The history of money spans thousands of years, evolving from barter systems to precious coins, transitioning through paper currency, now advancing in the era of digital currencies and impacting how society functions. Whether it is coins, paper or digital currency, money performs three primary functions:

• It is a medium of exchange for buying or selling any goods  or services 
• It is a unit of account used to value goods or services 
• It can be stored for future purposes 

Innovation in finance and currency are interlinked; hence, digital currency is gaining popularity globally, mirroring the pre-existing private company-operated electronic wallets while incorporating a sovereign-backed facility. Three major kinds of digital currencies exist: stablecoins, cryptocurrency, and central bank digital currency (CBDCs). While stablecoins and cryptocurrencies are digital currencies exchanged between people and various entities, CBDCs, as the name suggests, are issued and backed by a central bank. Central banks and private entities worldwide are exploring digital currencies in various capacities, but what drives the adoption of digital currencies?  

The Rise of Digital Currencies  

The fast-growing popularity of digital currency can be attributed to multiple factors, such as seeking a reduction in operational costs involved in physical cash management, embracing financial inclusion, faster payments, 24x7 availability, improving the efficiency of the settlement system, and facilitating cross-border payments.

Enhancing financial inclusion is a key benefit of implementing digital currency. It eliminates socio-economic barriers and addresses challenges associated with connectivity and physical banking infrastructure, helping facilitate increased participation of the hitherto underserved in the financial system. Digital currencies typically come with the added advantage of conditional anonymity, just like physical cash, and are poised to boost a rise in cashless transactions. This shift towards a cashless economy is expected to act as a catalyst for payment innovation, offering consumers a range of diverse options.

India’s CBDC, called the Digital Rupee (e₹), is a sovereign currency issued by the Reserve Bank of India that holds the distinctive advantage of trust, liquidity, settlement finality, and integrity. Launched in November 2022 for wholesale and December 2022 for retail, India’s CBDC is the next-generation seamless, ubiquitous and anonymous payment mode that delivers value to its customers.

As per the International Monetary Fund, India is among the few countries globally at the forefront of developing CDBC. Beyond the advancements in the financial landscape, embracing CBDC will help ease India’s financial burden in printing, distribution, and currency storage. For instance, India incurred a substantial cost of INR 4,984 Cr from April 2021 to March 2022 for currency printing, which can be reduced by adopting digital currency. Not only will digital currency reduce pressure on the government in terms of printing, distribution, and storage, but it also aligns with India's Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals for reducing carbon footprint.

From financial inclusion to reduced cost of cash management, there’s a lot that digital currencies such as CBDCs can offer to economies. Let’s dive deep into the economic avenues it creates for countries.  

Creator of Economic Opportunities for Countries 

Given their digital format, CBDCs can improve the efficiency of transactions by allowing for reduced settlement times. Reducing settlement time can lead to faster and more efficient payments, promoting economic activity and growth.  

Additionally, CBDCs can streamline costs and provide a cheaper alternative to conducting international transactions.  

Cross-border payments have emerged as a key focus area for the G20. The Financial Stability Board (FSB), in its ‘G20 Roadmap for Enhancing Cross-Border Payments’, has acknowledged that many central banks are developing a CBDC to explore promising solutions to tackle international transactions that are plagued by time-consuming procedures and strict compliance checks, constrained by their dependency on the correspondent bank’s availability and time-zones.

The use of CBDC by financial institutions identified by the RBI can help streamline processes and make it easier to reduce counterparty risks. Overall, a successful use-case of CBDC is expected to further accelerate the method of transaction and settlement. 

Additionally, CBDC holds promise in simplifying transactions in government securities and facilitating international forex trade.

With the acceleration of economies globally, central banks worldwide are developing CBDCs to embrace the rapidly changing digital environment. Over 93% of central banks globally are experimenting with the implementation of CBDC.

Nearly 114 countries are exploring the viability of CBDCs, with several central banks launching pilot projects or introducing a digital currency. Bahamas, Jamaica, and Nigeria are the few countries that have already issued CBDCs. 

The first retail CBDC, Sand Dollar in Bahamas, came into existence in 2019. It is pegged to the US$ and intended to provide banking access to the 18% of the Bahamian unbanked population that is unbanked.

Digital currencies are shaping how economies will function in the future, but what is the role of technology in its evolution?  

Role of Blockchain in Shaping the Future of Digital Currencies 

New technologies, such as blockchain, can help streamline the process of recording transactions and tracking assets across a business network. Blockchain, also known as Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), converts & stores currency in a digital format to make transactions secure. 

India’s fintech sector is projected to reach $6.2 Tn by 2025. This growth is inclusive of areas such as digital payments, digital lending, peer-to-peer (P2P) lending, crowdfunding, blockchain technology, distributed ledger technology, big data, etc.
 
Globally, central banks typically use “permissioned” blockchain network implications in which the participants are limited and must be granted access to participate in the network and view the set of transactions. On the other hand, well-known cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum use “permissionless” blockchains, allowing public participation and complete transparency of transactions.

Financial Innovations Like Cryptocurrencies Impacting Economies 

Cryptocurrencies are an innovative payment infrastructure that aims to serve as an alternative to existing payment systems. This digital currency adds to the evolution of money as well as a viable substitute for traditional currencies.

It also allows users to diversify their asset holdings and explore it as a mode of transaction. Distributed Ledger Technology can help cut the cost of international transfers and bring more people into the formal financial fold. Payment services are increasingly leveraging this technology for quick overseas transfers and reduced processing time from days to a few hours. 

The technology also allows for secure storage of critical records such as medical histories and land deeds. Nevertheless, the widespread adoption of crypto assets presents substantial concerns regarding money laundering and terrorism financing.

Challenges and Benefits of Adopting Digital Payment Systems 

As digital currencies continue to gain popularity, India, too, has experienced an advancement in its digital payment systems. Platforms such as Unified Payment Interface (UPI) offer users the convenience of seamless, affordable, quick, and secure digital transactions.

The expansion of the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) in the country reflects its capacity to create a top-tier payment infrastructure from ground zero. The UPI system has established a national open standard that over 550 banks have adopted as of January 2024. The interface also facilitates seamless operations for global entities like Google, WhatsApp, Walmart, Amazon, and Uber. For instance, while booking a cab, the user can pay for the service through a cashless medium without using their bank account details in real- time.

The UPI ecosystem offers several benefits, including 100% coverage for payment transactions through Person to Person (P2P) and Person to Merchant (P2M) payments. The platform supports various merchant integration methods, with QR-based payments being the most prevalent. Remarkably, in just five years, the market has witnessed the deployment of over 256 Mn UPI QR codes from meagre 2.5 Mn devices. 

The UPI ecosystem strengthens India’s leadership position in the global digital payment landscape by ensuring safety and compliance with international security standards and certification. The success of UPI extends beyond national borders, with its launch in several countries, including Sri Lanka, Mauritius, France, UAE, Singapore, Bhutan, and Nepal.

The growing popularity of advanced payment methods has brought new challenges. These include increased fraudulent activity, data breaches, and recurring lapses in information security. According to the latest RBI Annual Report, fraud incidents have nearly doubled compared to the previous year. Financial institutions (FIs) reported a 34% increase in fraud cases related to cards and Internet banking, with the number rising from 3,596 in 2021-22 to 6,659 in 2022-23.

Digital Currency Adoption for Economic Growth 

The introduction of digital currency represents more than just the modernisation of the financial system. The rise of new and emerging technologies has also evolved as a strategic imperative to ensure sustainable economic growth. In their pursuit of developing and exploring digital currencies, countries must work closely with each other and private entities to successfully push the boundaries of technology. This must, however, be done against the backdrop of a strengthened cybersecurity regime and a conducive regulatory framework that adapts to the ever-changing customer needs and preferences.

India, particularly with its innovative and successful India Stack, can help countries unlock the economic primitives of identity, data, and payments at the population scale and collaborate with like-minded countries to continue evolution in this domain.

Conclusion 

Digital currency undoubtedly has the potential to transform the financial sector and bridge the existing geographical boundaries. By seamlessly integrating with legacy systems and offering interoperability, they can extensively assist in facilitating trade and economic opportunities for countries. While its real-world impact is significant, it must be balanced with a facilitative governance that ensures the benefits reach all.