According to the deputy governor of the Bank of Israel, Andrew Abir, the regulator has already begun a program to test the state digital currency.
Interestingly, Abir himself is not too optimistic about the release of the digital shekel:
“Earlier I thought that the probability of issuing a national digital currency within five years is no more than 20%. The likelihood has increased in the past year as many other central banks are working on their own CBDCs, but I still think the probability is below 50%. ”
There are still no official statements on the development or testing of the digital shekel on the Bank of Israel website. However, in early May, researchers at the Central Bank of Israel presented a report on the benefits of the state digital currency.
“The possibility of issuing a CBDC is still being explored and the digital shekel report presented last month was more about getting public feedback. But I can say that the country’s banks will always play an important role in the financial and payment systems, ”Abir stressed.
Despite the readiness to integrate the digital shekel, Abir’s attitude towards bitcoin is completely different:
“We’re talking about a payment system. Bitcoin is not a currency or a payment system. At best, it can be called a financial asset, and at worst, a fraudulent pyramid. ”
Recall that the Bank of Russia plans to test the digital ruble in 2022.
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