Nearly 90 percent of national central banks are planning to launch their own central bank digital currencies (CBDC) to the general public, according to a new report (pdf) from the Bank of International Settlements (BIS).
BIS surveyed 81 central banks in fall 2021 regarding their engagement in CBDC work as well as their motivations and their intentions regarding CBDC issuance.
According to the report, a record number of banks are engaged in “some form” of CBDC work, and an increasing number are in the “advanced stages” of exploring digital currency.
“Over the past year, the share of central banks actively engaged in some form of CBDC work grew to 90 percent,” the authors wrote. “The survey data show that central banks are particularly interested in retail CBDCs: all central banks conducting work on CBDCs either look at both wholesale and retail, or focus solely on a retail CBDC.”
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