Central Bank Digital Currency: Scenarios of Implementation and Potential Consequences for Monetary System

Abstract Computerization of social life enabled market participants to search for new forms of electronic payments. The share of cash in total payments is systematically decreasing, which poses the risk of being supplanted by other instruments, including cryptocurrencies. Central banks, therefore, faced the challenge of adjusting their issuing activities to the current social and market conditions, which resulted in the emergence of the concept and discussion of the introduction of digital cash. The purpose of this paper is to examine the abovementioned issues and indication of potential scenarios for the introduction of central bank digital currency with an indication of potential consequences for the banking sector. The thesis of this paper is the following statement: The emergence of digital money of the central bank may significantly change the nature of commercial banks’ activities - including potentially eliminating their role in issuing cashless money.