For the past hundred years or more, payments have been primarily associated with banking, and banking as we know it today-being the result of many centuries of evolution-features a bundling of (at least) three main lines of business: lending, deposit-taking, and payment services. In the past 15...

We use agent-based modelling to build a digital twin of the retail payment system, where heterogeneous consumers and merchants interact, learn, and adapt as they meet and use different monies and payment instruments. As we introduce an rCBDC, the model simulates its adoption. We calibrate this...

This paper explores the current use of crypto-assets for payments, focusing mostly on unbacked crypto-assets, while selectively referring to stablecoins. Although some specific characteristics of crypto-assets, such as their price volatility and unclear legal settlement, render them unsuitable...

We use high-frequency interbank payments data to trace deposit flows in March 2023 and identify twenty-two banks that suffered a run - significantly more than the two that failed but fewer than the number that experienced large negative stock returns. The runs were driven by large...

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'...

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...

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'...

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...

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...

Purpose Traditional payment systems based on cash and bank cards are being replaced by new innovative formats. This research analyzes the success factors in the adoption by customers of Bizum, a peer-to-peer (P2P) mobile payment system widely used in Spain. This study proposes a theoretical...

The largest cash transfer program in Jordan, operated by the National Aid Fund (NAF), regularly benefited approximately 100,000 households by the end of 2018 (almost 10 percent of the population. NAF provides cash transfers in the range of US $28 to $254 to 16 different categories of vulnerable...

Since its creation in 2011, the Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion (MIDIS) has been the governing body of social protection in Peru, with responsibility for the three largest conditional transfer programs. The largest program, JUNTOS, reaches around 724,000 households in poverty and...

The COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated several challenges, prompting the Indonesian government to enact rules aimed at minimizing direct contact to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, which has also affected transactional activities. Transactions conducted using a digital wallet represent a...

Digital transformation significantly impacts all aspects of the economic system, particularly the functioning of monetary policy and the financial sector. As a key process in modernization, digital transformation encompasses innovations that enable faster, safer and more efficient financial...

Faced with the devastating impact of the rigorous shutdown from late March, a massive package of R500 billion (10 percent of GDP) was announced on April 21. The main elements included: R200 billion in loan guarantees to companies; R50 billion additional for social grants, including a new program...

After providing a general overview of the nature, pros, and cons of crypto assets and CBDCs, this paper focuses on documenting their recent experience in LAC. The region records a high interest in unbacked crypto assets and stablecoins and its authorities' policy responses have varied...

The Methods-of-Payment (MOP) Survey tracks consumer use of cash and other methods of payment. We present core findings from the 2024 MOP Survey, highlighting results from both the survey questionnaire and subsequent three-day shopping diary. Although cash holdings have increased in nominal...

This report by the Consultative Group on Innovation and the Digital Economy (CGIDE) discusses theoretical and real-world use cases of tokenisation, which include initiatives run by the Central Bank of Brazil and the Central Bank of Colombia, and private sector-led initiatives discussed within...

The adoption of electronic payments has increased globally, driving economic growth by enabling smoother transactions. Digital payments enhance speed, security, trust, and efficiency, prompting governments to implement policies that promote financial inclusion through new payment technologies....

We frame the wide spectrum of possible system architectures for an online retail central bank digital currency (CBDC) and identify a promising architecture well-suited for basic payments. We select OpenCBDC 2PC, a representative system design that fits this architecture and analyze it using a...

This paper provides a targeted analysis of ML/TF risks pertaining to remittances to Samoa, confirming limited risks, and discusses potential opportunities for streamlining applicable AML/CFT requirements to operationalize regional remittances risk assessments. Over the past decade, Samoa has...

Payments technologies pose an economic dilemma: network effects can lead to a small number of dominant platforms, but efforts to increase choice can risk market fragmentation. We examine whether interoperability can help resolve this tension, using data from India's Unified Payments...

Cross-border payments are essential to the global financial system, facilitating trade and investment. The global cross-border traditional and crypto payment market approached a value of about one quadrillion dollars in 2024, with crypto payments representing only a small fraction despite their...