Staff discussion papers

• The 2021–22 Merchant Acceptance Survey Pilot Study

  Staff Discussion Paper 2023-1 Angelika Welte, Joy Wu

  The rise in digital payment innovations has spurred a discussion about the future of cash at the point of sale. The Bank conducted the 2021–22 Merchant Acceptance Survey Pilot Study to study trends in merchant cash acceptance and monitor conditions for the potential issuance of a central bank digital currency.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Topic(s): Bank notes, Digital currencies and fintech, Econometric and statistical methods JEL Code(s): C, C8, D, D2, D22, E, E4, L, L2

• 2021 Methods-of-Payment Survey Report

  Staff Discussion Paper 2022-23 Christopher Henry, Matthew Shimoda, Julia Zhu

  We present results from the 2021 Methods-of-Payment Survey, including updated payment shares. We highlight long-term trends and provide additional context for results with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Topic(s): Bank notes, Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Digital currencies and fintech, Financial services JEL Code(s): D, D8, D83, E, E4, E41

• Financial Constraints and Corporate Investment in China

  Staff Discussion Paper 2022-22 Kun Mo, Michel Soudan

  Financial constraints deter firms from pursuing optimal investment plans. In China, we find privately owned firms face greater financial constraints than state-owned enterprises (SOEs). This can be explained by our finding that lenders appear less concerned about the credit risk of SOEs, which causes distortions in the allocation of credit.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Topic(s): Financial markets, Firm dynamics JEL Code(s): E, E2, E22, G, G1, G3

• The Relative Benefits and Risks of Stablecoins as a Means of Payment: A Case Study Perspective

  Staff Discussion Paper 2022-21 Annetta Ho, Sriram Darbha, Yuliya Gorelkina, Alejandro García

  Our paper contributes to the discussion about the utility of stablecoins for retail payments through an objective, evidence-based approach that compares stablecoins with traditional retail payment methods. The paper also provides insights that could be useful in the design of central bank digital currencies.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Topic(s): Digital currencies and fintech, Payment clearing and settlement systems JEL Code(s): D, D7, D78, O, O3, O38

• Stablecoins and Their Risks to Financial Stability

  Staff Discussion Paper 2022-20 Cameron MacDonald, Laura Zhao

  What risks could stablecoins pose to the financial system? We argue that the stabilization mechanisms of stablecoins give rise to the risk of confidence runs, which can propagate to broader cryptoasset markets and the traditional financial sector. We also argue that stablecoins can contribute to financial stability risks by facilitating the buildup of leverage and liquidity mismatch in decentralized finance. Such risks cannot be addressed by ensuring the price stability of stablecoins alone. Finally, we explore the potential implications of stablecoins for the current system of bank-intermediated credit and for monetary policy.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Topic(s): Digital currencies and fintech, Financial institutions, Financial markets, Financial stability, Financial system regulation and policies JEL Code(s): E, E4, E42, E44, E5, E58, G, G2, G23

• Calculating Effective Degrees of Freedom for Forecast Combinations and Ensemble Models

  Staff Discussion Paper 2022-19 James Younker

  This paper derives a calculation for the effective degrees of freedom of a forecast combination under a set of general conditions for linear models. Computing effective degrees of freedom shows that the complexity cost of a forecast combination is driven by the parameters in the weighting scheme and the weighted average of parameters in the auxiliary models.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Topic(s): Econometric and statistical methods JEL Code(s): C, C0, C01, C02, C1, C13, C5, C50, C51, C52, C53

• COVID-19 and Financial Stability: Practice Ahead of Theory

  Staff Discussion Paper 2022-18 Jing Yang, Hélène Desgagnés, Grzegorz Halaj, Yaz Terajima

  The COVID-19 pandemic uncovered policy challenges related to the economic measures that were taken to support the economy. Two years later, we attempt to identify the broader impact of these measures and research that needs to follow.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Topic(s): Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Financial stability, Financial system regulation and policies JEL Code(s): E, E5, E58, E6, E61, G, G2, G21, H, H3, H8, H84

• Cash, COVID-19 and the Prospects for a Canadian Digital Dollar

  Staff Discussion Paper 2022-17 Walter Engert, Kim Huynh

  We provide an analysis of cash trends in Canada before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also consider the potential two scenarios for issuance of a central bank digital currency in Canada: the emergence of a cashless society or the widespread use of an alternative digital currency in Canada. Finally, we discuss the Canadian experience in maintaining cash as an efficient and accessible method of payment and store of value.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Topic(s): Bank notes, Central bank research, Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Digital currencies and fintech, Econometric and statistical methods JEL Code(s): C, C1, C12, C9, E, E4, O, O5, O54

• Income Inequality in Canada

  Staff Discussion Paper 2022-16 Sarah Burkinshaw, Yaz Terajima, Carolyn A. Wilkins

  Data show that income inequality in Canada increased substantially during the 1980s and first half of the 1990s but has been relatively stable over the past 25 years. This increase was felt mainly by low-income earners and younger people, while older people benefited from higher retirement income.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Topic(s): Central bank research, Labour markets, Monetary and financial indicators JEL Code(s): D, D3, D31, D6, D63, I, I2, I24, I3, I32, J, J3, J31, J32, N, N3, N32

• Canadians’ Access to Cash Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

  Staff Discussion Paper 2022-15 Heng Chen, Marie-Hélène Felt

  This paper studies Canadians’ access to cash using the geographical distribution of automated banking machines (ABMs). During the pandemic, there have been no sustained adverse effects on cash accessibility.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Topic(s): Financial services, Regional economic developments JEL Code(s): J, J1, J15, O, O1, R, R5, R51