CBDC
Ownership • Legacy • Access Control • Sovereignty
state-issued digital currency
CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency) is a digital form of national fiat currency issued and controlled directly by a country’s central bank. Unlike decentralized cryptocurrencies, CBDCs are centralized, programmable, and tied to official monetary policy.
Use Case: CBDCs enable central banks to directly manage monetary policy tools like stimulus, taxation, and capital controls — all with programmable, trackable digital money.
Key Concepts:
- Centralized Ledger — Operated under full control of national monetary authorities
- Programmable Money — Enables rules-based spending, expiration dates, or usage limits
- Surveillance Finance — Every transaction can be tracked, recorded, and analyzed
- Monetary Policy Tool — Supports modern enforcement of economic levers like UBI or negative rates
Summary: CBDCs are the digital evolution of fiat currency — offering speed and efficiency at the cost of financial privacy. They reflect a shift toward centralized digital control over money and may reshape the global economy alongside decentralized counterforces.