October 9, 2020
Bank of JapanThe Bank of Japan's Approach to Central Bank Digital Currency
Executive Summary
Digitalization has advanced in various areas at home and abroad on the back of rapid
development of information communication technology. There is a possibility of a surge inpublic demand for central bank digital currency (CBDC) going forward, considering the rapid
development of technological innovation. While the Bank of Japan currently has no plan toissue CBDC, from the viewpoint of ensuring the stability and efficiency of the overall
payment and settlement systems, the Bank considers it important to prepare thoroughly torespond to changes in circumstances in an appropriate manner. With this in mind, the Bank
decided that it would publish its approach to "general purpose" CBDC -- that is, CBDC
intended for a wide range of end users, including individuals and firms.
I. Expected Functions and Roles of CBDC
There are two main variants of CBDC: "wholesale" CBDC and "general purpose" CBDC.
Expected functions and roles of general purpose CBDC, if introduced in Japan, aresummarized in the following.
A. Introducing a Payment Instrument alongside Cash
For the time being, it is unlikely that the cash in circulation would drop significantly. If,
however, this should become the case, and if private digital money will not substitute for thefunctions of cash sufficiently, the Bank might provide general purpose CBDC as a payment
instrument alongside cash. As long as there is public demand for cash, the Bank will staycommitted to supplying it.
B. Supporting Private Payment Services
Even without the decline in cash circulation, if CBDC is needed from the viewpoint ofenhancing the stability and efficiency of the overall payment and settlement systems, it
might become appropriate to issue CBDC in order to support private payment services.
C. Developing Payment and Settlement Systems Suitable for a Digital Society
In addition, from a broader perspective, initiatives such as the issuance of CBDC by the Bankand innovative overlay services of private payment service providers (PSPs; e.g., banks andnon-bank PSPs) could lead to stable and efficient payment and settlement systems suitable
for a digital society.

1II. Core Features Required for CBDC
Even if the Bank were to issue general purpose CBDC, it would still be appropriate tomaintain a two-tiered payment and settlement system of a central bank and the private
sector. This means that CBDC would be issued indirectly through intermediaries.
If the Bank were to issue general purpose CBDC and adopt the indirect issuance model, CBDC
would need to have the following instrument and system features.
A. Universal AccessTo allow anyone to use CBDC and avoid excluding some individuals, devices or cards used fortransfers and payments should provide ease of use and portability in their design.
B. Security
For secure CBDC payments, it is necessary to incorporate counterfeit deterrence technology
and enhance security to prevent various illicit activities.
C. Resilience
To allow CBDC to be used anywhere anytime, the CBDC system should always be available
24/7/365 to the end user. A design that supports offline use in times of system and network
failures as well as electrical outages is also important for Japan, given the frequent
occurrence of natural disasters.
D. Instant Payment Capability
CBDC, as central bank money, should offer settlement finality of transactions and instant
payment capabilities similar to cash. Moreover, in order to enable fast settlement of
frequent payments by many end users, CBDC needs to have sufficient processing capability
and scalability in preparation for future increase in the use of CBDC.
E. Interoperability
It is important that the CBDC system ensures interoperability with other payment andsettlement systems and has a flexible architecture to adapt to changes in the future,including advances in private payment services.
When introducing CBDC, it might be appropriate to implement the features of universal
access and resilience in a phased manner according to the use of cash.

2III. Points to Be Considered
A. CBDC's Relationship with Price and Financial Stability
In issuing CBDC, careful consideration is required for the functional requirements andeconomic design of CBDC (e.g., limits on the amount of issuance/holdings andremuneration) from the perspective of the effectiveness of monetary policy and financial
stability.
B. Promoting Innovation
The Bank would need to consider carefully cooperation and role-sharing arrangements
between a central bank and PSPs -- namely, to what degree the Bank should set the CBDC
framework and technical standards, and what the Bank should leave to the creativity of thePSPs -- from the viewpoint of promoting innovations.
C. Ensuring Privacy and Handling End-User Information
It is necessary to explore the role-sharing between a central bank and PSPs -- namely, who
obtains and manages what data and under what conditions -- while taking into accountvarious requirements regarding the handling of information.
D. Relationship with Cross-Border Payments
It is desirable to ensure that CBDC could be used for cross-border payments -- not only fordomestic payments -- while thoroughly monitoring developments in each central bank.
IV. Next Steps
The Bank will continue to make necessary preparations to respond to changes incircumstances in an appropriate manner. The currently planned next steps are as follows.
A. Experiments
The Bank will explore general purpose CBDC in a more concrete and practical way byconducting experiments, rather than confining itself to conceptual research as before. The
Bank will first test the technical feasibility of the core functions and features required for
CBDC through a Proof of Concept (PoC). It will then consider the need for a pilot program ifnecessary.

31. PoC Phase 1
The Bank will develop a test environment for the CBDC system and conduct experiments on
the basic functions that are core to CBDC as a payment instrument -- namely, issuance,
distribution, and redemption.
2. PoC Phase 2
The Bank will implement additional functions of CBDC in the test environment developed inPhase 1 and test their feasibility.
3. Pilot program
Based on the PoC, if the Bank judges it necessary to step things up further, it will also
consider a pilot program that involves PSPs and end users.
Among these phases, the Bank aims to start PoC Phase 1 in early fiscal year 2021.
B. Exploring Institutional Arrangements
In tandem with experiments, the Bank will proceed to successively explore topics such as (1)cooperation and role-sharing arrangements between a central bank and PSPs, (2) economic
design of CBDC, including limits on the amount of issuance/holdings and remuneration, (3)privacy protection and handling of end-user information, and (4) standardization of
information technology (IT) relating to digital currency.
C. Coordination with Stakeholders at Home and Abroad
The Bank will continue to deepen understanding on the core features of CBDC and theirimpact on practices while closely coordinating with other central banks, and use theinformation obtained in its CBDC exploration.
If a central bank were to issue CBDC, extensive and large-scale efforts would need to be
made, including an exploration of IT systems and institutional arrangements. With this firmly
in mind, the Bank will place emphasis on applying the knowledge of various stakeholders -such as banks, non-bank PSPs, IT specialists, legal experts, and relevant public authorities -in considering CBDC issuance.

4

Introduction
Digitalization has advanced in various areas at home and abroad on the back of rapid
development of information communication technology. This trend is likely to acceleraterather than reverse in the post-Covid-19 era.
The field of payments is not an exception. In particular, the expansion of cashless payments
is remarkable, reflecting technological innovation in recent years (Figure 1). More types ofdevices, such as smartphones or IC cards, are available for payment services, and FinTech
firms have become involved in providing cashless payment services.
Figure 1: Cashless Transactions by Value90

Code payments

tril. yen

Debit cards

80

70Electronic money

60

Credit cards

50
40

30
20

10
0
FY 11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

Notes: 1. The data for credit cards are on acalendar-year basis.
2. The data for debit cards through 2013
are based upon the survey on card
issuers and figures published by J-Debit.
The data source since 2014 is the Bank's
Payment and Settlement Statistics.
3. The data for code payments are on acalendar-year basis (available since2018).
Sources: Japan Consumer Credit Association;
Payments Japan Association.

Meanwhile, the issuance of central bank digital currency (CBDC) as a new payment
instrument has increasingly been discussed at home and abroad. There is a possibility of asurge in public demand for CBDC going forward, considering the rapid development oftechnological innovation. On the other hand, if CBDC were to be issued, extensive andlarge-scale efforts would need to be made, including an exploration of information
technology (IT) systems and institutional arrangements. While the Bank of Japan currently
has no plan to issue CBDC, from the viewpoint of ensuring the stability and efficiency ofthe overall payment and settlement systems, the Bank considers it important to prepare
thoroughly to respond to changes in circumstances in an appropriate manner.
In the first place, the future payment and settlement systems suitable for a digital society
need to be discussed with various stakeholders. In this regard, CBDC could have more of afunction than merely as a substitution for cash. It could serve as the basis for innovation ofprivate payment service providers (PSPs; e.g., banks and non-bank PSPs) to offer various new

5

payment services. Given such potential, advancing discussion of CBDC would also provide
an opportunity to reconsider future payment and settlement systems. With this in mind,
the Bank decided that it would publish its approach to "general purpose" CBDC -- that is,
CBDC intended for a wide range of end users, including individuals and firms.
I. Expected Functions and Roles of CBDC
CBDC is a new form of digital central bank money that is different from current accountdeposits held by banks at a central bank (Figure 2).1 CBDC is a payment instrument that is
a direct liability of the central bank. It functions as a unit of account as it is denominated inlegal tender.
Figure 2: Classification of Currency

Accessibility(Universal or Limited)

Form(Digital or Physical)

Issuer(Central bank or Others)

There are two main variants of CBDC. One is "wholesale" CBDC, in which a central bankprovides to limited counterparties mainly for large-value payments among financial
institutions. It has commonality with current account deposits held by banks at a central
bank, in that it is digital central bank money available to a limited group of entities. Someview that, combined with the use of distributed ledger technology (DLT), wholesale CBDC
could improve the efficiency of settling securities and derivatives transactions. Research has
been conducted in Europe using wholesale CBDC and security tokens -- securities in the formof digital vouchers that are issued and managed on a DLT platform -- to enable fastersettlement of funds and securities.

1

See, the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures and Markets Committee, "Central Bank
Digital Currencies," March 2018, https://www.bis.org/cpmi/publ/d174.pdf.

6

An alternative scheme would be for private enterprises to issue private digital money backed
by central bank liability (e.g., central bank deposits) and based on the credibility of a central
bank. Such digital money is not CBDC as it is not issued by a central bank. However, inpursuing such a scheme, initiatives that employ private token money on a DLT platform forfunds settlement among banks have been pushed forward recently, mainly in Europe.
This paper focuses on the other variant, "general purpose" CBDC, which is intended for awide range of end users, including individuals and firms. General purpose CBDC would have
similar functions as cash (i.e., banknotes and coins), enabling the end users to make dailypurchases with currencies issued by a central bank through the use of smartphones or IC
cards anywhere anytime. In addition, it would be used to settle payments among firms or
financial transactions among financial institutions. General purpose CBDC, in this case,would be considered as a complement to deposits at financial institutions.
While many central banks have proceeded with consideration of general purpose CBDC
recently, their motivations differ according to their circumstances. In Japan, many do not
see the need to introduce general purpose CBDC for the time being, mainly because theratio of cash in circulation to nominal GDP is high, at around 20 percent. However, if cash incirculation drops sharply in the future, it might be necessary to make up for the decrease in
cash by issuing CBDC. Regardless of the situation, it might be determined as appropriate toissue CBDC in order to improve Japan's payment and settlement systems.
Expected functions and roles of general purpose CBDC, if introduced in Japan, aresummarized in the following.
A. Introducing a Payment Instrument alongside Cash
The Bank has widely supplied the public with a payment instrument that allows secure
payments for anyone anywhere anytime -- namely, cash. This role will be unchanged in thedigital society. For the time being, it is unlikely that the cash in circulation would drop
significantly. If, however, this should become the case, and if private digital money will not
substitute for the functions of cash sufficiently, the Bank might provide general purpose
CBDC as a payment instrument alongside cash.
For example, the declining birthrate and aging population, as well as the population drain
into urban areas, place upward pressure on cash distribution costs, thereby potentially7making access to cash difficult depending on the region going forward. In this case, it isunclear whether private digital money can fully substitute for the functions of cash. In
particular, it is not easy for private digital money to earn the same level of confidence insecurity as cash, for which sufficient anti-counterfeit measures are taken. In connection withthis point, according to the Bank's Opinion Survey on the General Public's Views and Behavior,when asked for factor(s) that would encourage respondents to start using or make more useof mobile payments, the percentage of respondents who selected "stronger security
protection would be provided" marked the highest among the choices offered (Figure 3).
Moreover, cash seems to have an advantage over private digital money in terms of thegeographic availability of services and settlement finality (i.e., settlement of an obligation
becomes irrevocable and unconditional when the payment is made to the recipient). In
addition, if, in the future, cash in circulation drops significantly and private digital money
cannot sufficiently substitute the functions of cash, issues might arise in the central bank's
continued provision of a stable unit of account through the issuance of legal tender.

8

Figure 3: Opinion Survey on the General Public's Views and Behavior
Factor(s) that Would Encourage Respondents to Start Using or
Make More Use of Mobile Payments
Stronger security protection would be provided
Mobile payments would become simpler and easierMore benefits such as reward points would be offered
Numbers of places and entities accepting mobile payments would increase
Clear and helpful guidance on the use of mobile payments would become available
Reliability of firms offering mobile payment services would be improved
Higher degree of anonymity would be ensured
Other than the above
40

30

20

10

0 %

Reason(s) for Using Cash to Make Daily Payments
Most places accept cash
The payment is completed on the spot
Using cash prevents overspending as I can only spend what I have
The payment is completed easily
No fees or commissions are required
Mar-18Cash is highly reliable as a payment instrument
Jun-20I do not feel secure when using payment instruments other than cash
The payment process is quick
Cash offers high degree of anonymity
Other than the above

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0 %

Note: Multiple answers were allowed.
Source: The Bank of Japan, Opinion Survey on the General
Public's Views and Behavior (June 2020).

It should be noted that, public confidence in banknotes has been consistently high due totheir cleanliness and the low number of counterfeit ones in Japan. As long as there is publicdemand for cash, the Bank will stay committed to supplying it. In this sense, CBDC would
not be a substitute for cash but would co-exist and become a complement to it.

9B. Supporting Private Payment Services
The motivation presented in A. assumes a decline in cash circulation. Even without such a
decline, if CBDC is needed from the viewpoint of enhancing the stability and efficiency ofthe overall payment and settlement systems, it might become appropriate to issue CBDC
in order to support private payment services.
Banks and various types of non-bank PSPs in Japan currently offer payment platforms tocustomers and compete with each other for their services. In view of these circumstances,end users point out issues such as discrepancies in services available in stores and incapacity
to execute person-to-person transfers across payment platforms. There is a concern that,unless network effects are enhanced through cooperation among banks and non-bank PSPs,
customer convenience will not improve and banks and non-bank PSPs will end up wearing
themselves out in the process. On the other hand, CBDC could contribute to improving
convenience for the public and the efficiency of payment and settlement systems byinterlinking various types of private digital money to make the exchange between themeasier.
Having said that, CBDC issuance is not the only solution to the challenges surrounding theinteroperability among payment platforms. Interconnection among payment platforms orparticipation of non-bank PSPs in the common payment platforms with banks could also bea solution. Considering the private sector's comparative advantage in technologicalinnovation, exploring this option could be the starting point to finding solutions.
Currently, payments among firms and financial transactions among financial institutions aresettled using deposits at financial institutions. As pointed out earlier, using general purpose
CBDC for settlements could be an option. It is considered more important, however, for theprivate sector to advance initiatives to provide safe and efficient payment services -- forexample, through improvement in the existing payment instruments or sophistication in
payment and settlement systems.
C. Developing Payment and Settlement Systems Suitable for a Digital Society
In addition to the arguments in A. and B., from a broader perspective, initiatives such as
the Bank's issuance of CBDC and PSPs' innovative overlay services could lead to stable andefficient payment and settlement systems suitable for a digital society.
In this regard, discussions have been underway at home and abroad on various ideas such10

as attaching transaction information on CBDC when transacting among end users orcoordinating the CBDC system with various government systems to provide public services.
At any rate, it is important that the public sector, including the Bank, and the private sector
work together to accumulate wisdom.
II. Core Features Required for CBDC
Ensuring the stability and efficiency of the overall payment and settlement systems requires
appropriate role-sharing arrangements between a central bank and the private sector.
Currently, the Bank supplies banks and other institutions with current account deposits at
the Bank as a payment instrument, while banks provide payment services through their bankdeposits to firms and individuals. Also, the Bank supplies banks with cash in exchange forcurrent account deposits, and banks provide cash to firms and individuals in exchange forbank deposits.
Even if the Bank were to issue general purpose CBDC, it would still be appropriate tomaintain a two-tiered system of a central bank and the private sector. This means that
CBDC would be issued indirectly through intermediaries (Figure 4). This is because theBank's issuance of CBDC -- central bank money with finality -- and management of the overall
framework as well as the intermediaries' (e.g., banks') initiatives in improving the interfaces
with end users through their knowledge and technological innovation would lead toenhancement of the stability and efficiency in the overall payment and settlement systems.
If banks and other institutions could utilize transaction data of their customers in new
businesses and services, they may have merit in participating in CBDC intermediation.
Figure 4: Indirect Issuance11

If the Bank were to issue general purpose CBDC and adopt the indirect issuance model,
CBDC would need to have the following instrument and system features.
A. Universal AccessTo allow anyone to use CBDC and avoid excluding some individuals, devices or cards used
for transfers and payments should provide ease of use and portability in their design. It isalso important that the devices or cards be made available to the public free of charge or at
sufficiently low cost to achieve universal access.
B. Security
If CBDC were to be issued, it would need to overcome the vulnerability inherent to online
services using computer networks as it could encounter cyber-attacks aimed atcounterfeiting and fraud. A loss of confidence in the currency caused by illicit activities also
poses a significant risk to a central bank. Thus, for secure CBDC payments, it is necessary toincorporate counterfeit deterrence technology and enhance security to prevent various
illicit activities.
C. Resilience
To allow CBDC to be used anywhere anytime, the CBDC system should always be available
24/7/365 to the end user. A design that supports offline use in times of system andnetwork failures as well as electrical outages is also important for Japan, given thefrequent occurrence of natural disasters.
D. Instant Payment Capability
CBDC, as central bank money, should offer settlement finality of transactions and instant
payment capabilities similar to cash. Moreover, CBDC should be usable in many of the same
type of transactions as cash, including person-to-business and person-to-person payments.
To that end, in order to enable fast settlement of frequent payments by many end users,
CBDC needs to have sufficient processing capability and scalability in preparation for
future increase in the use of CBDC.
E. Interoperability
Serving as the basis for PSPs to offer various new payment services, CBDC could function asa payment platform unique to a digital society, different from cash or central bank deposits.
It is therefore important that the CBDC system ensures interoperability with otherpayment and settlement systems and has a flexible architecture to adapt to changes in the12future, including advances in private payment services.
These are the core features required for CBDC. It is, however, difficult to fully incorporate allof them into CBDC when actually designing it. For example, a design that supports offline
payments with CBDC could deteriorate the security (e.g., effectiveness of counterfeit
deterrence features), and one that aims to achieve universal access could push up the costfor developing and deploying devices accordingly. Enhancing the interoperability among
CBDC and private payment and settlement systems could also have a negative impact on thestable operations of the systems. It is therefore necessary to appropriately deal with these
tradeoffs while striking the right balance between features required for CBDC and their
possible negative effects, in light of the Bank's responsibility for establishing stable andefficient payment and settlement systems.
When introducing CBDC, it might be appropriate to implement the features of universal
access and resilience in a phased manner according to the use of cash. For example, theBank could decide not to implement offline payment functions as long as a smooth shift inpayment instruments from CBDC to cash continues to take place even in times of electricaloutages due to natural disasters.
III. Points to Be Considered
A. CBDC's Relationship with Price and Financial Stability
In Japan, the Bank exclusively supplies the public with central bank money consisting of cash
and current account deposits at the Bank, and banks provide bank money through credit
creation based on the central bank money.
Under this two-tiered money system, if, as with banknotes, CBDC is issued as the Bank's
liabilities in exchange for current account deposits at the Bank, the relationship between thecentral bank money (i.e., monetary base) and bank money is unchanged. In other words, theissuance of CBDC by itself would not immediately affect credit creation by banks.
If, however, a significant shift in funds from bank deposits to CBDC occurs through the CBDC
issuance, this would impact the financial intermediary function of banks. For example, somepoint out that, if CBDC becomes more convenient than bank deposits, it will reduce bankdeposits considerably, thereby leading to restraint in credit creation by banks. This potential
impact requires consideration as it can affect monetary transmission channels.

13

Stable and efficient payment and settlement systems are infrastructures essential to daily
life. At the same time, they serve as a policy basis for achieving the Bank's objectives of priceand financial stability. Careful consideration is required for the functional requirements andeconomic design of CBDC (e.g., limits on the amount of issuance/holdings andremuneration) from the perspective of the effectiveness of monetary policy and financial
stability.
B. Promoting Innovation
Banks and non-bank PSPs have provided new payment services, making full use ofinnovation. A central bank is in a position to support these positive initiatives.
As mentioned earlier, the Bank has a responsibility to provide most fundamental payment
instruments to the public even in the digital society. At the same time, if PSPs, using CBDC
as a new payment instrument, offer to their customers various services or build user-friendly
interfaces while competing with each other, CBDC would contribute to creating moreconvenient payment and settlement systems for the public.
On the other hand, there are concerns that, if the growing presence of some PSPs andpayment platforms with CBDC leads to an oligopoly or monopoly of the market, distortionsin the service pricing mechanism and reduced incentives for innovation may arise in the longterm.
Thus, if the Bank were to issue CBDC, it would need to consider carefully cooperation androle-sharing arrangements between a central bank and PSPs -- namely, to what degree the
Bank should set the CBDC framework and technical standards, and what the Bank should
leave to the creativity of the PSPs -- from the viewpoint of promoting innovations.
C. Ensuring Privacy and Handling End-User Information
Anonymity is one of the features of cash. This would be an important point to deal with if
the Bank were to issue CBDC.
In order for CBDC to be widely used as a payment instrument, unwavering design andoperation are required for privacy protection. In relation to the existing laws and regulations,personal transaction information must be properly protected in compliance with the Act on
the Protection of Personal Information and other relevant laws and regulations.

14Meanwhile, in a situation where adherence to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism
financing (AML/CFT) standards is expected worldwide, CBDC would be required to fulfill
these regulatory requirements. In Japan, it is necessary to explore CBDC in relation to the
Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds and the Foreign Exchange and Foreign
Trade Act, in addition to being consistent with international debate and standards in thisfield.
As mentioned earlier, information obtained from CBDC transactions can be the source of
new services and businesses for PSPs. It would be undesirable to have a system where the
Bank obtains the detailed data and keeps them to itself. It is essential to balance protecting
privacy with leveraging information in the digital society.
Therefore, in considering CBDC issuance, it is necessary to explore the role-sharing
between a central bank and PSPs -- namely, who obtains and manages what data andunder what conditions -- while taking into account various requirements regarding thehandling of information. As for privacy protection and AML/CFT compliance, publicauthorities are required to explore them from various perspectives, including fields otherthan payments and settlements. Accordingly, the Bank will coordinate closely with relevant
authorities in dealing with these issues.
D. Relationship with Cross-Border Payments
Calls for more convenient and cheaper cross-border payments are on the rise recently, partly
reflecting the progress of globalization and the emergence of global stablecoin initiatives. In
this situation, discussions to enhance cross-border payments have progressed at the G20
and other forums. For example, while searching for potential roles of new payment andsettlement infrastructures, ideas to leverage the CBDC framework for improving crossborder payments -- such as by facilitating the conversion of CBDCs issued by different
jurisdictions -- have been explored.
For now, there are more views that place importance on improving the existing system ofcross-border payments. However, a scheme that utilizes CBDC could emerge as analternative, depending on the situation going forward. That said, it is important to first
improve the stability and efficiency of payment and settlement systems in each jurisdiction.
Nonetheless, in considering CBDC, it is also desirable to ensure that CBDC could be used forcross-border payments -- not only for domestic payments -- while thoroughly monitoring
developments in each central bank, in order to respond flexibly to developments in15

discussion on cross-border payments.
Active discussions among jurisdictions on international standardization of data formats,among others, are also essential considering the importance of ensuring the interoperabilityof CBDC issued by each jurisdiction.
IV. Next Steps
Some countries are taking concrete steps toward issuing CBDC. These countries may haveimminent issues specific to them, such as a significant decline in cash usage or immature
infrastructures related to domestic currency and payments where rebuilding the payment
and settlement systems from scratch using the latest digital technology is more efficient. The
Bank currently has no plan to issue CBDC, as the situation is different in Japan.
Having said that, there is a possibility of a surge in public demand for CBDC going forward,
considering the rapid development of technological innovation. Designing CBDC should bedone carefully over time in view of the impact of CBDC on people's lives and economic
activity. It is not an appropriate policy response to start considering this only when the need
to issue CBDC arise in the future.
Based on such recognition, the Bank has vigorously conducted research and experiments on
CBDC for several years. For example, it has conducted experiments exploring DLT, which
could be used for wholesale CBDC, in a joint project with the European Central Bank since2016.2
As for general purpose CBDC, the Bank organized the Study Group on Legal Issues regarding
Central Bank Digital Currency in its Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies in 2018. The
group has discussed various legal issues regarding CBDC.3 Moreover, the Bank continues
dialogue with private enterprises and experts to discuss topics such as the benefits and risks
of issuing general purpose CBDC as well as CBDC's relationship with private payment services

2

Released on the Bank's website reports on Project Stella (Phases 1 through 4), a joint research
project of the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan.
3 Study Group on Legal Issues regarding Central Bank Digital Currency, "'Chūō Ginkō Dejitaru Tsūkani kansuru Hōritsu Mondai Kenkyūkai' hōkokusho" [Report of the Study Group on Legal Issues
regarding Central Bank Digital Currency], Kin'yū Kenkyū 39, no. 2, June 2020,
https://www.imes.boj.or.jp/research/papers/japanese/kk39-2-1.pdf. Summary is available in English
at https://www.boj.or.jp/en/research/wps_rev/lab/lab19e03.htm/.

16

at the Future of Payments Forums and other meetings. As acceleration in cashlesstechnology was identified at these meetings, the Bank set up the Digital Currency Group in
its Payment and Settlement Systems Department in July 2020 as a step-up in exploration
including experiments. Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform 2020 -which was decided by the Cabinet of Japan in July -- also stipulates that the Bank will explore
CBDC by, for example, conducting experiments on technical aspects while coordinating withother countries.
The Bank will continue to make necessary preparations to respond to changes incircumstances in an appropriate manner. The currently planned next steps are as follows.
A. Experiments
The Bank will explore general purpose CBDC in a more concrete and practical way byconducting experiments, rather than confining itself to conceptual research as before.
Various issues require testing through experiments, and it is necessary to incorporate everprogressing technological innovations. Thus, it is essential to utilize cutting-edge technology
and knowhow of the private sector in the experiments.
To keep up with the pace, the Bank will carry out experiments in a phased and planned
manner, as indicated below. The Bank will first test the technical feasibility of the corefunctions and features required for CBDC through a Proof of Concept (PoC). It will thenconsider the need for a pilot program if necessary.
1. PoC Phase 1
The Bank will develop a test environment for the CBDC system and conduct experimentson the basic functions that are core to CBDC as a payment instrument -- namely, issuance,
distribution, and redemption. In this phase, it will explore basic functions and roles required
for CBDC while also considering technical feasibility and challenges regarding, for example,
the management entity of the ledger that records the total amount of issuance andtransaction history, as well as ways to record.
2. PoC Phase 2
The Bank will implement additional functions of CBDC in the test environment developedin Phase 1 and test their feasibility. In this phase, the Bank will conduct technicalexperiments on specific functions required for CBDC while taking account of the corefeatures required for CBDC (see II.) and the points to consider in issuing CBDC (see III.).

17

3. Pilot program
Based on the PoC, if the Bank judges it necessary to step things up further, it will also
consider a pilot program that somewhat reflects the actual design and functions of CBDC
and involves PSPs and end users.
Among these phases, the Bank aims to start PoC Phase 1 in early fiscal year 2021. In
preparation, the Bank plans to specify basic requirements of the test environment, among
others, as early as possible and then call for partners to join and collaborate in theexperiments.
B. Exploring Institutional Arrangements
The Bank will deepen its exploration of institutional arrangements in tandem withexperiments. In this regard, it released a report on technical challenges of enabling cashequivalent functions in CBDC in July 2020. The report sets out views and challenges regarding
universal access and resilience, which are the features expected for general purpose CBDC.4
In addition to this, there are many points to take into account when designing CBDC as
described in III. Thus, the Bank will proceed to successively explore topics such as (1)cooperation and role-sharing arrangements between a central bank and PSPs, (2)economic design of CBDC, including limits on the amount of issuance/holdings andremuneration, (3) privacy protection and handling of end-user information, and (4)standardization of IT relating to digital currency.
In the course of exploration, the Bank will actively exchange views with stakeholders andexperts on these topics through channels including the Future of Payments Forums, inaddition to continuing dialogue with relevant government authorities.
C. Coordination with Stakeholders at Home and Abroad
Other major central banks have also stepped up their exploration of general purpose CBDC.
In this situation, the Bank has enhanced international coordination with other central banks
by, for example, establishing a research group on CBDC with other major central banks and4Bank of Japan Payment and Settlement Systems Department, "Chūgin dejitaru tsūka ga genkin dōtōno kinō o motsu tame no gijutsu-teki kadai" [Technical challenges of enabling cash-equivalentfunctions in central bank digital currency], Payment and Settlement Systems Report Annex Series, July
2020, https://www.boj.or.jp/research/brp/psr/psrb200702.htm/.

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the Bank for International Settlements in January 2020. The group has assessed CBDC use
cases and shared knowledge on emerging technologies, the results of which are publishedin the report.5
As noted in the report, central banks are shifting their emphasis from conceptual research
activities to practical policy analysis -- based on country-specific circumstances -- andtechnical experiments, regardless of whether they are exploring wholesale or general
purpose CBDC. The Bank will continue to deepen understanding on the core features of
CBDC and their impact on practices while closely coordinating with other central banks,and use the information obtained in its CBDC exploration.
Payment and settlement systems are established through cooperation among many
stakeholders, not by a central bank alone. As mentioned earlier, if a central bank were toissue CBDC, extensive and large-scale efforts would need to be made, including an
exploration of IT systems and institutional arrangements. With this firmly in mind, theBank will place emphasis on applying the knowledge of various stakeholders -- such as
banks, non-bank PSPs, IT specialists, legal experts, and relevant public authorities -- inconsidering CBDC issuance.
In addition, the Bank will continue to communicate elaboratively with the public about CBDC,
considering that introducing CBDC eventually depends on whether the Bank could gain
sufficient public understanding.

5

A group of central banks consisting of the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan,
the European Central Bank, the Sveriges Riksbank, the Swiss National Bank, and the Federal Reserve
System, together with the Bank for International Settlements, released a report titled "Central Bank
Digital Currencies: Foundational Principles and Core Features" in October 2020.

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