IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ecb/ecbwps/20242926.html

Transactional demand for central bank digital currency

Author

Listed:
  • Nocciola, Luca
  • Zamora-Pérez, Alejandro

Abstract

We shed light on the demand for a central bank digital currency (CBDC) as a means of payment, based on survey payment data. We provide a quantitative framework to assess transactional demand for CBDC at the point of sale, accommodating a wide range of design choices. We develop a structural model of payment means adoption and usage and estimate CBDC demand based on individuals’ preferences for payment method attributes. We disentangle the friction potentially associated to CBDC adoption, assessing two of its potential drivers: information frictions and gradual diffusion of digital payment methods. We find that modelling adoption is key to understanding CBDC demand. Finally, we show that optimal CBDC design, information campaigns, and network effects can substantially boost demand. JEL Classification: E41, E42, E47

Suggested Citation

  • Nocciola, Luca & Zamora-Pérez, Alejandro, 2024. "Transactional demand for central bank digital currency," Working Paper Series 2926, European Central Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecb:ecbwps:20242926
    Note: 2600378
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.ecb.europa.eu//pub/pdf/scpwps/ecb.wp2926~a61b033b8b.en.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ferrari Minesso, Massimo & Mehl, Arnaud & Stracca, Livio, 2022. "Central bank digital currency in an open economy," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 54-68.
    2. Michiel Bijlsma & Carin van der Cruijsen & Nicole Jonker & Jelmer Reijerink, 2021. "What triggers consumer adoption of CBDC?," Working Papers 709, DNB.
    3. Benjamin M. Friedman, 1999. "The Future of Monetary Policy: The Central Bank as an Army with Only a Signal Corps?," International Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 2(3), pages 321-338, November.
    4. Williamson, Stephen D., 2022. "Central bank digital currency and flight to safety," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    5. Huynh Kim P. & Molnar Jozsef & Shcherbakov Oleksandr & Yu Qinghui (Jerry), 2024. "Demand for Payment Services and Consumer Welfare: The Introduction of a Central Bank Digital Currency," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 23(4), pages 199-230.
    6. Jack Meaning & Ben Dyson & James Barker & Emily Clayton, 2021. "Broadening Narrow Money: Monetary Policy with a Central Bank Digital Currency," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 17(2), pages 1-42, June.
    7. Todd Keister & Daniel Sanches, 2023. "Should Central Banks Issue Digital Currency?," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 90(1), pages 404-431.
    8. Bindseil, Ulrich & Panetta, Fabio & Terol, Ignacio, 2021. "Central Bank Digital Currency: functional scope, pricing and controls," Occasional Paper Series 286, European Central Bank.
    9. Charles A. E. Goodhart, 2000. "Can Central Banking Survive the IT Revolution?," International Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 3(2), pages 189-209, July.
    10. Matthias Doepke & Martin Schneider, 2017. "Money as a Unit of Account," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 85, pages 1537-1574, September.
    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. Ulf Von Kalckreuth & Tobias Schmidt & Helmut Stix, 2014. "Using Cash to Monitor Liquidity: Implications for Payments, Currency Demand, and Withdrawal Behavior," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 46(8), pages 1753-1786, December.
    13. Schilling, Linda & Fernández-Villaverde, Jesús & Uhlig, Harald, 2024. "Central bank digital currency: When price and bank stability collide," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    14. Stephen Williamson, 2022. "Central Bank Digital Currency: Welfare and Policy Implications," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 130(11), pages 2829-2861.
    15. Mr. Charles M. Kahn & Mr. Manmohan Singh & Jihad Alwazir, 2022. "Digital Money and Central Bank Operations," IMF Working Papers 2022/085, International Monetary Fund.
    16. Castrén, Olli & Kavonius, Ilja Kristian & Rancan, Michela, 2022. "Digital currencies in financial networks," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    17. Davoodalhosseini, Seyed Mohammadreza, 2022. "Central bank digital currency and monetary policy," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    18. 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.
    19. Fegatelli, Paolo, 2022. "A central bank digital currency in a heterogeneous monetary union: Managing the effects on the bank lending channel," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    20. Hiep Ngoc Luu & Dinh Dinh Do & Thanh Pham & Viet Xuan Ho & Quynh-Anh Dinh, 2023. "Cultural values and the adoption of central bank digital currency," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(15), pages 2024-2029, September.
    21. Adrian Armas & Mr. Manmohan Singh, 2022. "Digital Money and Central Banks Balance Sheet," IMF Working Papers 2022/206, International Monetary Fund.
    22. 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.
    23. Naoki Wakamori & Angelika Welte, 2017. "Why Do Shoppers Use Cash? Evidence from Shopping Diary Data," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 49(1), pages 115-169, February.
    24. Katrin Assenmacher & Signe Krogstrup, 2021. "Monetary Policy with Negative Interest Rates: De-linking Cash from Digital Money," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 17(1), pages 67-106, March.
    25. Le, Anh H., 2022. "Central bank digital currency and cryptocurrency in emerging markets," MPRA Paper 114734, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    26. Benjamin M. Friedman, 1999. "The Future of Monetary Policy: The Central Bank as an Army With Only a Signal Corps," NBER Working Papers 7420, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    27. Hess, Stephane & Palma, David, 2019. "Apollo: A flexible, powerful and customisable freeware package for choice model estimation and application," Journal of choice modelling, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 1-1.
    28. Michael Woodford, 2000. "Monetary Policy in a World Without Money," International Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 3(2), pages 229-260, July.
    29. 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.
    30. Keister, Todd & Monnet, Cyril, 2022. "Central bank digital currency: Stability and information," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    31. repec:bla:intfin:v:2:y:1999:i:3:p:321-38 is not listed on IDEAS
    32. Adalid, Ramón & Álvarez-Blázquez, Álvaro & Assenmacher, Katrin & Burlon, Lorenzo & Dimou, Maria & López-Quiles, Carolina & Martín Fuentes, Natalia & Meller, Barbara & Muñoz, Manuel A. & Radulova, Pety, 2022. "Central bank digital currency and bank intermediation," Occasional Paper Series 293, European Central Bank.
    33. Fernando Álvarez & David Argente & Francesco Lippi & Esteban Méndez-Chacón & Diana Van Patten, 2023. "Strategic Complementarities in a Dynamic Model of Technology Adoption: P2P Digital Payments," Documentos de Trabajo 2307, Banco Central de Costa Rica.
    34. 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.
    35. Mr. Marco Gross & Elisa Letizia, 2023. "To Demand or Not to Demand: On Quantifying the Future Appetite for CBDC," IMF Working Papers 2023/009, International Monetary Fund.
    36. Zamora-Pérez, Alejandro & Coschignano, Eliana & Barreiro, Lorena, 2022. "Ensuring adoption of central bank digital currencies – An easy task or a Gordian knot?," Occasional Paper Series 307, European Central Bank.
    37. Barrdear, John & Kumhof, Michael, 2022. "The macroeconomics of central bank digital currencies," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    38. Comin, D. & Hobijn, B., 2004. "Cross-country technology adoption: making the theories face the facts," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 39-83, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Walter Engert & Oleksandr Shcherbakov & André Stenzel, 2024. "CBDC in the Market for Payments at the Point of Sale: Equilibrium Impact and Incumbent Responses," Staff Working Papers 24-52, Bank of Canada.
    2. Helmut Elsinger & Helmut Stix & Martin Summer, 2025. "Consumer preferences for a digital euro: insights from a discrete choice experiment in Austria," BIS Working Papers 1302, Bank for International Settlements.
    3. Gastón Giordana, 2025. "Assessing consumer CBDC adoption in Luxembourg: A micro-simulation approach," BCL working papers 193, Central Bank of Luxembourg.
    4. Dumitrescu Constantin Cătălin, 2025. "Demystifying Consumers’ Adoption of a Digital Euro in the Euro Area," Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence, Sciendo, vol. 19(1), pages 2887-2910.
    5. Lambert, Claudia & Larkou, Chloe & Pancaro, Cosimo & Pellicani, Antonella & Sintonen, Meri, 2024. "Digital euro demand: design, individuals’ payment preferences and socioeconomic factors," Working Paper Series 2980, European Central Bank.

    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. Dionysopoulos, Lambis & Marra, Miriam & Urquhart, Andrew, 2024. "Central bank digital currencies: A critical review," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    2. Abad, Jorge & Nuño, Galo & Thomas, Carlos, 2025. "CBDC and the operational framework of monetary policy," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    3. 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).
    4. 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).
    5. 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.
    6. Hua, Qiuling & Qiu, Zepeng & Jiang, Tingfeng & Tang, Ke, 2025. "Macroeconomic effects of CBDC negative interest policy in an open economy: A comparison of quantity and price rules," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    7. Assenmacher, Katrin & Bitter, Lea & Ristiniemi, Annukka, 2023. "CBDC and business cycle dynamics in a New Monetarist New Keynesian model," Working Paper Series 2811, European Central Bank.
    8. 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.
    9. Azzone, Michele & Barucci, Emilio, 2023. "Evaluation of sight deposits and central bank digital currency," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    10. Son, Jaemin & Ryu, Doojin & Webb, Robert I., 2023. "Central bank digital currency: Payment choices and commercial bank profitability," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    11. 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).
    12. Muñoz, Manuel A. & Soons, Oscar, 2023. "Public money as a store of value, heterogeneous beliefs, and banks: implications of CBDC," Working Paper Series 2801, European Central Bank.
    13. 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.
    14. 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).
    15. Dirk Niepelt, 2025. "Central Bank Digital Currency and Monetary Architecture," Diskussionsschriften dp2509, Universitaet Bern, Departement Volkswirtschaft.
    16. Li, Jiaqi, 2023. "Predicting the demand for central bank digital currency: A structural analysis with survey data," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 73-85.
    17. Georgarakos, Dimitris & Kenny, Geoff & Laeven, Luc & Meyer, Justus, 2025. "Consumer attitudes towards a central bank digital currency," Working Paper Series 3035, European Central Bank.
    18. 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).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • E41 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Demand for Money
    • E42 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Monetary Sytsems; Standards; Regimes; Government and the Monetary System
    • E47 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Forecasting and Simulation: Models and Applications

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:ecb:ecbwps:20242926. 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: Official Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/emieude.html .

    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.