Discussion of “Central bank digital currency: Stability and information”

Abstract: Digital payments leave digital traces. The information contained in these traces and the access to this information are key design issues for any digital payment system. Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are no exception. The governance of payments information is emerging as a central public policy issue as the vast majority of central banks surveyed by Kosse and Mattei (2022) experiment with digital currency technology. The importance of the information aspect of CBDC is underscored by the results of the public consultation on the digital euro, where privacy in payments received by far the highest number of votes as the most-important potential feature (European Central Bank, 2021).