This article highlights the determinants of financial inclusion within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), focusing on the moderating role of the male/female entrepreneurial rate. To this end, we collected quantitative data for the eight member countries from 2010 to 2020 and...

The COVID-19 crisis created conditions for digital finance to accelerate financial inclusion in the Philippines. Anecdotal and survey data suggest that the pandemic has indeed spurred large gains in financial inclusion in the country, with adoption of digital finance as a strong driver. This...

This paper examines the transition from exclusive card network-acquirer relationships to a multi-acquiring model. Using the case of Uruguay's adoption of multi-acquiring in 2022, as part of a broader financial inclusion program, we document significant market dynamics, including restructured...

Digital money and digital payments innovations have the potential for improving cross-border payments by reducing costs, enhancing speed, and improving transparency. This note performs an empirical analysis of the potential impact of digital money on the volume and transaction costs of...

Designing inclusive and user-friendly digital payment systems is crucial to eliminate barriers faced by users. This research focuses on fostering empathy for and identifying the needs of users who exhibit behaviours that indicate they encounter accessibility or usability barriers in digital...

Most countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are implementing fast payment systems (FPS), often with the goal of enhancing access to and use of affordable financial services. FPS offer immediate transfer of funds on a 24x7 basis between end users. This paper assesses how FPS can promote...

We provide an update on cryptoasset ownership in Canada using data from the Bitcoin Omnibus Survey conducted in late 2023. Bitcoin ownership remained stable at around 10% in 2023 and continues to be concentrated among men, younger individuals and those with higher income and levels of education....

Inadequate financial literacy and overconfidence in financial knowledge, coupled with the use of mobile payments (MPs), may contribute to harmful financial behaviors. While the relationship between financial knowledge confidence and financial behaviors is well documented, there is limited...

This paper presents the findings derived from a comprehensive survey conducted by the Central Bank of Malta, in collaboration with the National Statistics Office, with the aim of analysing payment habits in Malta. The research explores individuals' perspectives on various aspects, including...

Monetary authorities globally have studied central bank digital currency (CBDC) for wholesale and retail applications since the 1990s. Besides countering private cryptocurrencies' influence, central banks have also explored other benefits of CBDC, such as improving their financial oversight,...

The pros and cons of CBDCs have been examined in numerous writings but much less research has focused on specific economies or regions. This paper attempts to fill that gap for the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) economies. It first examines the views of central banks in the region toward...

We field a series of experiments in a population-representative survey of European consumers to examine their attitudes towards the possible introduction of a digital euro. First, we show that a short video explaining the key features of the digital euro is effective in changing consumers'...

Can digital payments help reduce extreme hunger? Humanitarian needs are at their highest since 1945, aid budgets are falling behind, and hunger is concentrating in fragile states where repression and aid diversion present major obstacles. In such contexts, partnering directly with governments is...

Convenience and security are the two key attributes that consumers consider when choosing between payment technologies. We examine how consumers react to an exogenous change to the convenience and security of digital payments. We study an increase in the 'tap-and-go' limit for contactless...

The digitalisation of payments has accelerated over the last decades with the internet and ever faster and cheaper computing. Now, many believe that decentralised finance ("DeFi") offers fundamentally new possibilities for trading, payments and settlement. Moreover, for a few years central banks...

This paper provides background to the upcoming EU regulation on Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA). The first step to regulate crypto-assets at EU level was taken by including virtual currencies in the revision of the Anti-Money Laundering Directive (5AMLD) which came into force 2018. Initial coin...

As digital payments become increasingly popular, many central banks are looking into the issuance of retail central bank digital currency (CBDC) as a new central bank monetary liability in addition to banknotes and commercial bank reserves. CBDC will have broadly the same balance sheet and...

Retail central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and fast payment systems (FPS) share a number of similarities. Both allow for instant transactions for end users, can rely on underlying infrastructures operated by the central bank and can allow for an important role for private payment service...

This volume provides insights and lessons learned from a range of fast payment systems (FPS). Over 100 jurisdictions worldwide, including 15 jurisdictions in Latin America, have implemented FPS, which are a promising tool to improve people's payment experience, access to financial services and...

This article focuses on the fastest-growing consumer credit segment usually associated with e-commerce, but increasingly offered for brick-and-mortar shopping too. The purpose of the study was to identify how, and the extent to which, specific aspects of consumer behaviour - particularly in...

The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred a surge in digital payments, with over 40 % of adults in low- and middle-income countries making their first merchant payments using cards, phones, or the internet since the pandemic began. This study examines the determinants of adopting digital payments during...

Worldwide, account ownership increased by 50 percent in the 10 years spanning 2011 to 2021, to reach 76 percent of the global adult population. The goal of financial inclusion is not just for more adults to have accounts but for account owners to benefit from using them, such as for digital...

The adoption of a cashless economy was accelerated globally by the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Brunei Darussalam was not excluded from this trend, as pandemic-related restrictions were implemented to ensure the safety of its population. In light of the COVID-19 crisis, this...

By applying a structural demand model to unique consumer-level survey data from the euro area, we assess how different CBDC design options, combined with individual (revealed) preferences, influence the potential demand for a digital euro. Estimating the demand for a digital euro, we find that...