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Parallel Digital Currencies and Sticky Prices

Author

Listed:
  • Harald Uhlig

    (University of Chicago - Department of Economics; CEPR; NBER)

  • Taojun Xie

    (National University of Singapore - Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Asia Competitiveness Institute)

Abstract

The recent rise of digital currencies opens the door to their use in parallel alongside official currencies (“dollar†) for pricing and transactions. We construct a simple New Keynesian framework with parallel currencies as pricing units and sticky prices. Relative prices become a state variable. Exchange rate shocks can arise even without other sources of uncertainty. A one-time exchange rate appreciation for a parallel currency leads to persistent redistribution towards the dollar sector and dollar inflation. The share of the non-dollar sector increases when prices in the dollar sector become less sticky and when firms can choose the pricing currency.

Suggested Citation

  • Harald Uhlig & Taojun Xie, 2020. "Parallel Digital Currencies and Sticky Prices," Working Papers 2020-188, Becker Friedman Institute for Research In Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:bfi:wpaper:2020-188
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Pietro Cova & Alessandro Notarpietro & Patrizio Pagano & Massimiliano Pisani, 2022. "Monetary policy in the open economy with digital currencies," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 1366, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    3. Daisuke Ikeda, 2022. "Digital Money as a Medium of Exchange and Monetary Policy in Open Economies," IMES Discussion Paper Series 22-E-10, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan.
    4. Fuchs Max & Michaelis Jochen, 2023. "Is a Secondary Currency Essential? – On the Welfare Effects of a New Currency," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 243(2), pages 153-167, April.
    5. Max Fuchs & Jochen Michaelis, 2022. "Is a Secondary Currency Essential? – On the Welfare Effects of a New Currency," MAGKS Papers on Economics 202205, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Private money; cryptocurrency; digital currency; currency choice; monetary policy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • E30 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)

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