The National Bank of Kazakhstan, NBRK, has issued a report on a digital tenge pilot and has opened a public consultation on the central bank digital currency.

The digital tenge is a new kind of money to be issued by the central bank which is designed to increase the efficiency of the payment ecosystem in the country by reducing dependance on cash settlement. The National Bank has stressed that the CBDC is not aimed at replacing cash or the currency of the country. In fact, it is designed to act merely as an aide in the payment ecosystem. The CBDC is to be used an as alternative to conventional payment methods.

According to NBRK the digital tenge will improve the competitiveness in the market and act to strengthen the financial system in the country. The bank has also paid attention towards privacy and security concerns with the digital tenge.

China is the first major economy to take a step towards a central bank digital currency. The largest country by population has launched a digital yuan – e-renminbi. The country has successfully run pilot tests and banks are actively promoting the digital yuan. The digital yuan marked a new phase in the digitization of the globe. As the country also likes to maintain strict control over the digital sphere, the digital yuan will also act as a tool for that.

The Bank of England, BoE, had also been debating the issuance of a central bank digital currency for quite some time now. However, the bank has been hesitant in launching one. Although the bank has not officially stated a decision yet, it has started recruiting for CBDC positions. More countries may soon follow suit with launching their central bank digital currencies.