The Banking Industry in the Ecosystem of Digital Currencies and Digital Central Bank Currencies

Purpose:This chapter aims to lay out the issues regarding the world of digital currencies, private and central bank digital currency (CBDC). In that connection, the authors want to, as much as possible, systematically present the terminology, examples of various digital currencies and the technology behind that phenomenon. The chapter also highlights the occurrence of CBDC and the possible implications of its introduction to day-to-day commercial banking practice, possibly taking the payment systems and transactions alternation, balance sheet and profits’ issues into consideration. Need for the study:Digital currencies already have and are also soon going to have an enormous impact on society as such, where payments for everyday goods and services are taken on a whole new platform and level, in the sense of how the payments are made and payment systems are constructed, as also in the sense of quantity, as the number and sum-wise payments carried out via such platforms are growing. Methodology:A triangulation method, a mixed qualitative methodological approach was implemented, so the research offers a synthesis of previously published contributions in this field, followed by deductive and inductive reasoning interconnected with descriptive and comparative analyses. Findings:As digital currency already have a vast impact on payment systems and modes of payment, the CBDC, an imperative of today and not the matter of the future, will have implications for commercial banks, probably in the field of lowering banks’ commissions, no big customer data-selling ability, accumulating the deposits and deposit policies and credit policies due to higher funding costs for banks. There is an interwovenness among the central bank activities, bank customer’s behaviour and commercial bank activities. Therefore, the change of payment and spending behaviour of customers because of central banks’ introducing novelties will also have consequences for the banking industry. Practical implications:The choice to handle cash or digital currency will be obsolete, and an individual’s or a firm’s financial knowledge must be upgraded in the field of new money using angles. The issue of digital currencies and CBDCs are no longer a matter of choice but are becoming a new reality. Therefore, it is necessary for the common public, economy and banking system, especially now carrying out most of payments and transfers of money, to study this field and foresee the possible consequences and risks emerging.