IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijfss/v12y2024i1p19-d1340772.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Synthetic Central Bank Digital Currencies and Systemic Liquidity Risks

Author

Listed:
  • John E. Marthinsen

    (Economics Division, Babson College, Babson Park, MA 02457, USA)

  • Steven R. Gordon

    (Operations and Information Management Division, Babson College, Babson Park, MA 02457, USA)

Abstract

The failure of major banks in 2023, such as Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), Signature Bank, First Republic Bank, and Credit Suisse, points to the continuing need for financial institutions to price liquidity risk properly and for financial systems to find alternative sources of liquidity in times of dire need. Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), fiat-backed stablecoins (fsCOINs), and synthetic central bank digital currencies (sCBDCs) could offer improvements, but each comes with its own set of problems and conditions. Prior research reaches conflicting conclusions about the effect that each of these three financial assets has on systemic bank liquidity and fails to adequately address their net benefits relative to each other. This paper addresses these issues, including those connected to financial disintermediation, bank runs, outsourcing central bank activities, financial interoperability, cash equivalents, maturity transformation, required reserves, and changes in nations’ monetary bases. After addressing the strengths and weaknesses of fsCOINs and CBDCs, we conclude that sCBDCs provide the most significant net liquidity benefits when risks and returns are considered.

Suggested Citation

  • John E. Marthinsen & Steven R. Gordon, 2024. "Synthetic Central Bank Digital Currencies and Systemic Liquidity Risks," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-17, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijfss:v:12:y:2024:i:1:p:19-:d:1340772
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7072/12/1/19/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7072/12/1/19/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rashad Ahmed & Iñaki Aldasoro & Chanelle Duley, 2024. "Public information and stablecoin runs," BIS Working Papers 1164, Bank for International Settlements.
    2. David Andolfatto, 2021. "Assessing the Impact of Central Bank Digital Currency on Private Banks," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 131(634), pages 525-540.
    3. Michael D. Bordo & Andrew T. Levin, 2017. "Central Bank Digital Currency and the Future of Monetary Policy," NBER Working Papers 23711, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Keister, Todd & Monnet, Cyril, 2022. "Central bank digital currency: Stability and information," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    5. Raphael Auer & Giulio Cornelli & Jon Frost, 2022. "The pandemic, cash and retail payment behaviour: insights from the future of payments database," BIS Working Papers 1055, Bank for International Settlements.
    6. Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde & Daniel Sanches & Linda Schilling & Harald Uhlig, 2021. "Central Bank Digital Currency: Central Banking For All?," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 41, pages 225-242, July.
    7. Raphael Auer & Marc Farag & Ulf Lewrick & Lovrenc Orazem & Markus Zoss, 2022. "Banking in the shadow of Bitcoin? The institutional adoption of cryptocurrencies," BIS Working Papers 1013, Bank for International Settlements.
    8. Tobias Adrian & Tommaso Mancini-Griffoli, 2021. "The Rise of Digital Money," Annual Review of Financial Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 13(1), pages 57-77, November.
    9. Lyons, Richard K. & Viswanath-Natraj, Ganesh, 2023. "What keeps stablecoins stable?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    10. Jooyong Jun & Eunjung Yeo, 2021. "Central bank digital currency, loan supply, and bank failure risk: a microeconomic approach," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 7(1), pages 1-22, December.
    11. Toni Ahner & Katrin Assenmacher & Peter Hoffmann & Agnese Leonello & Cyril Monnet & Davide Porcellacchia, 2024. "The Economics of Central Bank Digital Currency," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 20(4), pages 221-274, October.
    12. Amber Wadsworth, 2018. "The pros and cons of issuing a central bank digital currency," Reserve Bank of New Zealand Bulletin, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, vol. 81, pages 1-21, June.
    13. Luu, Hiep Ngoc & Nguyen, Canh Phuc & Nasir, Muhammad Ali, 2023. "Implications of central bank digital currency for financial stability: Evidence from the global banking sector," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    14. Amber Wadsworth, 2018. "The pros and cons of issuing a central bank digital currency," Reserve Bank of New Zealand Bulletin, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, vol. 81, pages 1-21, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Huseyin Oguz Genc & Soichiro Takagi, 2024. "A literature review on the design and implementation of central bank digital currencies," International Journal of Economic Policy Studies, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 197-225, February.
    2. Magin, Jana Anjali & Neyer, Ulrike & Stempel, Daniel, 2025. "Cash or Cache? Distributional and business cycle implications of CBDC holding limits," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    3. repec:ecb:ecbdps:202220 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Abad, Jorge & Nuño, Galo & Thomas, Carlos, 2025. "CBDC and the operational framework of monetary policy," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    5. Lü, Zheng & Ozcelebi, Oguzhan & Yoon, Seong-Min, 2025. "Impact of central bank digital currency uncertainty on international financial markets," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(PA).
    6. Nocciola, Luca & Zamora-Pérez, Alejandro, 2024. "Transactional demand for central bank digital currency," Working Paper Series 2926, European Central Bank.
    7. Dionysopoulos, Lambis & Marra, Miriam & Urquhart, Andrew, 2024. "Central bank digital currencies: A critical review," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    8. Grodecka-Messi, Anna & Zhang, Xin, 2023. "Private bank money vs central bank money: A historical lesson for CBDC introduction," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    9. Xiang, Lijin & Feng, Chao & Xiao, Zumian & Liu, Jianjian, 2024. "The impact of central bank digital currency on macroeconomic dynamics: A DSGE analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    10. M'bakob, Gilles Brice & Tchounga, Anatole, 2024. "CBDC and banking stability: Modeling cascading effects on reserves, lending, and liquidity," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(4).
    11. Lorenzo Burlon & Manuel A. Muñoz & Frank Smets, 2024. "The Optimal Quantity of CBDC in a Bank-Based Economy," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 16(4), pages 172-217, October.
    12. Ozili, Peterson K, 2025. "100 Quotes about central bank digital currencies," MPRA Paper 124263, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Beckmann, Lars & Debener, Jörn & Hark, Paul F. & Pfingsten, Andreas, 2024. "CBDC and the shadow of bank disintermediation: US stock market insights on threats and remedies," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 67(PB).
    14. Dirk Niepelt, 2024. "Money and Banking with Reserves and CBDC," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 79(4), pages 2505-2552, August.
    15. Carli, Francesco & Uras, Burak R., 2024. "E-money, risk-sharing, and welfare," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    16. Vollmar, Steffen & Wening, Fabian, 2024. "The impact of CBDC on a deposit-dependent banking system," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    17. Luu, Hiep Ngoc & Nguyen, Canh Phuc & Nasir, Muhammad Ali, 2023. "Implications of central bank digital currency for financial stability: Evidence from the global banking sector," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    18. Christoph Wronka, 2023. "Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and their potential impact on traditional banking and monetary policy: an initial analysis," Digital Finance, Springer, vol. 5(3), pages 613-641, December.
    19. Sofia Priazhkina & Samuel Palmer & Pablo Martín-Ramiro & Román Orús & Samuel Mugel & Vladimir Skavysh, 2024. "Digital Payments in Firm Networks: Theory of Adoption and Quantum Algorithm," Staff Working Papers 24-17, Bank of Canada.
    20. Ahnert, Toni & Hoffmann, Peter & Monnet, Cyril, 2025. "Payments and privacy in the digital economy," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijfss:v:12:y:2024:i:1:p:19-:d:1340772. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.