Distributed Ledger Technology Experiments in Payments and Settlements

Distributed Ledger Technology Experiments in Payments and Settlements
Author: Mr.Ghiath Shabsigh
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 22
Release: 2020-06-24
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1513536338

Major transformations in payment and settlements have occurred in generations. The first generation was paper-based. Delivery times for payment instruments took several days domestically and weeks internationally. The second generation involved computerization with batch processing. Links between payment systems were made through manual or file-based interfaces. The change-over period between technologies was long and still some paper-based instruments like checks and cash remain in use. The third generation, which has been emerging, involves electronic and mobile payment schemes that enable integrated, immediate, and end-to-end payment and settlement transfers. For example, real-time gross settlement systems have been available in almost all countries. DLT has been viewed as a potential platform for the next generation of payment systems, enhancing the integration and the reconciliation of settlement accounts and their ledgers. So far, experiments with DLT experimentations point to the potential for financial infrastructures to move towards real-time settlement, flatter structures, continuous operations, and global reach. Testing in large-value payments and securities settlement systems have partly demonstrated the technical feasibility of DLT for this new environment. The projects examined analyzed issues associated with operational capacity, resiliency, liquidity savings, settlement finality, and privacy. DLT-based solutions can also facilitate delivery versus payment of securities, payment versus payment of foreign exchange transactions, and efficient cross-border payments.

Distributed Ledger Technology and Digital Assets

Distributed Ledger Technology and Digital Assets
Author: Asian Development Bank
Publisher: Asian Development Bank
Total Pages: 90
Release: 2019-06-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9292616471

This report offers an analytical framework that allows for more systemic assessments of distributed ledger technology (DLT) and its applications. It examines the evolution and typology of the emergent technology, its existing and projected applications, and regulatory and policy issues that they entail. This report highlights the trends, concerns, and potential opportunities of DLTs, especially for Asian markets. It also identifies the benefits and risks to using DLT and offers a functional and proportional approach to these issues.

Clearing and Settlement

Clearing and Settlement
Author: Dermot Turing
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 900
Release: 2021-02-12
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1526514974

The post-trading industry is one in which financial firms make money and one in which risk issues need careful management. Reliable payment, clearing and settlement structures are perceived to be essential to enable financial firms to withstand shocks. A great deal of the cost of trading and cross-border investment is attributed to the very complex process of clearing and settlement. This book describes and explains: 1. what happens in clearing and settlement, and the roles of (and risks assumed by) the various participants in the post-trade marketplace 2. the law applicable to infrastructures, how they are are regulated, and the other topographical features of their legal landscape 3. the legal and practical aspects of risk management and operations of infrastructures 4. the risks faced by participants in payment, clearing and settlement systems - the agent banks - along with practical and operational issues which they face in their roles. Fully revised, updates for the 3rd edition include: - Implications and impact of Brexit - CPMI and IOSCO paper on central counterparty default (CCP) management auctions - cyber-security and the resilience of financial market infrastructures (FMIs) and the wider market ecosystem.

Virtual Currencies and Beyond

Virtual Currencies and Beyond
Author: Mr.Dong He
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 42
Release: 2016-01-20
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 149836327X

New technologies are driving transformational changes in the global financial system. Virtual currencies (VCs) and the underlying distributed ledger systems are among these. VCs offer many potential benefits, but also considerable risks. VCs could raise efficiency and in the long run strengthen financial inclusion. At the same time, VCs could be potential vehicles for money laundering, terrorist financing, tax evasion and fraud. While risks to the conduct of monetary policy seem less likely to arise at this stage given the very small scale of VCs, risks to financial stability may eventually emerge as the new technologies become more widely used. National authorities have begun to address these challenges and will need to calibrate regulation in a manner that appropriately addresses the risks without stifling innovation. As experience is gained, international standards and best practices could be considered to provide guidance on the most appropriate regulatory responses in different fields, thereby promoting harmonization and cooperation across jurisdictions.

Central Bank Risk Management, Fintech, and Cybersecurity

Central Bank Risk Management, Fintech, and Cybersecurity
Author: Mr. Ashraf Khan
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 75
Release: 2021-04-23
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1513582348

Based on technical assistance to central banks by the IMF’s Monetary and Capital Markets Department and Information Technology Department, this paper examines fintech and the related area of cybersecurity from the perspective of central bank risk management. The paper draws on findings from the IMF Article IV Database, selected FSAP and country cases, and gives examples of central bank risks related to fintech and cybersecurity. The paper highlights that fintech- and cybersecurity-related risks for central banks should be addressed by operationalizing sound internal risk management by establishing and strengthening an integrated risk management approach throughout the organization, including a dedicated risk management unit, ongoing sensitizing and training of Board members and staff, clear reporting lines, assessing cyber resilience and security posture, and tying risk management into strategic planning.. Given the fast-evolving nature of such risks, central banks could make use of timely and regular inputs from external experts.

The Role of Distributed Ledger Technology in Banking

The Role of Distributed Ledger Technology in Banking
Author: Sabrina Leo
Publisher:
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2023-11
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 100941173X

Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) is a way of managing, storing, and sharing information over a distributed network. The position of DLT in banking can be seen as controversial as it is a rapidly evolving technology with both potential benefits and challenges. The Role of Distributed Ledger Technology in Banking presents a balanced assessment of both the opportunities and risks behind such recent innovations. Combining theory and practice, it explores the impact of DLT in the banking sector and offers the opportunity to exploit different points of view from different disciplines. It presents topics from both a theoretical and practical point of view, highlighting concrete applications. Written by a team of experts from academia and the banking sector, this book looks at DLT not as a threat but as an exciting opportunity to bring the banking/financial system in the future.

A Survey of Research on Retail Central Bank Digital Currency

A Survey of Research on Retail Central Bank Digital Currency
Author: Mr.John Kiff
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 66
Release: 2020-06-26
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 151354778X

This paper examines key considerations around central bank digital currency (CBDC) for use by the general public, based on a comprehensive review of recent research, central bank experiments, and ongoing discussions among stakeholders. It looks at the reasons why central banks are exploring retail CBDC issuance, policy and design considerations; legal, governance and regulatory perspectives; plus cybersecurity and other risk considerations. This paper makes a contribution to the CBDC literature by suggesting a structured framework to organize discussions on whether or not to issue CBDC, with an operational focus and a project management perspective.

FinTech in Sub-Saharan African Countries

FinTech in Sub-Saharan African Countries
Author: Mr.Amadou N Sy
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 61
Release: 2019-02-14
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1484385667

FinTech is a major force shaping the structure of the financial industry in sub-Saharan Africa. New technologies are being developed and implemented in sub-Saharan Africa with the potential to change the competitive landscape in the financial industry. While it raises concerns on the emergence of vulnerabilities, FinTech challenges traditional structures and creates efficiency gains by opening up the financial services value chain. Today, FinTech is emerging as a technological enabler in the region, improving financial inclusion and serving as a catalyst for the emergence of innovations in other sectors, such as agriculture and infrastructure.

Beyond Banks

Beyond Banks
Author: Dan Awrey
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2024-10-22
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0691245428

How new technology is rapidly changing the nature of money and the way we pay A diverse and growing range of financial institutions and platforms—from PayPal and Venmo to WeChat, Alipay, and the brave new world of stablecoins—has harnessed new technology to disrupt the system of money and payments as we know it. Beyond Banks explains why this disruption holds out the promise of faster, cheaper, more convenient, and more secure payments, but also how it increasingly risks exposing consumers, businesses, and governments to the problem of bad money. Dan Awrey traces the origins of our current bundled system of banking, money, and payments. He explains why the problem of bad money—the result of antiquated and inadequate laws and regulation that fail to establish credible commitments to hold, transfer, or return a customer’s money on demand—requires that policymakers fundamentally rethink their approach toward the design of the laws and institutions at the heart of this system. He presents ways to effectively unbundle banking from money and payments, ensure the credibility of monetary commitments, and promote the stability of this system. Awrey also envisions a more forward-looking role for policymakers in encouraging greater technological experimentation, competition, and innovation in the realm of payments. Beyond Banks sheds critical light on the important but too often dysfunctional relationship among technology, regulation, and money, and lays the foundations for a safer, more nimble, and more inclusive system of money and payments.

Distributed Ledgers

Distributed Ledgers
Author: Robert M. Townsend
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2020-10-06
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0262361205

An economic analysis of what distributed ledgers can do, examining key components and discussing applications in both developed and emerging market economies. Distributed ledger technology (DLT) has the potential to transform economic organization and financial structure. In this book, Robert Townsend steps back from the hype and controversy surrounding DLT (and the related, but not synonymous, innovations of blockchain and Bitcoin) to offer an economic analysis of what distributed ledgers can do. Townsend examines the key components of distributed ledgers, discussing, evaluating, and illustrating each in the context of historical and contemporary economics, and reviewing featured applications in both developed economies and emerging-market countries.