Payments
PBoC and Swift to offer cross-border payments services
Joint venture will set up local network and data centre to support financial messaging, PBoC says
A bellwether moment for CBDC plans
The launch of the ‘sand dollar’ may herald a new era of CBDCs as the Fed and ECB step up their preparations
Nine in 10 central banks are working on CBDCs
Very few central banks have progressed past the research phase, but those that do are working on general purpose variants
BoJ must prepare thoroughly for CBDC – Kuroda
Central bank should not rush issuance of CBDC, governor says
IMF cautions Marshall Islands on digital currency plans
Institutional framework to accommodate the sov is not ready, fund says
Payment innovation is top fintech spending priority
One-third of central banks say they are prioritising digital currencies
Central bank of the year: The Federal Reserve System
Overwhelming Fed interventions in March 2020 forestalled a damaging global financial crisis, as policy overhaul prompts introspection in Europe and Japan
Initiative of the year: Saudi Central Bank’s business continuity programme
Advanced planning has allowed Sama employees and systems to continue operating critical functions despite the Covid-19 lockdowns
Wholesale CBDCs may not fix cross-border frictions – panellists
Policy-makers question whether CBDCs will make international payments faster and cheaper
Bank of Thailand reinforces stablecoin regulation
Firms wishing to issue baht-backed stablecoins must consult with the central bank
Central Banking Awards 2021: third round of winners revealed
Awards go to central banks and market practitioners for payments, market infrastructure and currency
‘Do no harm’: central bankers warn against rush to issue CBDC
Agustín Carstens, Jerome Powell and Jens Weidmann highlight risks of acting too fast
Currency manager: National Bank of Ukraine
Ukraine’s decisive actions to cut currency denominations while upgrading banknotes and coins are starting to pay off
Payments and market infrastructure development – retail: Central Bank of Hungary
The Hungarian central bank’s strict implementation requirements and unique operational setup has supported the acceleration towards electronic payments during the pandemic
RBA opened banknote contingency site during pandemic
Strength of banknote demand during pandemic was ‘unprecedented’, RBA bulletin says
Future of cash: what we can learn from the history of money
Central banks must take a broad view of efficiency if they are to preserve the benefits of cash, says Antti Heinonen
Bank of Thailand plans overseas PromptPay connections
Central bank aims to connect to retail instant payment systems in other countries
Governor of the year: Alejandro Díaz de León
Díaz de León has upheld the authority, integrity and independence of the Bank of Mexico against significant external and internal pressures
Innovation in reserve management: World Bank Treasury/ANZ Bank
The pair developed a Swift-based messaging app to manage faster and safer cash operations for central bank members of Ramp at the height of the pandemic
BoT says prototype corporate CBDC boosted efficiency
Thai central bank says DLT allowed cement firm to integrate payments systems with suppliers
Bank of Israel hails milestone in move to ‘smart payments’
Central bank is pushing transition to EMV payments that allow contactless transactions
Cash in circulation to remain elevated, Bank of Canada research says
Withdrawal and deposit relationships and high denominations to blame
The untapped potential of transaction data
Covid-19 has highlighted the need for central banks to have more timely information, questioning whether high-frequency indicators are being used to their full potential.
Fed’s ‘operational error’ disrupts key payment services
Fedwire, ACH and other transfer systems suspended for several hours