Potential new form of money

Professor Darren Duxbury, Chair in Finance, Newcastle University Business School, has been appointed a member of the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Academic Advisory Group.

The Group provides a forum to engage stakeholders from academia and gather input from a range of fields relevant to CBDC.

CBDC – known in the UK as the digital pound – would be a new form of money used by households and businesses for everyday payments, issued by the central bank, the Bank of England.

The Bank of England and HM Treasury are considering the need for the digital pound in the UK and the Academic Advisory Group (AAG) will support the design phase. Professor Duxbury and other members of the group will provide perspectives on their areas of expertise, as well as raise awareness about the work and encourage research on the CBDC through their networks.

Internationally renowned expert

Professor Duxbury is an internationally renowned expert in the areas of experimental and behavioural finance,specifically with regards to understanding individual, household, and corporate financial behaviour. He said: “To be able to advise on the development of a new form of money represents a fantastic opportunity to use my behavioural expertise to inform public policy. I am delighted to be asked to join the Academic Advisory Group to the Bank of England and HM Treasury.”

Professor Duxbury is currently leading an academic-industry research collaboration with NatWest Bank investigating the drivers of consumer payment behaviour, including attitudes and intentions towards cash. The research aims to better understand the behavioural drivers of people’s attitudes and intentions towards cash relative to other forms of payment and the impact of external factors on these intentions. 

This follows a recent study led by Professor Duxbury, that found decisions to use cash were influenced by a person’s level of financial literacy as well as how easily they form habits. While habits relating to payment intention might form, the research highlighted that shocks affecting economic circumstances and security breaches also influenced a person’s desire to change their behaviour.