韓國央行將在超市和便利商店試用 CBDC 代幣支付

韓國銀行 CBDC 代幣試驗將於 12 月啟動

South Korea’s central bank is set to launch a large-scale trial of its central bank digital currency (CBDC) in December, allowing participants to use digital tokens for payments at supermarkets and convenience stores, according to a report by the Korea Times.

根據《韓國時報》報道，韓國央行將於 12 月啟動央行數位貨幣（CBDC）的大規模試驗，允許參與者在超市和便利商店使用數位代幣進行支付。

The Bank of Korea (BOK) has been working on developing a CBDC for several years, and this latest trial is a major step toward the potential launch of a full-fledged digital currency. The trial will involve six major commercial banks and 100,000 participants, who will be able to use deposit tokens, which function similarly to vouchers, for purchases at various retail outlets.

韓國央行（BOK）多年來一直致力於開發 CBDC，這次最新的試驗是朝著推出成熟的數位貨幣邁出的重要一步。該試驗將涉及六家主要商業銀行和 10 萬名參與者，他們將能夠使用存款代幣（其功能類似於代金券）在各個零售店購物。

The BOK will issue a wholesale CBDC to banks, which will convert it into deposit tokens for consumers to use at select retail locations. The goal of this setup is to assess whether CBDCs can improve or replace the existing process, where banks use their deposits at the central bank for transactions and settlements. This project builds on a plan that was initially outlined in October as part of the push toward a digital economy.

韓國央行將向銀行發行批發 CBDC，銀行將其轉換為存款代幣，供消費者在選定的零售地點使用。這項設定的目標是評估 CBDC 是否可以改善或取代現有流程，即銀行使用其在央行的存款進行交易和結算。該項目建立在 10 月最初概述的計劃之上，作為推動數位經濟的一部分。

Participating banks are forming partnerships with retailers and developing digital platforms to ensure smooth implementation of the CBDC trial. For instance, NH Nonghyup Bank is involving its subsidiary Hanaro Mart in the trial, while other banks are reportedly negotiating with major convenience stores and supermarkets to join.

參與銀行正在與零售商建立合作夥伴關係並開發數位平台，以確保 CBDC 試驗的順利實施。例如，NH農協銀行正在讓其子公司Hanaro Mart參與試驗，而據報道，其他銀行正在與主要便利商店和超市談判加入。

notably, the BOK is also part of Project Agora, a global initiative that is exploring the tokenization of cross-border payments, which includes six major Korean banks. A banking industry official told the Korea Times that while the timeline for the CBDC test seems slightly delayed compared to their initial expectations, they are working to launch it by the end of the year, which would be a globally significant milestone.

值得注意的是，BOK 也是 Agora 計畫的一部分，該計畫是一項全球倡議，旨在探索跨境支付的代幣化，其中包括韓國六家主要銀行。一位銀行業官員告訴《韓國時報》，雖然 CBDC 測試的時間表與他們最初的預期相比似乎略有延遲，但他們正在努力在今年年底之前推出它，這將是全球重要的里程碑。