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Distributed Ledger Technology and the Future of Money and Banking

Banking is Necessary, Banks Are Not. Bill Gates 1994
  • Fred Huibers ORCID logo EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: January 4, 2021

Abstract

Nakamoto, S. (2008). Bitcoin: A peer-to-peer electronic cash system. https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf outlined an alternative to the current monetary system in which banks are replaced by a peer-to-peer system to issue and transfer digital money: the Bitcoin. While Bitcoin has attracted a substantial investment volume, the system has not achieved the status of a viable alternative monetary system. However, the distributed ledger technology (DLT) underlying the payment system is being applied successfully by financial institutions and is likely to have important implications for the future of money and banking. In this paper we therefore focus on the most advanced distributed ledger application in the financial industry: R3 Corda. This paper is structured as follows. In the first section, we relate the debate about systems of money creation to the rise of Bitcoin. Next, the development of R3 Corda is discussed and the lessons learned for monetary reform. We conclude with an assessment of the scope and likelihood of monetary reform as a consequence of DLT applications by central banks.

JEL Classification: E00; E5; E58

Corresponding author: Fred Huibers, Faculty of Business and Economics, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, 1102 CV Amsterdam, The Netherlands, E-mail:

Appendix 1: White Papers, Reports, and Speeches Related to the Intersections of Central Banking, Blockchain Technology, and/or CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currencies)

Compiled by Ashley Lannquist

World Economic Forum, Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Last updated: Nov. 18, 2019

Central Banks

Joint research or multi-party work:

Central banks

International Organizations & Market Infrastructure

Technology, Consulting, Finance, and Other

“Fedcoin: A central bank-issued cryptocurrency” (2016) https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55f73743e4b051cfcc0b02cf/t/58c7f80c2e69cf24220d335e/1489500174018/R3+Report-+Fedcoin.pdf

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Published Online: 2021-01-04

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