CBDC: Indian Central Bank Begins Digital Rupee Pilot
Source: AdobeStock / picsmart The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the country’s central bank, has started a pilot program of its digital currency today, in cooperation with nine banks. It also released a Concept Note on Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) for India. Bloomberg reported that “several lots of bonds were traded,” citing data from Clearing Corporation of India Ltd. (CCIL), which showed “7.38% 2027 debt and 7.26% 2032 bonds were among the first to change hands using the new form of currency.” Per the press release, the pilot for the wholesale segment (e₹-W) starts today, saying: “The use case for this pilot is settlement of secondary market transactions in government securities. Use of e₹-W is expected to make the inter-bank market more efficient. Settlement in central bank money would reduce transaction costs by pre-empting the need for settlement guarantee infrastructure or for collateral to mitigate settle...