Norway’s Central Bank Considering Adopting CBDC As A Supplement To Cash

Norway’s Central Bank, Norges, has extended a study that focuses on issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) as a way to supplement cash for customers. Several central banks in Europe, including Sweden’s Sveriges Riksbank, are already actively exploring the benefits of issuing a CBDC.

“A decline in cash usage has prompted us to think about whether at some future date a number of new attributes that are important for ensuring an efficient and robust payment system and confidence in the monetary system will be needed,” Norges stated in a working paper.  

The central bank is studying two CBDC models. The first is the account-based model, in which accounts and transactions are under the authority of the bank, which is responsible for account-to-account transactions. The second is the value-based model, in which money is stored on debit cards or smartphone applications and then transferred from account to account without the bank’s interference or knowledge.

The primary goal of this study is to determine whether a CBDC would be a stable and trusted form of currency. According to the working paper, for a CBDC to be a realistic supplement to cash it must act as a means of payment for goods and services, store value, and be able to be used as a means of accounting to compare the price of goods and services. In addition to these stipulations, the bank added that the “CBDC must be denominated in the Norwegian krone and have the same value as other means of payment denominated in the Norwegian krone.”

At this point, it is unclear whether or not Norway’s Central Bank will ultimately adopt a CBDC, but the research thus far has not brought up any issues that would rule out its adoption, the bank declared.

Whether or not a CBDC is adopted, the bank stated that its main concern is that “the existence and scope of a CBDC must not impair the ability of banks and other financial institutions to provide credit.”

Nathan Graham is a full-time staff writer for ETHNews. He lives in Sparks, Nevada, with his wife, Beth, and dog, Kyia. Nathan has a passion for new technology, grant writing, and short stories. He spends his time rafting the American River, playing video games, and writing.

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