

Tokenization of real estate assets figure showing one of Hong Kong Monetary Authority's use cases for CBDC

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has completed the first phase of Project e-HKD to develop a digital Hong Kong dollar and in the process has identified three use cases where the adoption of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) could facilitate faster, more cost-effective and inclusive payments and enable new types of economic transactions... More


Australian university tests central bank digital currency for cash disbursements in emergency situations

CBDC pilot participants, including Southern Cross students and staff members

The Australia and New Zealand Bank (ANZ) has completed an eight-week pilot programme with Southern Cross University in New South Wales that has shown how organisations such as universities could provide immediate financial support using a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in emergency situations when ATMs and other payments technologies are unusable... More


European Central Bank launches next phase of digital euro project

Digital euro symbol and words

The European Central Bank (ECB) has completed the initial two-year investigation phase of its digital euro project and will now implement a two-year preparation phase that will cover the finalisation of a digital euro rulebook, the selection of providers to develop a digital euro platform and infrastructure, as well as testing and experimentation across a range of use cases for the central bank digital currency (CBDC)... More


China offers financial incentives for companies moving into Shenzhen’s digital yuan zone

Digital yuan symbol

Industrial enterprises, fintechs, commercial banks, start-ups and other businesses relocating to China’s newly opened digital yuan industrial park in the city of Shenzhen will receive incentives including settlement payments of between 500,000 and 50m yuan (US$6.8m), free rent for up to three years and loans with favourable interest rates... More


Spanish banks find that digital euro can run on existing payment rails

A working group of 30 Spanish banks and payment services providers, including BBVA, Banco Sabadell, Banco Santander, CaixaBank and Iberpay, have completed a proof of concept (PoC) trial for digital euro transactions and recommended that the proposed central bank digital currency (CBDC) is designed to leverage existing payments infrastructure... More





Brazil’s central bank lays out reasons for developing CBDC

Banco Central Do Brasil logo for the Drex central bank digital currency

The central bank digital currency (CBDC) that Brazil’s central bank is to pilot for retail payments in stores is to be called Drex and will be “a step forward in democratizing access for individuals and entrepreneurs to the benefits of the digitalization of the economy”, the Banco Central do Brasil (BCB) has announced... More



Nigeria adds support for NFC payments using eNaira CBDC

Smartphone with Nigerian cbdc enaira app

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is enabling consumers and merchants to use their smartphone to make and receive contactless in-store and P2P payments with the country’s eNaira central bank digital currency (CBDC) using NFC, even if they are offline, according to local media reports... More





Contactless World Congress

European Central Bank reports on digital euro for Contactless World Congress

Evelien Witlox, programme director in charge of the European Central Bank's digital euro project

“We believe that the digital euro is the natural and digital evolution of our currency,” Evelien Witlox, the programme director in charge of the European Central Bank’s digital euro project, reports in a presentation for NFCW’s Contactless World Congress online event series which is now available to view in the NFCW Knowledge Centre... More