International records / International Monetary Fund

The Impact of Central Bank Digital Currency on Payments Competition

How would CBDC affect competition in the payments market? If introduced, CBDC can serve as a payment instrument, expanding end users’ transaction choices, and as a platform infrastructure, broadening intermediaries’ opportunities to provide and innovate in payment and financial services. The competitive impact of CBDC depends significantly on the existing payments landscape, regulation, and CBDC design. CBDC may enhance competition in less competitive markets through four key channels: pricing discipline, quality improvements, increased contestability, and broader financial access. In more com…