April 17, 2016
Digital currencies and fintech
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A Bitcoin Standard: Lessons from the Gold Standard
This paper imagines a world in which countries are on the Bitcoin standard, a monetary system in which all media of exchange are Bitcoin or are backed by it. The paper explores the similarities and differences between the Bitcoin standard and the gold standard and describes the media of exchange that would exist under the Bitcoin standard. -
On the Essentiality of E-Money
Recent years have witnessed the advances of e-money systems such as Bitcoin, PayPal and various forms of stored-value cards. This paper adopts a mechanism design approach to identify some essential features of different payment systems that implement and improve the constrained optimal resource allocation. -
November 19, 2015
Electronic Money and Payments
Bank of Canada Conference held on November 19 and 20, 2015. -
October 26, 2015
Payments System Modernization: Opportunities & Challenges
Bank of Canada Conference held on October 26, 2015. -
Government and Private E-Money-Like Systems: Federal Reserve Notes and National Bank Notes
The period from 1914 to 1935 in the United States is unique in that it was the only time that both privately-issued bank notes (national bank notes) and central bank-issued bank notes (Federal Reserve notes) were simultaneously in circulation. -
May 14, 2015
The Use of Cash in Canada
The Bank of Canada’s 2013 Methods-of-Payment Survey indicates that the share of cash in the overall number of retail transactions has continued to decrease, mainly because of increased use of contactless credit cards. The share of cash in the total value of retail transactions was virtually unchanged from 2009 to 2013. In particular, the value share of cash transactions above $50 increased. Automated banking machines (ABMs), still the major source of cash for Canadians, were used less often in 2013 than in 2009. Cash use in Canada is broadly similar to that in Australia and the United States. -
2013 Methods-of-Payment Survey Results
As the sole issuer of bank notes, the Bank of Canada conducts methods-of-payment (MOP) surveys to obtain a detailed and representative snapshot of Canadian payment choices, with a focus on cash usage. -
The Efficiency of Private E-Money-Like Systems: The U.S. Experience with National Bank Notes
Beginning in 1864, in the United States notes of national banks were the predominant medium of exchange. Each national bank issued its own notes. E-money shares many of the characteristics of these bank notes. -
November 13, 2014
Money in a Digital World
Senior Deputy Governor Carolyn Wilkins discusses the benefits and risks of e-money - including cryptocurrencies - and the Bank of Canada’s role.