What the world’s central banks are saying about #cryptocurrencies

Nine years since the birth of Bitcoin, central banks around the world are increasingly recognising the potential upsides and downsize of digital currencies. The American Federal Reserve’s investigation into cryptocurrencies is in its early days. Chairman Jerome Powell said in 2017 that technical issues with the technology remain and governance and risk management would be critical. He added that there were meaningful challenges to a central-bank cryptocurrency and privacy issues could be a problem. The UAE Central Bank has warned about the risks of using digital currencies as a medium of exchange for now, amid mounting risks like massive volatility, speculation and money laundering. The European Central Bank (ECB) has repeatedly warned about the dangers of investing in digital currencies. According to Bank of England (BoE) Governor Mark Carney, technology based on blockchain shows great promise in enabling central banks to strengthen their defences against cyber-attacks and overhaul the way payments are made.