Tech powerhouse Samsung Electronics has taken a significant step towards the exploration of central bank digital currency (CBDC) for offline payments, joining forces with South Korea’s central bank, Bank of Korea (BOK). The recent signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two entities marks a momentous occasion, paving the way for a series of blockchain-based projects.
The collaboration aims to test the possibilities of conducting remittance and payments without internet connectivity through near-field communication (NFC) on Samsung devices. Samsung Electronics VP Won-joon Choi highlighted the value of this partnership, emphasizing that Samsung’s high-level security technology will be applied to the digital currency field, significantly advancing the development of global offline CBDC technology.
While the partnership is undoubtedly a positive development, one cannot ignore the inherent challenges of the CBDC landscape. The need for substantial research on digital currencies has led to various other tech giants, such as JPMorgan, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and Citigroup, addressing digital currency-related matters in similar ways by restricting the use of generative AI tools.
Samsung’s active engagement in the second phase of BOK’s 10-month CBDC simulation experiment research has already offered valuable insights into the retail CBDC sector. With the first stage focusing on the digital currency’s essential operations — such as issuance, distribution, and redemption — the partnership’s recent signing highlights the potential that lies in utilizing offline CBDCs.
Despite the anticipated benefits of integrating CBDCs into real-world applications, Samsung’s recent ban on employees using generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT on company-owned devices and internal networks creates some uncertainty. The decision came after a sensitive code was uploaded to the AI platform, prompting the tech giant to investigate tighter security measures, thereby striving to maintain a secure environment for generative AI usage.
Drawing a clear conclusion from the intertwining of Samsung and BOK’s CBDC journey is not an easy task. While on one hand, the collaboration has the potential to unlock new pathways for conducting offline payments and remittance through highly secure means, the ongoing need to explore the safety and feasibility of CBDCs suggest that the road to achieving a truly efficient digital alternative to traditional currencies is indeed a long one.
Nevertheless, the tireless pursuit of technological advancements in digital currency is paving the way for the continued growth of the realm of CBDCs, a phenomenon not only confined to South Korea but one that is also reaching an ever-growing global audience.
Source: Cointelegraph
