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Japan Accelerates Move to Cashless Society, BOJ Pushes for Payment Innovation

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Japan is rapidly shifting towards a cashless society, prompting the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to intensify efforts to modernize the country’s payment systems. Cashless payments accounted for 42.8% of transactions in 2024, surpassing the government’s 40% target a year ahead of schedule and marking a significant jump from just 13.2% in 2010.

Traditionally reliant on physical currency, Japan’s growing cashless trend is pushing policymakers to adapt to changing consumer preferences, including the possible introduction of a central bank digital currency (CBDC). While no decision has been made on issuing a digital yen, the BOJ began a pilot program in 2023, collaborating with private firms and the government on its design and implementation.

BOJ Executive Director Kazushige Kamiyama highlighted concerns over potential future declines in banknote usage due to digitalization, emphasizing the need for a retail payment system that is efficient, accessible, and secure. Deputy Governor Shinichi Uchida echoed this, noting that a CBDC could become a crucial infrastructure for Japan’s payment landscape, but said cash is unlikely to disappear soon.

Uchida also warned that the yen’s dominance as a payment instrument depends on public trust in the BOJ’s ability to maintain price stability. Should confidence falter, alternative forms of payment, such as cryptocurrencies, could gain ground.

The focus on CBDCs is part of a global trend amid growing cryptocurrency use and moves by other nations. While the U.S. government banned the Federal Reserve from issuing a digital dollar earlier this year, the European Central Bank advocates for a digital euro to reduce reliance on U.S. payment providers. Meanwhile, China aggressively promotes its digital yuan internationally, with transaction volumes more than tripling from mid-2023 to mid-2024.

Japan’s push signals its determination to modernize payments and keep pace with global developments in digital currency and cashless transactions.

ECB Targets Early 2026 Political Agreement for Launch of Digital Euro

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The European Central Bank (ECB) aims to have all key political decisions in place by early 2026 to pave the way for launching a digital euro, ECB Executive Board Member Piero Cipollone said on Thursday. Once the necessary legislation is finalized, the ECB expects it would take two to three years to launch the digital currency.

Although the ECB has been exploring a digital euro for several years, progress has been slow due to the absence of a proper legal framework. Cipollone expressed hope that EU political consensus could be reached before summer 2025, with additional legislative work by the European Parliament extending into early 2026.

Key Features of the Digital Euro:

  • Provides consumers with a direct claim on the ECB, unlike current card payments through private providers like Visa or Mastercard.

  • Designed to function similarly to cash, offering high security and offline payment options.

  • Supports both online and in-person transactions, enhancing digital resilience and financial sovereignty.

Strategic Context:

The urgency behind the initiative has increased due to geopolitical developments, particularly following the election of Donald Trump, which has heightened concerns over European dependence on U.S.-based digital payment infrastructure. Europe currently relies heavily on American financial firms, posing a potential strategic vulnerability.

French central bank governor François Villeroy de Galhau, also speaking at the event, noted that recent political shifts, such as Trump’s return to office, have strengthened the ECB’s resolve to press ahead with the digital euro project.

If launched successfully, the digital euro would position Europe among the global leaders in central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), alongside initiatives already underway in China and the United States.

ECB Eyes Trump’s Crypto Plan to Accelerate Digital Euro Development

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The European Central Bank (ECB) hopes that U.S. President Donald Trump’s support for cryptocurrencies pegged to the U.S. dollar will speed up legislative progress for the digital euro, according to ECB board member Piero Cipollone. The ECB sees its digital euro as an alternative electronic payment method that could lessen Europe’s dependence on U.S. companies like Visa and PayPal.

Cipollone noted that Trump’s backing of globally available stablecoins tied to the U.S. dollar would further expand U.S.-dominated payment systems, adding urgency to the digital euro initiative. The European Commission proposed digital euro legislation in June 2023, but progress has been slow amid skepticism from some lawmakers and financial institutions.

“The political world is becoming more alert to this,” Cipollone said in a recent interview. “And it’s possible that we will see an acceleration in the process.” He expressed hope that the European Parliament and Council would finalize their work on the legislation by summer, allowing for negotiations with the Commission. If all goes as planned, the rules could be finalized by November, when the ECB is set to decide whether to launch the digital euro.

EU lawmaker Markus Ferber mentioned that the Parliament might only have a report ready by summer, signaling slower progress than expected.

Cipollone raised concerns about the growing use of U.S. stablecoins, as they could encourage Europeans to transfer their deposits to the U.S. in favor of using dollar-backed stablecoins for payments. This shift, he argued, would further strain European banks as they lose deposits to U.S. platforms.

Bankers are also wary of the digital euro, fearing that it could lead customers to move their funds into ECB-backed digital wallets. To alleviate such concerns, the ECB has proposed capping the holdings in digital euro wallets at a few thousand euros and not offering interest on these deposits.

Globally, other countries, including Nigeria, Jamaica, and the Bahamas, have already launched central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), with 44 other nations, including Russia, China, and Brazil, running pilots. In contrast, Trump has prohibited the U.S. Federal Reserve from issuing its own CBDC.