A global digital currency to rule them all? A monetary-financial view of the Facebook's LIBRA for the Euro area

Abstract

This collection includes a selection of research by students of the PhD Program in Applied Economics (UAB) and the Master of Applied Research in Economics and Business (MAREB) - specialization in Applied Economics.

In this paper, the monetary-financial implications of two versions of Libra are analysed, i.e. Libra 1.0 and Libra 2.0. First, I briefly discuss how technological developments in monetary history have reshaped the payments landscape and how Libra is going to challenge the current bank-based ecosystem. Second, I identify some risks stemming from the current monetary-financial system and I review the Euro Area's regulatory framework to control these risks. Third, I assess how a wide acceptability of Libra's 1.0 and 2.0 could challenge the current monetary-financial structure and therefore the risks associated. Finally, I propose a Synthetic CBDC issuance, i.e., a narrow banking approach, to limit the new risk associated with the introduction of Libra 2.0.