Digital Pound Foundation Launches to Push for UK CBDC

The Bank of England has also set up forums to explore a digital currency.

AccessTimeIconOct 14, 2021 at 8:42 a.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 5:46 p.m. UTC

A group of private sector professionals launched the Digital Pound Foundation, an organization that aims to promote the development of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) for the U.K.

  • The foundation will conduct research about and advocate for a digital British pound, and get multiple stakeholders to work together to help design and roll out the currency, according to a Thursday press release.
  • Jeremy Wilson, former vice chairman of Barclays Investment Bank and a director at Nedbank Private Wealth International, will serve as chairman of the group.
  • Founding members and affiliates include consultancy Accenture, decentralized finance protocol Avalanche, blockchain developer Billon Group, IT and business consulting firm CGI Group, cryptocurrencies Electroneum and Quant and digital-payment service Ripple.
  • The Bank of England has set up two forums to explore the creation of a digital pound. Members, announced in September, include financial juggernauts such as HSBC, tech giants like Spotify and retailers such as Asos.
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    Eliza Gkritsi

    Eliza Gkritsi is a CoinDesk contributor focused on the intersection of crypto and AI.


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