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The Almighty Buck Government

Former US Regulator and Accenture Exploring Digital Currency for US Central Banks (computerworld.com) 50

A former chair of America's Commodity Futures Trading Commission is working with Accenture to explore what Computerworld calls "a U.S. Central Bank Digital Currency" -- a cash-backed stablecoin, issued and controlled by America's central bank, where one token represents one dollar.

Long-time Slashdot reader Lucas123 writes: A cryptocurrency based on a blockchain ledger would be a cheaper, faster and more inclusive global financial system than today's analog-based reserve currency that can take two or more days to clear, according to their Digital Dollar Project.

The race to integrate cryptocurrency into global banking is speeding up as public sector projects are already driving interest in fiat-backed digital tokens by central and regional banks around the globe but primarily in Europe and Asia.

Accenture already has "experience working with central banks on digital currency and related initiatives," Computerworld points out, and quotes the former CFTC chair as saying that "The digital 21st century is underserved by an analogue reserve currency.

"A digital dollar would help future-proof the greenback and allow individuals and global enterprises to make payments in dollars irrespective of space and time."
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Former US Regulator and Accenture Exploring Digital Currency for US Central Banks

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  • by iggymanz ( 596061 ) on Sunday January 26, 2020 @12:08PM (#59657774)

    former member of legalized gambling system teeming up with consulting firm... yeah lots of credibility here

  • How to maximize profits while holding onto any income from the "Digital Currency" transactions for as long as possible.

    And of course targeted advertising for the few who use this.

    You know, we already have credit cards/debit cards. I don't understand how much more digital they could get.

  • "...future-proof the greenback..."

    That won't happen until they stop arbitrarily printing more money. Or even more conveniently in their counterfeiting, writing out a few billion more bits.

    Speaking of such deceptive terms, take a moment to consider what "making money" actually means, and who actually does it, contrasted to "getting their hands on money".
    • If they want to fight cash hoarders and simultaneously exercise now control over the populace, they should print more money, and hand it out as UBI. Inflation devalues the value of hoarded cash. Of course, they won't do this because the wealthy have more cash hoarded than other criminals like marijuana growers and crime families.

  • by enriquevagu ( 1026480 ) on Sunday January 26, 2020 @01:32PM (#59658006)

    They have already outlined the solution. Now they only need to guess the problem they are going to solve...

  • When even the currency of a country can be played with by a single person, like a mouse toy is by a cat.
    Just like "elections". :D

  • by logicnazi ( 169418 ) <gerdes&invariant,org> on Sunday January 26, 2020 @03:06PM (#59658228) Homepage

    I don't see how this makes sense. There is no reason to use a cryptocurrency if you are willing to ultimately rely on a single institution (or known group) backing it (as one does with the fed and US dollars).

    The fed already keeps deposit records and allows transfers of money between accounts. That IS a digital dollar valued currency. It just strips off all the extraneous mining part in favor of simpler account/ledge based recordings of exchanges.

    People have been pushing for greater access to federal reserve accounts for awhile now (the 100% reserve bank or whatever proposal) and that's something we need but I don't see what a digital coin offers that federal reserve accounts don't

    • by nagora ( 177841 )

      I don't see how this makes sense. There is no reason to use a cryptocurrency if you are willing to ultimately rely on a single institution (or known group) backing it (as one does with the fed and US dollars).

      The object is to replace cash with digital money. That means that the new currency has to be controlled by the same old gang who can then set consumer interest rates at under 0% and effectively allow the banks to levy a private income tax because "they're too big to fail".

      Cash has an interest rate of 0% so that places a lower limit on the "short-term emergency measures" that have been put in place over the last ten years. Since they haven't worked, the obvious solution (if you're a banker) is to keep on doi

      • Yes, the question is whether there is anything being added over and above the standard digital account model or is this just misleadingly calling an attempt to role out the ability of citizens to have accounts and do transfers at the fed a cryptocoin when it's nothing but letting them in to the existing system the banks use and making it more user friendly?

      • by rtb61 ( 674572 )

        The object will be the demand that every country use their crap crypto, if not WAR. Just greed the same as always, what is needed is an international traded energy crypto, backed by energy because ultimately energy is what will be traded the most and so cut the US dollar right out and it will be cut out. This is just trying to force it in permanently, don't agree, well, regime change for you, corrupt government put in place, they get a kick back and you country is locked in under threat of economic warfare

    • by AHuxley ( 892839 )
      Re "deposit records and allows transfers of money between accounts"
      Re "account/ledge based recordings of exchanges."
      Are all often on paper...
      The digital code replaces the set of bank papers with the amount printed on them.
      That special box for the paper takes up room and can only hold so many bank papers before its full.
      Re "federal reserve accounts" still need lot of that paper work. Documents and physical storage.
    • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • Make it all "digital" and get rid of cold hard cash, and the government can have complete control over everything you do. NO privacy what so ever. Every transaction can be monitored.
  • Currency is already just numbers in an account. At least the greenbacks can't be erased from your hand by errors or crooked banks. Not that anyone cares anymore, covering theft is built into the system with higher rates and fees for us plebs.
  • The only thing crypto coins have been particularly good for so far is money laundering and black market purchases.
  • The point of having cryptocurrency is to NOT have some sort of central control of it or to have banks or government behind it or running it. The point is to have total control over your money. One time I was out of country and I wanted to use my credit card to buy something and the transaction was denied. Why??? When I got home I was told I was not allowed to buy in that country. WTF!, after calling and calling and doing a lot of research found out there was a block because the banks did not agree and one w

  • by bill_mcgonigle ( 4333 ) * on Monday January 27, 2020 @11:24AM (#59660888) Homepage Journal

    Accenture just needs to take their massive fee and recommended the Ripple DAG - they've been building this specific technology for more than five years. Ripple already has major banks using it for cross-border payments and support an arbitrary number of fiat currencies. It's like SWIFT, but instantaneous, distributed, apolitical, cheap and without SWIFT'S 15% error rate. Every non-US country is sick and tired of SWIFT being used as a political weapon.

    With or without the Fed, the banks are moving to Ripple. "When you're being run out of town, pretend like you're leading the parade."

  • Aren't most "dollars" digital/imaginary already?

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