Facebook’s plans for a global cryptocurrency have caused a stir among regulators and finance ministries. The company sought to announce Libra before launching it to gather feedback from regulators and central banks on the proposed economic design and regulatory frameworks. However, it has exacerbated speculation on its impact and purpose.
Christian Catalini, co-creator of Libra and head economist at Calibra, and Teunis Brosens, lead economist for digital finance and regulation at ING, join OMFIF’s Bhavin Patel to explore Libra’s position in the global monetary system. They discuss how it differs from other currencies and payment systems, how the reserve works, its impact on emerging markets and the risks to monetary sovereignty.
Part II of this discussion covers Libras’ practicalities, technology, and the future of payments. Listen here
For more on Libra and digital currencies, see the OMFIF-IBM report here.
