Digital Dollar Project and Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center announce global convening on the future of digital currency

Conference on international standard setting to take place in Northern Virginia on November 27-30, 2023 

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --  The Digital Dollar Project and the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center will cohost "Exploring central bank digital currency: Evaluating challenges & developing international standards," a first-of-its-kind convening of leaders from international financial institutions, central and commercial banks, technology providers, and government. The conference will explore discussions on the evolving landscape of digital money, outline areas of potential public-private cooperation, and offer a roadmap for technological and regulatory standards across the digital economy.

"Leading experts across the global financial and technology landscape are convening to discuss standards, technology norms and governance models for a digital future," said Jennifer Lassiter, Executive Director of The Digital Dollar Project. "Financial innovation is accelerating on a global scale, and the time for thoughtful collaboration and data-driven decision-making is now."

Josh Lipsky, Senior Director of the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center, added, "One hundred and thirty countries around the world are exploring central bank digital currencies and these developments could have enormous impact on economics, geopolitics, and technology. Building infrastructure that is trusted, safe, and interoperable will be the goal for both the public and private sectors as they engage in further exploration in the future of money."

The conference will feature keynote speakers Cecilia Skingsley, Head of the Bank for International Settlements Innovation Hub, and Tobias Adrian, Financial Counsellor and Director of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department of the International Monetary Fund. The sessions will cover various aspects of building a healthy digital currency ecosystem and a roadmap for next steps. The event will focus on five core themes: 

• Privacy: building digital assets that protect individual's rights and civil liberties
• Cybersecurity and Resilience: ensuring a safer financial system for the future
• Financial Inclusion: fostering healthier economies
• Cross-border Transferability: exchanging wholesale and retail assets between banks
• Competition and Innovation: developing central bank assets that are transferable and complement traditional finance and new private digital assets

The full speaker lineup and detailed agenda will be announced in the coming weeks. The first day of this conference is on-the-record and open to press, both virtually and in-person. More information and a link to register may be found here. 

The Atlantic Council's CBDC tracker provides more information about the development of central bank digital currencies around the world.

About The Digital Dollar Project   
The Digital Dollar Project is a neutral non-profit forum created to encourage research and public discussion on the potential advantages and challenges of a U.S. CBDC — or a "digital dollar." The Digital Dollar Project will identify options for a CBDC solution to help enhance monetary policy effectiveness and financial stability; provide needed scalability, security and privacy in retail, wholesale and international payments; and integrate with existing financial infrastructures, including U.S. Federal Reserve-related projects. Visit https://digitaldollarproject.org/.

About The Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center

 The Atlantic Council is a nonpartisan organization that galvanizes US leadership and engagement in the world, in partnership with allies and partners, to share solutions to global challenges. The Atlantic Council provides an essential forum for navigating the economic and political changes defining the twenty-first century by informing its network of global leaders. Through the papers it publishes and the ideas it generates, the Atlantic Council shapes policy choices and strategies to create a more free, secure, and prosperous world.

The Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center works at the nexus of economics, finance, and foreign policy with the goal of helping shape a better global economic future. The Center is organized around three pillars – Future of Capitalism, Future of Money, and the Economic Statecraft Initiative.

Media Contacts 

Digital Dollar Project:  
Carissa Felger / Gwyn Hodges
(212) 257-4170 
[email protected] 

Atlantic Council:  
[email protected]

[For speaker and event inquiries:  
Gabriella Kusz
[email protected]] 

SOURCE Digital Dollar Project