Totalitarian money? : the case against central bank digital currencies / Kevin Dowd

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dowd, Kevin, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Central bank digital currencies.

Banks and banking, Central.

Digital currency.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2026

Summary:

"Kevin Dowd's Totalitarian Money? provides a comprehensive critique of proposals to establish CBDCs (central bank digital currencies) around the world. He argues that they are economically inefficient, as they provide no benefits that cannot be obtained by other means. He explains why CBDCs are dangerous to financial stability and personal freedom as they enable digital currency to be weaponised against people to comply with the political or social agendas of those in control. Dowd reveals that, despite being promoted by central banks as the next 'big thing', public demand for CBDCs is negligible and they have been rejected by the public wherever they have been introduced. Evaluating the track record of countries that have introduced CBDCs, Dowd explores the drawbacks of CBDCs and explains why the private sector is better equipped to provide a retail digital currency to the general public"-- Cambridge Core

Contents:

The case against central bank digital currencies

Background and history of central bank digital currencies

CBDC fundamentals

Private digital currencies

CBDC controversies in different countries

CBDC experiences to date

CBDCs and macroeconomic policy

A CBDC could disintermediate the banking system

CBDCs and financial inclusion

On the importance of financial privacy

CBDCs as weaponised currency

A reform agenda for an efficient payments system

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index

Online resource; title from PDF title page (Cambridge Core, viewed June 24, 2026)

Other Format:

Print version: Dowd, Kevin Totalitarian money?

ISBN:

9781009758482

1009758489

9781009758451

1009758454

OCLC:

1585502445

Publisher Number:

CIPO000365889

CIPO000381834

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license