The Bank of England has released new research suggesting that a central bank-issued digital currency could lead to an increase in gross domestic product. The conclusions were drawn from a working paper published today that examined how a central bank-backed digital currency (referred to as a CBDC in the paper) could yield macroeconomic benefits, while providing banking regulators a clearer picture of the financial system. The authors wrote: “First, it leads to an increase in the steady-state level of GDP of almost 3%, due to reductions in real interest rates, in distortionary tax rates and in monetary transaction costs that are analogous to distortionary tax rates. Second, a CBDC regime can contribute to the stabilization of the business cycle, by giving policymakers access to a second policy instrument that controls either the quantity or the price of CBDC in a countercyclical fashion.” That said, the authors state that there are potential issues inherent in the concept and that “there remains a clear concern” about the risks in transitioning to a “different monetary and financial regime”. These concepts were explored several months ago in a speech by Ben Broadbent, the Bank of England’s deputy governor for monetary policy, who said in March that while such a system could provide greater visibility for regulators, UK banks could see an outflow of deposits. Broadbent is one of several witnesses set to appear tomorrow before a committee of the House of Lords, the upper chamber of the UK parliament. The full Bank of England working paper can be found below: BoE Paper Image via Shutterstock The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups.
A new paper released by the Bank of England has suggested that central bank - issued digital currency could generate an increase in the nation 's GDP , due to " reductions in real tax rates , in distortionary tax rates and in monetary transaction costs that are analogous to distortionary tax rates " . The authors also highlighted that the introduction of a digital currency could provide central bankers with a new policy instrument " that controls either the quantity or the price of CBDC ( central bank digital currency ) in a countercyclical fashion " .