The Riksbank is conducting a pilot project with Accenture to develop a technical solution for an e-krona that can work as a complement to cash. The aim of the project is to show how an e-krona could be used by the general public. A digital krona should be simple, user-friendly as well as fulfill critical requirements for security and performance.
In the test environment, simulated users shall be able to hold e-kronor in a digital wallet, make payments, deposits and withdrawals via a mobile app. The user shall also be able to make payments via wearables, such as smart watches, and cards. The pilot project runs until the end of February 2021, with the option to extend and further develop the technical solution.
The pilot project’s technical solution will be based on Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), often referred to as blockchain technology. The technical solution will be evaluated in a test environment, in which participants, for example the general public and banks, are simulated.
There is currently no decision on issuing an e-krona, how an e-krona might be designed or what technology might be used. The main purpose of the pilot is for the Riksbank to increase its knowledge of a central bank digital krona.