According to the Central Bank of Colombia, restricting CBDC transactions may help with concerns over user security and privacy.
The central bank of Colombia believes that restricting transactions involving a potential central bank digital currency (CBDC) could enhance user security and privacy.
Although the bank has not decided on creating a CBDC, it sees benefits in imposing limits on CBDC transactions. The bank’s recent study, titled “Expected Macroeconomic Effects of Issuing a Retail CBDC,” concludes that introducing a retail CBDC wouldn’t pose significant macroeconomic risks.
The bank suggests placing restrictions on CBDC holding and spending to reduce risks linked to the digital currency. This approach would enhance financial security, shielding users from online threats.
The bank suggests balancing privacy and transparency by offering varying limits for CBDC ownership. For those valuing transaction privacy, the bank could offer wallets with modest holdings and high anonymity, while others could opt for larger holdings and lower privacy.
These limitations could benefit commercial banks by reducing the need for a retail CBDC to compete with bank accounts. The bank is closely observing global CBDC developments but is still deciding whether to introduce one in Colombia.
Deciding on a retail CBDC should consider desirable features to attract enough users for network effects, the bank’s study authors noted. Other nations, like the UK and the European Central Bank, have also considered placing limits on CBDC holdings.
