Anna Omarini Joins Advisory Commission on Digital Pound

Starting from January, 2024, Anna Omarini of the Bocconi Department of Finance will join the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Academic Advisory Group, a commission of academics from different universities set up by the UK Treasury and the Bank of England to provide expert advice during the design phase of the digital pound.

While as a matter of fact it is not yet known whether or when a digital UK currency will eventually exist, the design stage of this currency is under way, on the assumption that an effective design phase will ensure that the development of a digital pound can be faster if a decision is taken to launch it.

The group includes academics from a range of disciplines including monetary policy, finance, competition economics, industrial organization, behavioral science, law, innovation theory, marketing, and business. Anna Omarini is one of very few members from outside the United Kingdom. The Academic Advisory Group "will serve as a platform for knowledge exchange and research collaboration. As a multidisciplinary group, it will provide a wide-ranging and nuanced view on the key questions" on digital currencies.