# CBDC

> Central Bank Digital Currency. A digital version of a country's official money issued by its central bank.

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Source: What The Block! Dictionary v1.0 (last updated 2026-04-25), browsable at https://wtb.fudfomo.co.

## Definition

A CBDC is a digital form of a country's official currency, issued and backed by its central bank. CBDCs are not the same as private stablecoins or cryptocurrencies; they are simply a digital version of state money.

Several countries have launched or piloted CBDCs, with very different designs around privacy, intermediation, and offline use. CBDCs are likely to coexist with cash, bank money, and private digital assets rather than replace them.

## Regulatory context

CBDCs are part of the official monetary system and sit under central bank and financial regulation.

## Related terms

- [Stablecoin](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/stablecoin): A token designed to hold the same value as a regular currency, usually the US dollar.
- [Cryptocurrency](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/cryptocurrency): Digital money that lives on a blockchain instead of in a bank account.
- [SEC](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/sec): The US Securities and Exchange Commission. The American regulator that decides whether a token counts as a security.
- [MiCA](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/mica): The Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation. The European Union's main rulebook for crypto firms.

## See the full catalogue

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