CBDCs
artifactMoney & Finance · Nations & Geopolitics
A government-issued digital currency can be set to expire, restrict where you spend, tax you instantly, or freeze on command.
Who they are
Central bank digital currencies — government digital money, coordinated through the Bank for International Settlements.
What they do
The engine frames them as rationing and control infrastructure, since programmable money means programmable behavior.
How it works
BIS chief Carstens said the bank would have 'absolute control' over the rules and the technology to enforce them. BIS runs pilots like mBridge (2024), Icebreaker, Dunbar, and Mariana. China's e-CNY pays interest, turning it into 'digital deposit money,' and in its final 'Going Direct' form the central bank puts money straight into wallets, bypassing regular banks. Built-in features can include expiration, geographic and category limits, negative rates, real-time taxation, and remote freeze — with every transaction logged in one central database.
Why it matters
Whoever writes the rules of the currency can dictate what you buy, where, and whether your money stays usable.
The engine's record — word for word
Central bank digital currencies. Rationing infrastructure. Joulework energy allocation. Programmable money = programmable behavior. Carstens (BIS GM): "absolute control on the rules and regulations that will determine the use of the currency, and the technology to enforce that." BIS coordinates: mBridge (MVP 2024), Icebreaker, Dunbar, Mariana. China e-CNY paying interest on wallets = "digital deposit money." Going Direct terminal form: central bank injects directly into wallets, bypassing commercial banking. Every transaction = centralized database entry. Programmable features: expiration, geographic restriction, category restriction, negative rates, real-time taxation, remote freeze.
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