From Demonetisation to Digital Currency: How India Led the Global Shift Toward Sovereign Digital Money
From Demonetisation to Digital Currency: How India Led the Global Shift Toward Sovereign Digital Money India is a visionary nation. India had a serious problem of terrorism and funding terrorism through fake currency notes. India, to abate terrorism, opted for demonetisation on 8th November 2016. India introduced digital payment platforms simultaneously. We now have Bharat Pay, G Pay and even every bank has started their UPI. India has shown the world the path towards a digital world. Now, the west side of the globe is following India’s footsteps. USA PASSES LAW OF REGULATORY FRAMEWORK OF DIGITAL CURRENCY: The Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act, signed into law in July 2025, establishes the first comprehensive federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins in the United States. It mandates 100% reserve backing, strict, liquidity requirements, and brings issuers under Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) compliance. Key Aspects of the GENIUS Act (2025-2026): Purpose: To foster innovation in digital assets while protecting consumers and ensuring financial stability. Reserve Requirements: Requires stablecoins to be backed 1:1 by high-quality, liquid assets, such as U.S. dollars or short-term Treasury bills. Issuer Regulation: Only permitted issuers can create payment stablecoins; they must adhere to capital and risk management rules. Consumer Protection: Guarantees redemption rights for stablecoin holders and mandates public disclosures of reserves. Compliance: Subjects issuers to anti-money laundering (AML), countering the financing of terrorism (CFT), and sanction requirements. International Scope: Foreign issuers targeting U.S. users are held to the same standards as domestic issuers. The Treasury Department is actively implementing the law, with public comment periods regarding the regulation of these digital assets extending into late 2025 Overview of U.S. Monetary Evolution The U.S. monetary system has undergone major changes, including: Early issuance of private bank and Treasury currencies. Creation of the Federal Reserve in 1914 as the sole currency issuer. Abandonment of gold and silver convertibility after 1933. These shifts were controversial decisions and actions but are now widely accepted. Emergence of Digital Currencies and CBDC Debate Private digital currencies (e.g., Bitcoin) and foreign CBDCs have prompted U.S. policy debates. A Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) is the digital form of a nation’s sovereign currency, issued and regulated by the central bank (e.g., RBI’s “Digital Rupee” or e₹). It acts as legal tender, is interchangeable 1:1 with physical cash, and is designed to make transactions faster, cheaper, and more secure. Key Aspects of CBDCs: Types: Divided into Retail (CBDC-R) for public use and Wholesale (CBDC-W) for interbank settlements. Storage: Held in digital wallets provided by banks, offering 24/7 transactions. Global Status: Over 130 countries, representing 98% of global GDP, are exploring or have launched CBDCs, driven by the need for enhanced digital payment efficiency. Digital Currency Vs. Crypto: Unlike cryptocurrencies, CBDCs are centralised, backed by the state, and not volatile. Goals: Reduce cash-handling costs, improve financial inclusion, and increase cross-border payment efficiency. Key questions include: Whether the Federal Reserve should issue a CBDC. Whether a CBDC would fundamentally change the financial system or simply modernise it. USA Congress has held several hearings and proposed multiple CBDC-related bills in recent sessions. Purpose of the […]
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Monetary Power in the 21st Century: Theories, and The Rise and Resilience of the Dollar
Monetary Power in the 21st Century: Theories and The Rise and Resilience of the Dollar Printing more dollars hits the US economy hard because it increases the money supply without a corresponding increase in the actual goods and services produced, leading to devaluation and higher prices When the Federal Reserve prints money (or creates it digitally through quantitative easing), it devalues the existing currency, which reduces purchasing power and causes inflation. Here is how printing money hurts the economy: High Inflation: When more money chases the same amount of goods, prices for everyday items rise, as demonstrated in 2021-2022 when high money supply growth led to sharp inflation. Decreased Purchasing Power: As inflation rises, each dollar buys fewer goods and services. This is particularly harmful to consumers, as their wages and savings no longer stretch as far, reducing their standard of living. Erosion of Savings: Inflation act as a “hidden tax” on cash holders. Those with savings, particularly on fixed incomes, see the real value of their money plummet. Loss of Investor Confidence: Excessive, uncontrolled money printing can lead to a loss of faith in the US dollar. If investors believe the currency will continue to lose value, they may shift to more stable assets, reducing the demand for dollars globally. Currency Devaluation Risk: Persistent printing can cause the dollar to weaken against other currencies, making imports more expensive and contributing to trade imbalances. Increased National Debt: When the government prints money to finance spending, it increases the national debt. As the debt grows, it becomes harder for the government to service its obligations without further debasing the currency. Market Bubbles: The influx of money often flows into stocks and real estate rather than into the productive economy, creating asset price bubbles that can lead to financial instability. While printing money can provide a temporary economic boost during a recession, it can cause significant long-term damage if it becomes an addictive tool for handling debt, with historical cases like Germany in the 1920s and Zimbabwe in the 2000s highlighting how it can destroy an economy. THEORY PROPELLED BY VARIOUS ECONOMIST. The concept of printing currency is a highly debated topic among leading economists. On one side, traditional theory stress the importance of maintaining monetary stability, while more modern perspectives support using debt-financed spending to stimulate the economy. At the heart of this debate is the challenge of finding the right balance between leveraging money creation to boost economic activity and managing the potential risks of inflation Here are the primary theories and the authors associated with them: 1. Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) MMT, which gained prominence in the 2010s, argues that governments that issue their own fiat currency (like the US, UK, Japan, and Canada) are not constrained by revenue when it comes to spending. Therefore, they can, and should, print money to fund public services and maintain full employment. Key Authors/Proponents: Warren Mosler (who authored The 7 Deadly Innocent Frauds of Economic Policy and Soft Currency Economics), Stephanie Kelton (The Deficit Myth), L. Randall Wray, and Bill Mitchell. Core Theory: Sovereign governments cannot go broke and do not need […]
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“DE-DOLLARIZATION: DIVERSIFYING FOR A RESILIENT FUTURE”
“DE-DOLLARIZATION: DIVERSIFYING FOR A RESILIENT FUTURE” De-dollarization refers to the process by which countries, institutions, and companies reduce their reliance on the U.S. dollar in international trade, finance, and reserves. In practical terms, it means: Using other currencies (like the euro, yuan, or local currencies) instead of the dollar for trade and payments Holding fewer U.S. dollars in central bank reserves Issuing debt and pricing commodities in non-dollar currencies Settling financial transactions outside the dollar-based system Key idea: Structural vs. Cyclical Demand Structural demand (long-term) This is about the dollar’s role as the world’s main reserve and transaction currency. It includes: Dominance in foreign exchange markets Use in global commodities (oil, gas, metals) Currency used for international loans and bonds Share of global central bank reserves De-dollarization mainly targets this structural role. If it happens meaningfully, the dollar’s global influence weakens over time. Cyclical demand (short-term) This is driven by economic cycles and market trends, such as: Strong U.S. economic growth High U.S. interest rates Strong stock market performance Global investors seeking “safe assets” Recently, strong U.S. performance (“U.S. exceptionalism”) has increased demand for dollars. Investors hold more USD because U.S. assets looked more attractive. A weaker dollar in the future doesn’t automatically mean de-dollarization. It may just reflect changing market conditions. Why countries pursue de-dollarization? As of early 2026, the USA actively imposes financial and trade sanctions via the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). Key targeted countries include Russia, Iran, Cuba, North Korea, Syria, and Venezuela, aiming to restrict trade, influence behavior, and protect national security. Recent actions involve targeting entities linked to Iran’s energy trade, including firms in India, China, and the UAE. Countries may want to reduce dollar dependence to: Avoid U.S. sanctions and financial pressure Reduce exposure to U.S. monetary policy Increase financial sovereignty Strengthen their own currencies Examples include China, Russia, and some BRICS countries promoting trade in local currencies. BRICS SUMMIT 2024 INDIA’S APPROACH ON THE ISSUE The central bank of India, Reserve Bank of India, erstwhile Governor Shaktikanta Das, stated in December 2024 that dedollarization for India was only a part of “derisking” Indian trade and reducing dependence on any one currency since that may become “problematic”. While a BRICS currency had been raised by a member state, nothing specific was decided. He also compared the Euro and stated how nations in Euro countries are located in proximity, while that is not the case with BRICS.This was in response to a question about President-elect Trump warning about tariffs. Former ambassador D. Bala Venkatesh Varma, in an interview with the think tank India Foundation, states that India’s stance in BRICS is “pro-India” and “claiming that BRICS is dominated by China is an exaggeration”. ( wikipedia) US Gold Reserves: Stability, Not Decline US gold reserves have remained unchanged for decades, currently at 8,133.46 tonnes (about $11.041 billion at official valuation). The US remains the world’s largest official holder of gold, accounting for over a quarter of global central bank gold reserves. While the US gold stock is stable, other countries—especially China, Russia, and several emerging markets—have accelerated […]
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