Australia's CBDC Likely Some Years Away, Central Bank Says
Australia's central bank, after concluding a year-long research project, has announced that it will not be introducing a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) for the foreseeable future. This decision stems from several unresolved issues discovered during the pilot study.
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), in collaboration with the Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre (DFCRC), undertook this project to evaluate use cases around the payment system. The DFCRC is a research initiative supported by industry partners, universities, and the Australian Government, with funding amounting to 180 million Australian dollars (approx. US$124.3 million). The primary objective of the DFCRC is to explore opportunities stemming from asset digitisation and CBDC applications.
While the report noted that a CBDC could complement private sector innovations rather than replace them, it also highlighted several challenges. These include the intricacies of integrating a CBDC platform with industry applications, issues related to cryptographic keys, and the broader concerns about legal, regulatory, technical, and operational aspects of introducing a CBDC.
For instance, cryptographic keys are essential for operations on the CBDC platform, but finding cost-effective and sufficiently secure solutions for key management posed a significant hurdle, especially for firms unfamiliar with other DLT networks.
Moreover, concerns about potential surveillance aspects and the question of privacy in the context of CBDCs remains unresolved, not just for Australia but for many nations worldwide. "The design decisions required to effectively support the variety of needs for privacy and data sharing are challenging. Additionally, the technologies to enforce these requirements on a unified CBDC platform are intricate and merit further exploration," the report mentioned.
To sum up, while the research found potential benefits of a CBDC, including enhanced offline electronic payments and more economical, less risky "smarter" transactions, the report emphasizes the need for continued study to address the various challenges identified.
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