Cryptocurrencies in Romania. Cryptocurrencies Pose Risk for Central Bank and for Economy?

Abstract

The cryptocurrencies are important topics in economics literature because their significance for the monetary system as innovations in information and communication technology are impacting the conventional thinking about currency, money and payments as they are used over the internet outside existing banking systems. At the same time, all innovations in payment systems come with risks associated with cyber security, speculative investments and money laundering. In present due to their little usage comparing to the total amount of cash and other legal tenders they do not pose risks to financial stability, but as they will increase in volume, they may impede “the central banks’ core functions: monetary policy, financial stability, payments and currency” and the safeguards of investors in cryptocurrencies. One opinion expressed in economics is that in order to mitigate some of the particular risks entailed by cryptocurrencies’ circulation on global financial and monetary system the central banks should considering the issuing of “central bank digital currencies”.

Keywords

• cryptocurrency
• money
• central bank
• risk