Digital Central Bank Money and the Unbundling of the Banking Function

Date
Apr 2016
Innovations in digital payment technologies and digital currencies suggest that extending access to central bank money (CBM) to firms and individuals is now feasible. This paper focuses on a recent related debate regarding alternative organizational models for the payment system and their implications for the banking industry. One of the main conclusions is that extended access to CBM will likely create a centrifuge force in the financial system that might result in the unbundling of the banking functions.