India’s digital payments ecosystem has witnessed remarkable growth in recent years, making it an opportune time to explore the potential impact of India’s Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) on the digital payments landscape and its role in potentially preventing Bitcoin’s ascend.

India’s Digital Payments Growth

In the age of digital transformation, India has seen substantial growth in digital payments. Digital wallets and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) have played pivotal roles in driving this growth. The country’s digital payment landscape reached new heights with over 2.8 billion USD in transactions in June (1). Despite this impressive surge, traditional banking systems continue to dominate India’s financial landscape.

Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Explained

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has proposed the introduction of a CBDC, a digital currency issued by the central bank (2). This digital currency aims to function like physical cash, eliminating the need for interbank settlements. While the RBI plans to introduce CBDC in phases, it faces significant challenges in areas such as legal framework, technology infrastructure, and cybersecurity.

Distributed Ledger Technology and CBDCs

Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) is often associated with CBDCs, although it’s not a necessity. CBDCs can exist without DLT, relying on existing technology. DLT offers several advantages, including cost-efficiency, enhanced security, traceability, and non-repudiability (7). Unlike decentralized cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, CBDCs would likely operate on a permissioned blockchain network. This means that the central bank would appoint specific authorities, functioning as nodes, to approve transactions recorded on the blockchain network. This level of control would enable the relevant central bank to manage the money supply effectively.

The Benefits of CBDC

Supporters of CBDCs believe that these digital currencies can contribute to financial stability, financial inclusion, and efficient cross-border payments with a well-designed framework. Here’s a closer look at the potential benefits:

• Financial Stability: CBDCs can offer a secure and resilient payment system, particularly as cash usage continues to decline worldwide. In the absence of physical cash, CBDCs with DLT can provide a resilient alternative, less susceptible to tampering, cyberattacks, and technological disruptions. Moreover, CBDCs are seen as a stable and less risky alternative to volatile cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
• Financial Inclusion: Financial inclusion is a significant challenge in countries like India, where many people do not have access to traditional banking services. CBDCs have the potential to bridge this gap by allowing people to access government-backed digital payment systems through their smartphones and an internet connection, even without a traditional bank account.
• Cross-Border Payments: Cross-border payments are often costly and subject to long delays. CBDCs could revolutionize this by enabling the digitization of money and identity. Central banks from different countries could collaborate using a shared set of digital identity infrastructure and data standards, resulting in seamless and instant cross-border payments. Additionally, CBDCs can assist in complying with anti-money laundering regulations by enabling traceable transactions, which is especially valuable in countries like India where many transactions still occur in cash (9).

Debates Surrounding CBDCs

The implementation of CBDCs presents complex challenges that must be carefully considered:

• Disintermediation: One of the concerns is “disintermediation,” which refers to the potential negative impact on the nation’s banking sector. As consumers shift their deposits from commercial banks to CBDCs, it can create stress for traditional lenders. To maintain their position, banks might increase interest rates on deposits or seek overseas funding, impacting the cost of credit they offer. Policymakers need to carefully design CBDCs to address these adverse effects on financial stability and the banking system.
• Privacy Concerns: While cash payments offer individuals a degree of privacy and anonymity, CBDCs must comply with anti-money laundering regulations, limiting anonymity. The digital nature of CBDCs also makes them susceptible to government surveillance, raising concerns about privacy violations and government control.
• Cybersecurity: CBDCs represent a significant target for cybercriminals, who may attempt fraud, hacking, and malware attacks. Protecting the CBDC ecosystem is paramount, and nations must ensure robust cybersecurity measures. However, this may create a trade-off between user security and user-friendliness, requiring a careful balance (11).

RBI’s Emphasis on CBDC for India

The RBI’s emphasis on CBDC for India is driven by several key factors:

• Reducing Currency Costs: Implementing CBDCs can significantly reduce the costs associated with physical currency production and management. This can be financially advantageous for the government.
• Tackling Cryptocurrency Threats: The rise of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin has posed challenges to traditional fiat currencies and central banks’ control over monetary policy. CBDCs can offer a government-backed digital currency with benefits similar to cryptocurrencies while maintaining the preference for the Rupee.
• Protecting Against Volatility: Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are known for their price volatility. CBDCs, by contrast, are stable and less susceptible to extreme price fluctuations (12, 13).

The Key Concerns

Several key concerns must be addressed when developing and implementing CBDCs in India:

• Wholesale vs. Retail Payments: Deciding whether CBDCs should focus on wholesale payments, suitable for financial institutions, or retail payments, accessible to individuals and businesses, is a critical consideration.
• Centralized vs. Distributed Ledger: The choice between a centralized or distributed ledger for CBDCs has implications for control and scalability.
• Account-based vs. Token-based: CBDCs can be designed to work on an account-based system, similar to traditional bank accounts, or a token-based system, where digital tokens represent currency.
• Issuance by the RBI or Banks: Deciding whether the RBI should directly issue CBDCs or delegate this responsibility to commercial banks.
• Anonymity Degree: Determining the level of anonymity offered by CBDCs, balancing privacy concerns and regulatory requirements (14).

Does India Need a Digital Rupee?

India’s stance on cryptocurrencies has evolved over the years. While initially cautious, the RBI is now exploring the concept of a digital Rupee. This exploration is driven by several factors:

• DLT Recognition: In its vision document released in early 2019, the RBI recognized the potential of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) in enhancing the financial system. Although CBDCs were not explicitly mentioned at the time, the groundwork for their consideration was laid (15).
• Global Trends: In 2020, the RBI released a circular titled “Distributed Ledger Technology, Blockchain, and Central Banks,” acknowledging the adoption of CBDC projects by several countries. This signaled a growing global trend toward digital currencies (16).
• Pilot Project Exploration: In July 2021, reports surfaced about the RBI exploring a legal framework to initiate a pilot project on CBDC. Notably, the long-pending Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill had not yet been presented in Parliament.
• Public Access: CBDCs have the potential to make digital payments accessible to the Indian population, even those without traditional bank accounts. India has a significant disparity between the number of internet connections and the number of bank accounts (17). CBDCs could bridge this gap, requiring only a smartphone and an internet connection.

What Would Happen to Bitcoin and Others?

The rise of decentralized cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin has led some to speculate that these digital assets could eventually replace traditional fiat currencies (19). However, Bitcoin has faced challenges in terms of transaction speed and scalability.

Recent technical developments, such as the Lightning Network and Liquid sidechain, have addressed some of these limitations. The Lightning Network enables near-instant microtransactions, making Bitcoin more suitable for everyday purchases. Liquid sidechains offer enhanced privacy and are ideal for high-value transactions. These advancements have made Bitcoin more user-friendly and competitive (20, 21).

Bitcoin’s appeal lies in privacy and self-sovereignty, providing an alternative to the extensive data tracking conducted by tech giants. Many users are concerned about the manipulation of their financial data, leading them to consider options that prioritize privacy and control over their financial information.

Wrapping Up

India’s rapid digitalization makes it an ideal candidate for a strong digital currency, potentially facilitated by CBDCs. The country should carefully consider the advantages and challenges associated with CBDCs. It’s possible that India may develop a parallel economy, where CBDCs and fiat currencies coexist, allowing users to choose the system that best suits their needs and preferences (24).

FAQs

1. What is CBDC?

• CBDC stands for Central Bank Digital Currency, a digital currency issued by a central bank.

2. How can CBDCs benefit financial stability?

• CBDCs can provide a secure and resilient payment system, especially as cash usage declines worldwide.

3. What challenges does CBDC implementation pose?

• Challenges include disintermediation of traditional banks, privacy concerns, and cybersecurity threats.

4. Why is the RBI emphasizing CBDC for India?

• The RBI aims to reduce currency costs, tackle cryptocurrency threats, and promote financial inclusion.

5. What impact could CBDCs have on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies?

• While CBDCs may not replace cryptocurrencies, they offer an alternative digital currency with potential advantages.

Conclusion

India’s CBDC vision holds promise for revolutionizing the country’s digital payments landscape. By addressing the challenges and capitalizing on the benefits, India can potentially prevent Bitcoin’s ascend while fostering financial inclusion and digitalization. The future of digital currency in India looks promising, with the RBI leading the way.