Share this article

Bank of England Governor Insists Digital Payments (but Not Crypto) Are Sticking Around

BoE Governor Andrew Bailey said cryptocurrencies "as originally formulated" are not the ideal form of digital currency.

Updated Sep 14, 2021, 11:01 a.m. Published Jan 25, 2021, 6:33 p.m.
Bank of England Chief Andrew Bailey
Bank of England Chief Andrew Bailey

Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey held the central banker's line against cryptocurrency proliferation at the Davos conference Monday.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters

At the same time, Bailey, a panelist at Davos' digital currency talk, stressed that digital innovation in payments is here to stay. It's just a matter of finding the right design and governance model for a "lasting digital currency," he said.

"I don't think we're there yet," said Bailey, adding, "Honestly, I don't think cryptocurrencies as originally formulated are it."

Bailey said the problem rests with value and volatility. People want their payments conducted over a stable medium, which the original cryptocurrency, bitcoin, certainly lacks.

Enter fiat innovation. Bailey suggested fiat systems could be made more efficient through digital means.

"We're right still to debate stablecoin, we're right to debate central bank digital currency. Those issues, I think, are very much up for grabs," he said.

More For You

Protocol Research: GoPlus Security

GP Basic Image

What to know:

  • As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
  • GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
  • Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.

More For You

Juventus Fan Token Slides Over 13% After Tether Bid Rebuff, Even as Club Shares Surge

Juventus Fan Token

Juventus Football Club shares surged after stablecoin issuer Tether made, and was rebuffed on, a €1.1 billion takeover bid, while the club’s fan token saw a double-digit pullback.

What to know:

  • Juventus' fan token (JUV) fell over 13% after Tether's €1.1 billion takeover bid was rejected.
  • Tether's proposal valued Juventus at a 21% premium, marking a significant crypto-backed move into sports.
  • Juventus shares rose 14% following the bid's rejection, while the club continues to face financial challenges.