Digital finance

Blockchain: Cutting through the noise

Introduction: Framing of our blog series on distributed ledger technology…

Distributed Ledger Technology: What Is It and Why Do We Care?

Blockchain Series: Blog 1…

Distributed Ledgers: Looking Past the Hype

Blockchain Series: Blog 2…

DLT: Keep Calm and Let the Evidence Speak

Blockchain Series: Blog 3…

Public Financial Management and the Digitalization of Payments

Joint report by the Better Than Cash Alliance, the Center for Global Development, and the Overseas Development Institute, building on work with the International Monetary Fund in 2017.

In the IMF’s Fight Against Corruption, Digital Payments are a Powerful Weapon

IMF managing director Christine Lagarde is to be applauded for her recent leadership in the fight against corruption, and her recognition that there is an increasingly limited role for cash …

How policymakers can drive uptake of digital payments

New BCG publication discusses the foundational elements that raise the chances of a successful digital journey. Laying the foundations for a cashless economy, it says, should begin with an overarching national payments agenda driven by key stakeholders, including the government. 

A Regulatory Diagnostic Toolkit for Digital Financial Services in Emerging Markets Toolkit

This University of New South Wales paper proposes a framework – a Regulatory Diagnostic Toolkit (RDT) – designed to support financial regulators in emerging markets to advance their regulatory regimes for DFS.

Digital identification: A key to inclusive growth

In this report, McKinsey Global Institute discusses the opportunities and challenges in setting up a good digital ID system. It also features case studies on Nigeria, Ethiopia and India. …

Fintech Partnership Playbook

How can we gainfully engage the private sector to strengthen digital finance ecosystems? New USAID Playbook shares 5 objectives and 10 illustrative plays, including examples, that are extrem…

Digital money: A journey worth taking

What four factors determine the digital money readiness of an economy? What measures can our member governments take to improve their ability to adopt digital payments widely? Read the lates…

Testing the Waters: Digital Payments for Water and Sanitation

Water providers are shifting to digital payments to reduce expenses and streamline delivery. In this report, CGAP and GSMA share lessons learned from 25 organizations, including the challeng…

How UN organizations can boost their impact

In a new report, the Better Than Cash Alliance shows how improved digitization and harmonization can help UN agencies and partners make an even greater impact.

Is cash still relevant?

2018 highlights!

Here are highlights on how our global partnership ignited progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals through shifting to digital payments.

Cash Digitization: UN Collaboration, Coordination, and Harmonization Opportunities

Mobile Technology and Financial Service Bundling: A Structural Estimation of Mobile Money

The paper examines the effects of mobile money as financial technology and service innovation on consumer demand, connecting the effects to the fast evolving mobile technologies (from 1G to 4G).

Get in the fast lane through digital payments

In this 4-part blog series, we examine key aspects of the transportation sector: tolling, urban transit, and ride-sharing with a focus on emerging economies.

New Key to Help Unlock the Power of Digital Payments

Across the global policy community, the jury is now in about the power of digital payments to drive financial inclusion, particularly for women and the poor; improve efficiency and transpare…

An Introduction to Digital Financial Services (DFS)

Digital Financial Services (DFS) is a relatively new, low-cost means of digital access to transactional financial services. Often termed ‘mobile money’ or ‘mobile financial services,’ DFS is…