We propose a theory of stablecoin disintermediation, whereby stablecoins not only erode banks' deposit franchises but also transmit liquidity stress to the banking system. Using transaction-level data linking onchain transactions to wholesale interbank payments, we document the first evidence of...

Programmability is at the heart of ongoing work on the future of money and payments by central banks around the world. Despite its potential, there is growing concern that programmability conflicts with the provision of "good" money. This paper overviews key principles of "good" money and argues...

This paper analyzes the affordability of cash in an international context. After outlining why cash should remain a core component of a diversified payment mix within a resilient and efficient payment system, we discuss methodological challenges associated with measuring the costs of payment...

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...

The retail payment industry is significant, affects every citizen and is a very precondition for a modern society based on the division of labor. It is characterized by two-sidedness, strong network effects, high fixed costs, high concentration and high profitability of successful firms,...

Using a survey of 39,507 adults in 17 euro-area countries, I find that crypto-asset owners and the niche subgroup of payers have distinct profiles. Owners - typically younger, male, and financially active - exhibit mixed preferences, valuing both cash-like privacy and card-like speed. Crypto...

This paper provides the first causal estimate of the economic impact of interlinking payment systems across countries. We exploit a new dataset of payment systems interlinking initiatives, which identifies over 2,000 connections, and employ standard gravity methods to estimate their impact on...

Many Central banks around the world are considering the introduction of a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) as a new means of payment. One of the reasons for introducing a CBDC is a change in payment behavior towards an increasing use of electronic forms of payment. This paper examines the...

This paper analyses the role of layering in the architecture of money and payment systems and how recent technological innovations affect it. Layering in payments, whereby payment ledgers are hierarchical to each other, and senior ledgers allow for interoperability between junior ledgers, has...

This paper investigates the degree to which merchants influence consumers' choice of how they pay for transactions. Using data from the Survey and Diary of Consumer Payments Choice, we examine consumers' adherence to their preferred payment method when making in-person transactions. We also...

Cross-country evidence finds that there are low levels of financial literacy. Financial literacy is often measured using the "Big Three" questions about interest rates, inflation, and risk. These questions are usually part of a longer survey. Respondents in long surveys may suffer survey fatigue...

This article examines the EU-law challenges arising from the use of artificial intelligence for payment initiation and execution (“Payment Agents”) under European Union law. It focuses on Payment Agents that support purchasing workflows and are capable of initiating payments in both...

We study competition between a welfare-maximizing public platform and a profit-maximizing private platform in a two-sided payment market. We characterize the public platform's optimal pricing and show that it balances the benefits of increased competition against the welfare costs of network...

Financial market infrastructures (FMIs) must remain secure, resilient and adaptable over long horizons, even as payment volumes grow and technologies, standards and threat environments evolve. The continued expansion of digital payments, alongside emerging models such as Internet of Things...

This paper challenges the widespread public and institutional misconception that legal tender laws in English law compel creditors to accept payment in a specific form. We argue that legal tender is a narrow, procedural artefact with diminishing practical relevance. Through an analysis of...

The World Bank's Fast Payment Systems (FPS) Toolkit, supported by the Gates Foundation, is a comprehensive resource designed to guide countries and regions in their policy and implementation choices as they develop fast payment systems. Available at fastpayments.worldbank.org, the toolkit...

Previous research suggests that lower-income Canadians may have unique experiences with the use of payments, including the use of cash and digital payments. We conduct a case study using data from the Canadian Financial Diaries (CFD) project to gain insight into how some lower-income Canadians...

This paper investigates the degree to which merchants influence consumers' choice of how they pay for transactions. Using data from the Survey and Diary of Consumer Payments Choice, we examine consumers' adherence to their preferred payment method when making in-person transactions. We also...

Identifying critical participants is important for central banks as operators and overseers of payment systems. The binary decision about criticality is not evident, as there are no common criteria that define it. This paper introduces a novel approach using the example of TARGET2 for tackling...

This paper analyzes the affordability of cash in an international context. After outlining why cash should remain a core component of a diversified payment mix within a resilient and efficient payment system, we discuss methodological challenges associated with measuring the costs of payment...