Credit Economy and Payment Systems: Can a New Electronic Currency Replace Bank Deposits as a Means of Payment?
摘要
The chapter discusses current payment systems in which the central bank issues currency and the banking system provides the means of credit transactions. The author theoretically examines the possibility of replacing this system with electronic monies, cryptocurrencies, or foreign digital currencies. Modern banking systems are equipped with efficient and demand-driven money supply mechanisms. He argues that the current banking-centered payment system is unlikely to be replaced by electronic monies, cryptocurrencies, or foreign digital currencies unless it becomes highly inefficient. This conclusion implies that it is important to make efforts to improve the usability of current payment systems, for example, by actively integrating nonbanking operators into banking systems. Such efforts are also progressing in the form of Banking as a Service (BaaS) and Embedded Finance, which integrates non-financial services with financial services. In his comment, “Future Vision on Credit Economy and Payment Systems,” Yasuo Maeda supports the conclusion of Tomura in general but points out additional problems of using cryptographic assets in payment systems, such as unstable value and difficulty in the provision of credit.