"A U.S. digital currency could be on the horizon.
The Biden administration is putting its support behind the research and development of a “U.S. Central Bank Digital Currency,” or CBDC.
The move is part of a sweeping executive order President Joe Biden signed Wednesday instructing the federal government to explore possible uses of and regulations for digital assets like cryptocurrencies.
“We know the implications of potentially issuing a digital dollar are profound. They’re extraordinarily wide-ranging,” a senior administration official told reporters on a call Tuesday.
Although a U.S. digital currency would not necessarily change much in terms of everyday experiences like buying goods and services, economists say it could transform central and commercial banking, as well as government sanctions, banking accessibility and taxes.
“The potential here is enormous, and it’s very interesting,” said
David Yermack, a professor and the chair of the finance department at New York University.Yermack said the move by the Biden administration pointed to what he believes is a certain inevitability of the broader move toward digital currencies.