Privacy
- Building digital assets that protect individual’s rights and civil liberties
The Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center and the Digital Dollar Project hosted a first-of-its-kind convening of leaders from international financial institutions, central banks, businesses, technology providers, and governments on November 28, 2023.
Over one hundred countries around the world are now exploring a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) and there are approximately two hundred globally distributed stablecoins, most of which are backed by the U.S. dollar. This conference will offer the first-of-its kind convening of international financial policymakers and launch new research on critical areas in this rapidly developing field. The goals of this conference are to level-set on the key technology and policy considerations before a country decides to develop a CBDC, outline areas of potential public-private cooperation, and create a roadmap to eventual global standards.
CBDCs and dollar-backed stablecoins are increasingly relevant to domestic and international financial infrastructure. However, in the absence of international standards, dozens of different models with varying degrees of safety, privacy, and efficiency are being built worldwide. As the issuer of the world’s reserve currency and “peg” of choice for 98 percent of all stablecoins, the United States should play a key role in international standard-setting regardless of whether the United States eventually issues a CBDC or not.
Coverage
Event playlist
Keynote speakers
Shaping the future financial system in the public interest – with Cecilia Skingsley
Moderated by Alice Fulwood, Economist
CBDCs and Multilateral Payment Platforms – with Tobias Adrian Moderated by Allyson Versprille, Bloomberg
Sessions
A conversation with Hatice Karahan, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye
Evolving Currencies: What will money look like in the 2030s?
How can technology transform money for the better?
Moving Money: Domestic and International Interoperability
Financial Innovation: Tokenization, New Rails, and Automation
From Concept to Reality Building Digital Assets at Speed
Next steps to Central Bank Digital Currency Development
Digital Assets and Illicit Finance: Separating Myth from Reality
US leadership on digital assets
Recap the event
Transcripts
Photos
Social media
Agenda
Tuesday, November 28
9:00 – 9:10 am ET
Welcome and opening remarks
Jennifer Lassiter, Executive Director, Digital Dollar Project
Josh Lipsky, Senior Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council
A conversation with Hatice Karahan, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye
Hatice Karahan, Deputy Governor, Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye
Charles Lichfield, Deputy Director, GeoEconomics Center, C. Boyden Gray Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council
9:15 – 9:35 am ET
9:35 – 10:15 am ET
Session I – Evolving Currencies: What will money look like in the 2030s?
Minowa Tetsuharu, Consul, Consulate-General of Japan in New York
Ben Gray, Global General Counsel, Paxos
Carmelle Cadet, Chief Executive Officer, EMTECH
Olivier Dang, Head of Ventures and Board Member, Laser Digital – Nomura Group
Moderated by Yesha Yadav, Professor of Law and Associate Dean, Vanderbilt University
Session II – How can technology transform money for the better?
Michael Mosier, Co-Founder, Arktouros PLLC
Timothy Davis, Advisory Leader, Blockchain and Digital Asset Practice, Deloitte
Gayathri Mathala, Deputy General Manager, Department of Payment and Settlement Systems, Reserve Bank of India
Saema Somalya, Executive Vice President, Legal and Risk, Remitly
Noach Hacker, Minister of Economic Affairs, Embassy of Israel
Moderated by Daniel Gorfine, Founder and CEO, Gattaca Horizons & Co-founder, Digital Dollar Project
10:15 – 11:00 am ET
11:15 – 12:00 pm ET
Shaping the future financial system in the public interest – with Cecilia Skingsley
Cecilia Skingsley, Head, BIS Innovation Hub, Bank for International Settlements
Moderated by Alice Fulwood, Wall Street Correspondent, Economist
Session III – Moving Money: Domestic and International Interoperability
Federico Grinberg, Senior Economist, IMF
Tony McLaughlin, Emerging Payments and Business Development, Citi
Tom Zschach, Chief Innovation Officer, SWIFT
Jennifer O’Rourke, Executive Director, Innovation Strategy, DTCC
Jordan Bleicher, Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for Domestic Finance, US Department of the Treasury
Moderated by Ananya Kumar, Associate Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council
12:00 – 12:45 pm ET
2:15 – 3:00 pm ET
Session IV – Financial Innovation: Tokenization, New Rails, and Automation
David Treat, Senior Managing Director, Accenture/ Digital Dollar Project
Sheila Warren, Chief Executive Officer, Crypto Council for Innovation
Valla Vakili, Global Head of Innovation, Visa
Miguel Diaz, Centre Head, BIS Innovation Hub Toronto, Bank for International Settlements
Moderated by Carole House, Senior Fellow, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council
CBDCs and Multilateral Payment Platforms – with Tobias Adrian
Tobias Adrian, Financial Counsellor and Director, Monetary and Capital Markets Department, International Monetary Fund
Moderated by Allyson Versprille, Crypto and Regulation Reporter, Bloomberg
3:00 – 3:45 pm ET
4:15 – 5:00 pm ET
Session V – From Concept to Reality: Building Digital Assets at Speed
Richard Nash, Vice President, Head of Global Government Relations, Paypal
Jim Zemlin, Executive Director, The Linux Foundation
Denelle Dixon, Executive Director and CEO, Stellar Development Foundation
Harish Natarajan, Practice Manager, Financial Inclusion and Infrastructure, Competitiveness & Innovation, The World Bank
Moderated by Michael Greenwald, Global Lead, Digital Assets and Financial Innovation, Amazon Web Services
Closing Session
Jennifer Lassiter, Executive Director, Digital Dollar Project
Josh Lipsky, Senior Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council
5:00 – 5:10pm ET
Agenda: Wednesday, November 29
9:00 – 9:10 am ET
Welcome and opening remarks
Session I – Next steps to Central Bank Digital Currency Development
Evelien Witlox, Program Director Digital Euro, European Central Bank
Yoav Soffer, Advisor to the Deputy Governor, Bank of Israel
Moderated by Josh Lipsky, Senior Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council
9:15 – 10:00 am ET
10:00 – 10:45 am ET
Session II – Digital Assets and Illicit Finance: Separating Myth from Reality
Dara Daniels, Acting Associate Director, Research and Analysis Division, FinCEN
Ari Redbord, Global Head of Policy and Government Affairs, TRM Labs
Lesley Chavkin, Head of Global Policy, Stellar Development Foundation
Moderated by Kimberly Donovan, Director, Economic Statecraft Initiative, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council
Workshop #1 – Bridging Divides: A Comprehensive Approach to Standards & Interoperability Frameworks
11:00 – 12:00 pm ET
12:00 – 1:00 pm ET
Workshop #2 – Defining Success: Achieving safe, efficient, connected networks
Workshop #3 – Trust by Design: How Stakeholder Trust is Vital for CBDC Adoption
2:00 – 3:00 pm ET
3:00 – 4:00 pm ET
Workshop #4 – Exploring Wallet Infrastructure, Identity, and User Experience
Workshop #5 – Why Open Source? Why Does It Matter? What is the Role and Value of Decentralization?
4:00 – 4:45 pm ET
4:45 – 5:30 pm ET
Workshop #6 – Building Resilient and Secure Systems: Protecting Privacy, Reliability, and Cybersecurity
Speakers
Keynote speakers
Speakers and moderators
Knowledge Partners
Key Themes
Cybersecurity and resilience
- Ensuring a safer financial system for the future
Financial inclusion
- Fostering healthier economies
Cross-border transferability
- Exchanging wholesale and retail assets between banks
Competition and innovation
- Developing central bank assets that are transferable and complement traditional finance and new private digital assets
Research
Working paper
Reports
Trackers
Stay connected
Digital Dollar Project
The Digital Dollar Project (DDP) encourages research and public discussion on the potential advantages and challenges of a digital dollar. DDP identifies options for a CBDC solution to help enhance monetary policy effectiveness and financial stability; provide needed scalability, security, and privacy in retail, wholesale, and international payments; and integrate with existing financial infrastructures, including US Federal Reserve-related projects.
GeoEconomics Center
At the intersection of economics, finance, and foreign policy, the GeoEconomics Center is a translation hub with the goal of helping shape a better global economic future.
Follow the conversation on Twitter with @ACGeoEcon and @Digital_Dollar_ using #ExploringCBDC