What CBDC features will drive consumers’ and merchants’ adoption?
Thursday 29th September 2023
With:
| John Velissarios, Accenture
| Raoul Herborg, Giesecke + Devrient
CBDC is a very particular product. An extremely successful rollout, with massive adoption, could affect financial stability as deposits could migrate to CBDCs. On the other hand, poor adoption could mean a reputational risk event for the central bank. Therefore, unlike most central bank products, it looks like CBDC design should be user-oriented, with consumers and merchants as the main users and commercial banks as distributors. This means that before CBDCs are rolled out, there has to be a design phase that studies under which design options the CBDC will be used will be convenient, as well as safe, reliable, and efficient.
Guests John Velissarios (Accenture/DEA/DDP) and Raoul Herborg (Giesecke + Devrient) joined FNA for session #9 of The CBDC Broadcast as we discussed how some design options could shape the rollout and adoption of CBDCs. The session played close attention to the particular balance CBDCs must achieve to be successful, that is, being effectively adopted without jeopardizing the stability of the financial system.
The session covered:
- How to achieve a digital version of cash to provide an instant and secure payment option for everyone, everywhere
- The obstacles in making CBDCs accessible to all groups of society and factors considered to ensure inclusivity during the design and pilot phases
- Whether central banks should develop global standards to ensure interoperability between jurisdictions
- CBDCs and offline payment capabilities
- Whether banked people with easy access to commercial bank money feel the need to hold and use a CBDC balance
Watch now:
Key Resources:
Session 9 Slides Access here >
Accenture: The (R)evolution of money III CBDC is here, careful design is needed now Read More >
Accenture: Case Studies Read More >
G+D: A glimpse into the future of currency management Read More >
G+D wins Global CBDC Challenge Read More >
Session #9 Guests
 | John Velissarios Global Managing Director- Digital Assets, Custody and CBDC Lead, Accenture | Expert Advisor, The Digital Dollar Project | Expert Advisor, Digital Euro Association
John is Accenture’s Global Blockchain, and Multiparty Systems Lead responsible for Digital Assets, Custody and Central Bank Digital Currencies. John is currently leading several blockchain engagements with top-tier global organizations and central banks. Most recently, this year, John has led Accenture’s CBDC engagements with Riksbank, Swiss Digital Exchange (SDX), South Africa Reserve Bank, and Banque De France. He has been pivotal in changing attitudes to CBDC with central banks and was an early thought leader in this arena with publications such as the Revolution of Money. He was also responsible for delivering the first projects, including Ubin Phase II (with the Monetary Authority of Singapore), Jasper Phase III (Bank of Canada) and Jasper-Ubin. John brings over two decades of IT security expertise earned in the world’s most trusted consulting organizations, where he served a global customer base of tier 1 organizations. John’s expertise spans cryptography and digital currencies, risk management, threat and vulnerability assessment, security protocols and governance and solution architecture and implementation. He has qualifications in B.Comp.Sci. and M.Comp.Sci. degree specialising in cryptography and information security, and is a full (founding) member of the Institute of Information Security Professionals, IISP – M.Inst.ISP. John specializes in Capital Markets, Payments and Financial Services but also has many years of experience in other industries. Several years ago, John went on a long-term leave of absence where he was the CEO of a blockchain start-up developing leading-edge enterprise-grade crypto-currency wallet solutions for exchanges, hedge funds, banks and HNW individuals. Prior to his leave, John was also the Europe, Africa and Latin America lead for Accenture’s security strategy and risk services practice. The practice provides services in payments security, fraud management, business continuity, data loss prevention and privacy, risk management, security strategy, and threat and vulnerability management
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 | Raoul Herborg Managing Director, CBDC Unit, G+D Dr Raoul Herborg has a long history in creating digital solutions. After building and running his own companies, he joined G+D in 2018 with a clear mission to empower central banks to provide a secure, public digital currency (CBDC). Since January 2022, Raoul Herborg is the managing director of the CBDC unit at G+D. which collaborates closely with central banks around the world on their journey towards a CBDC and is already running a number of pilot projects for the G+D CBDC solution Filia, e.g. in Ghana. |
Missed our previous sessions?
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