The Future of Payments in a DLT-based European Economy: A Roadmap
30 Pages Posted: 19 Mar 2021
Date Written: December 18, 2020
Abstract
Distributed ledger technology (DLT) enables a wide range of innovative industrial use cases and business models, such as through programmable payments and the seamless exchange of assets, goods, and services. To exploit the full potential of a DLT-based European economy, it is crucial to integrate the euro into DLT networks. In this paper, we propose a framework for developing payment solutions for a DLT-based European economy. To this end, we decompose the digital payments value chain into three pillars: (1) contract execution system, (2) digital payment infrastructure, and (3) monetary unit. Based on this framework, we systematically compare account- and token-based payment solutions, including a bridge solution, e-money tokens, synthetic central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), and a central bank digital currency (CBDC). Taking into account current circumstances, we conclude that no individual payment solution will be sufficient to address all emerging use cases. Instead, a broad array of payment solutions will emerge and co-exist. These solutions will apply to a variety of different use cases and will be launched at different points in time.
Keywords: distributed ledger technology (DLT), blockchain, money, payment systems, stablecoins, digital currency, CBDC, digital euro, e-money tokens, synthetic CBDC
JEL Classification: E42, G20, O30
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