Legal And Technical Roadblocks: Australian Central Bank's CBDC Hurdles

24 August 2023

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The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has spent a year researching the potential for a central bank digital currency (CBDC) and found several hurdles in its path. (Our earlier report on CBDCs is here.)

The research involved 14 test projects that used a digital currency backed by the RBA.

The results showed that digital money could have advantages, such as making payments programmable, allowing for instant settlement in markets for digital assets, and enabling offline transactions.

The RBA also found that a CBDC could help create new kinds of private digital money. This could mean digital versions of bank deposits or CBDC-backed stablecoins, which are digital currencies tied to the value of a specific asset.

The RBA saw the CBDC as something that could boost private sector innovation, rather than replace it.

However, the bank also found many challenges. For example, they would need to examine the laws that would underpin a CBDC and consider how to regulate any new business models that might come up.

They also found problems in integrating a CBDC platform with applications for specific industries. These issues indicate that it will take time to deploy a CBDC fully.

The RBA report stated that a decision on a CBDC in Australia is likely several years away.

RBA assistant governor Brad Jones said the research findings will guide the next phase of the RBA's work on the future of money in Australia. This includes deeper exploration into the role of digital asset markets and programmable payments in the country's economy. Read more here.

The Report: Australian CBDC Pilot For Digital Finance Innovation

Here's a link to the "Australian CBDC Pilot for Digital Finance Innovation" project report, which provides a comprehensive overview of a research project conducted by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and the Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre (DFCRC). Read the report here.

Turning Challenges Into Opportunities: Potential Uses For Zucoins

In the face of the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) findings, emerging cryptocurrencies like Zucoins could leverage their unique attributes to navigate the challenges identified and carve a niche in the digital economy.

The RBA's research uncovered potential value in programmable payments and atomic settlement in tokenized asset markets.

The Splitchain network embodies these attributes, with transactions that settle swiftly and safely.

It does this through a distributed ledger system, where transaction data is negotiated autonomously by the transacting peers.

This system can be tapped to deliver programmable assets and even payments, offering a practical solution to one of the RBA's highlighted areas of interest.

The RBA's report also highlighted the potential for CBDCs to support privately-issued digital money.

It's an insight that could open a door for Zucoins, where the potential for a CBDC use-case could be achieved while balancing the established benefits of cryptocurrencies that we often cover here.

With Splitchain's truth-based network and a capped supply of 100 million coins, Zucoins could provide a reliable and efficient digital currency that could complement a CBDC.

In this way, it would not be a substitute for a CBDC, but rather an enhancement, supporting the RBA's vision of CBDC as a catalyst for private sector innovation.

Another area of concern highlighted by the RBA was the legal and regulatory frameworks that could apply to new business models.

While this is a genuine concern, Zucoins continues to monitor the regulatory landscape in various countries and could even help to proactively shape these frameworks.

If Zucoins were to engage with regulatory bodies and working groups, contributing to discussions about the future of digital currency or digital asset regulation, Zucoins could help create a legal environment that encourages innovation while improving consumer protection and wider crypto market integrity.

Another point made in the report is the crucial challenge of integrating a CBDC platform with industry-specific applications.

Zucoins, with its commitment to simplicity and user-friendliness, has been working to address this complex issue for several years. The Splitchain network itself is also designed to be easy to understand and use, thereby reducing the complexity of integration and friction to adoption.

By offering a versatile platform that can work with various industry applications, whether in the public, private or government sectors, Zucoins could position itself as a leader in the digital currency space, ready to adapt to the changing landscape and meet the needs of diverse applications.

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All the best,
Peter & Rob
MyZucoins

Disclaimer: Of course, this is not advice, financial or otherwise. It’s also important to consider the risks and challenges associated with any potential benefits.