The Bank of Korea (BOK) has said that the introduction of a state-owned and issued digital currency in the form of central bank digital currency (CBDC) in South Korea could possibly zero-out commercial banks, reports Yonhap News Agency.
According to the source, the BOK published a report expressing concerns with low deposits demands into commercial banks that may result from the implementation of a state-backed CBDC into the financial system.
Kwon Oh-ik, one of the co-authors of the report, wrote: “The CBDC is a kind of a BOK-issued bank account. People trust it more than one in a commercial bank”. This implied that as customers are likely to trust the blockchain-based currency type backed by the BOK as opposed to the legacy form of money transfer and handling, this might lead to low liquidity in such commercial banks as customers withdraw their money. This would invariably shoot up interest rates.
Commercial banks are largely dependent on the loan infrastructure and if deposit services reduce, making it hard for the banks to have access to liquid cash for loan maintenance, then interest rates will then go up. Invariably, that may reduce patronage and consequently reduce the businesses of such banks.
Banks around the world have been discussing different application models for blockchain and cryptocurrencies. One such possibility involves CBDC, and talks about facilitating cross-border payment infrastructures. Banks have identified CBDCs as a government type of cryptocurrency which will constitute the exactness of a fiat currency.
At last, one thing some central banks around the world and crypto-enthusiasts could agree on is that a digital asset built on the blockchain could represent a store of value as well as a medium of exchange, and possibly capable of replacing the legacy fiat currency formats.
A CBDC could play a significant role in mass adoption of cryptocurrency. However, as exciting as that may sound for Seoul-based crypto enthusiasts, the South Korean central bank has a differing opinion.
The bank did say last week that it is not rushing into issuing a CBDC even though many financial institutions around the globe are more welcoming to the prospects of the financial instrument. The report published by the bank further reiterates its stance on the subject of CBDC.
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