This book explains the strong push for the security of digital currencies and the sustainability of global trade development. It studies multilateral international trade agreements such as Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. This book analyses and examines case studies from Asia and Europe presented from different trade agreements’ policies. It focuses on the role of digital currencies as the tool for global trade development used by the biggest economies and international trade organisations such as WTO. It explores the strategies of the respective countries using digital currencies in international trade to gain economic advantage. It is beneficial for international finance students and professionals working in the banking sector.

A cutting-edge look at how accelerating financial change, from the end of cash to the rise of cryptocurrencies, will transform economies for better and worse. We think weÕve seen financial innovation. We bank from laptops and buy coffee with the wave of a phone. But these are minor miracles compared with the dizzying experiments now underway around the globe, as businesses and governments alike embrace the possibilities of new financial technologies. As Eswar Prasad explains, the world of finance is at the threshold of major disruption that will affect corporations, bankers, states, and indeed all of us. The transformation of money will fundamentally rewrite how ordinary people live. Above all, Prasad foresees the end of physical cash. The driving force wonÕt be phones or credit cards but rather central banks, spurred by the emergence of cryptocurrencies to develop their own, more stable digital currencies. Meanwhile, cryptocurrencies themselves will evolve unpredictably as global corporations like Facebook and Amazon join the game. The changes will be accompanied by snowballing innovations that are reshaping finance and have already begun to revolutionize how we invest, trade, insure, and manage risk. Prasad shows how these and other changes will redefine the very concept of money, unbundling its traditional functions as a unit of account, medium of exchange, and store of value. The promise lies in greater efficiency and flexibility, increased sensitivity to the needs of diverse consumers, and improved market access for the unbanked. The risk is instability, lack of accountability, and erosion of privacy. A lucid, visionary work, The Future of Money shows how to maximize the best and guard against the worst of what is to come.

This book analyses the current debate around Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) and the future of New Global Financial System. It offers deep insight into the global monetary policy in the context of digital and cryptocurrencies and examines both the opportunities and challenges to come. The book draws a clear distinction between digital and cryptocurrencies and answers several research questions, such as what the consequences of forming Central Bank Digital Currencies and their impact on the financial markets, in both advanced and developing economies, might be. Another question refers to whether the role of monetary policy easing has led to the rise of the virtual currency market, while still others relate to the impact of the pandemic on international settlements. The book also discusses the issue of investment in cryptocurrencies, and the related risks, whether or not this is a profitable investment vehicle, and how the digital banking system evaluates such investments. Further, the book also highlights the post-pandemic challenges for central banks, such as future monetary policy. It includes a complex review of the literature and presents elaborate econometric models of digital currencies and cryptocurrencies. The book has a wide geographic focus, examining these aspects from the perspective of several countries including China, India and the US. The primary audience for the book is researchers, scholars and students of international finance and economics but it will also appeal to practitioners concerned with the digitalisation of financial systems, policymakers and regulatory agencies. Note: Prof. Shalini Talwar's affiliation is published incorrectly. Her correct affiliation, which may be considered for referencing and records is: Shalini Talwar, Associate Professor, S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai, India.

This paper marks the launch of a new IMF series, Fintech Notes. Building on years of IMF staff work, it will explore pressing topics in the digital economy and be issued periodically. The series will carry work by IMF staff and will seek to provide insight into the intersection of technology and the global economy. The Rise of Digital Money analyses how technology companies are stepping up competition to large banks and credit card companies. Digital forms of money are increasingly in the wallets of consumers as well as in the minds of policymakers. Cash and bank deposits are battling with so-called e-money, electronically stored monetary value denominated in, and pegged to, a currency like the euro or the dollar. This paper identifies the benefits and risks and highlights regulatory issues that are likely to emerge with a broader adoption of stablecoins. The paper also highlights the risks associated with e-money: potential creation of new monopolies; threats to weaker currencies; concerns about consumer protection and financial stability; and the risk of fostering illegal activities, among others.

Following the companion paper on the new policy challenges related to the adoption of digital forms of money, this paper presents an operational strategy for the IMF to continue delivering on its mandate of ensuring domestic and international financial and economic stability. The paper begins by summarizing the forces driving the adoption of digital forms of money, and the new policy questions that emerge. It then focusses on how the IMF’s core activities and output will need to evolve, including surveillance, capacity development, and analytical foundations. It ends by discusses how the IMF intends to partner with other organization, and to grow and structure internal resources to fulfill this vision.

Bitcoin became a buzzword overnight. A cyber-enigma with an enthusiastic following, it pops up in headlines and fuels endless media debate. You can apparently use it to buy anything from coffee to cars, yet few people seem to truly understand what it is. This raises the question: Why should anyone care about bitcoin? In The Age of Cryptocurrency, Wall Street journalists Paul Vigna and Michael J. Casey deliver the definitive answer to this question. Cybermoney is poised to launch a revolution, one that could reinvent traditional financial and social structures while bringing the world's billions of "unbanked" individuals into a new global economy. Cryptocurrency holds the promise of a financial system without a middleman, one owned by the people who use it and one safeguarded from the devastation of a 2008-type crash. But bitcoin, the most famous of the cybermonies, carries a reputation for instability, wild fluctuation, and illicit business; some fear it has the power to eliminate jobs and to upend the concept of a nation-state. It implies, above all, monumental and wide-reaching change--for better and for worse. But it is here to stay, and you ignore it at your peril. Vigna and Casey demystify cryptocurrency--its origins, its function, and what you need to know to navigate a cyber-economy. The digital currency world will look very different from the paper currency world; The Age of Cryptocurrency will teach you how to be ready.