Public vote for digital pound at debate

Director of the Centre of FinTech, Dr Iwa Salami said, "If launched, the digital pound is likely to affect how we transact with money one way or another. It is therefore essential that we all understand the rationales for it and the concerns and risks associated with it. This debate did exactly that and we are super proud that the UEL Centre of FinTech played a central role in hosting and organising this event in association with the Frontier Technologies Association. We are particularly proud that the Centre is a forum for debates on topics of national significance. It is also key to note that at the end of the debate, significantly more people voted for the digital pound than against it. This is telling as it shows that the lack of information and the absence of a balanced perspective on the subject is likely to lead to a lot of misconceptions about the digital pound and, indeed, any other central bank digital currency (CBDC). As such central banks, governments and policy makers should note the usefulness of publicly debating CBDCs."

Moderator Barry James commented, "The debate on the Digital Pound was enlightening and enriching. It was eye-opening to get different perspectives on the pros and cons of CBDCs and in this instance, the digital pound. I simply can’t wait to have more of this series to hear more thoughts and opinions from others as well!"