The Bank of England has launched a new call for evidence from businesses as it seeks to better understand the likely impact of introducing a digital pound.
The central bank says the programme aims to uncover where a retail CBDC could add value to different types of firms and which features would prove most or least useful across sectors, said Finextra.
The findings are expected to feed into ongoing analysis as the Bank enters the next stage of its design work.
The UK is currently in what the Bank describes as a “design phase”, with the long-term objective of creating a clear proposition for a potential digital pound. Earlier this year, the Bank announced plans for a Digital Pound Lab, which operates as a sandbox environment for companies to test API functionality, explore innovative use cases and experiment with prospective business models for both PIPs and ESIPs. This initiative forms a core part of the Bank’s broader research into how a CBDC could function in practice.
The Bank now intends to engage with organisations that have not yet taken part in the Lab but are interested in understanding how a digital pound could support their commercial activities. “The case studies are designed to sit alongside and complement the Digital Pound Lab by improving our understanding of the business impact of different potential digital pound features for merchant adopters,” the Bank said.
Applications are open until 9 January 2026, with selected firms invited to bilateral workshops in February and March. Companies from all sectors can apply provided they are exploring digital pound use cases without yet participating in hands-on experimentation.
The move comes amid increased scrutiny of CBDCs. Reports in July suggested the Bank may be reconsidering its digital pound ambitions, instead urging industry to accelerate private-sector payment innovations. Similar caution has emerged elsewhere, with Norway’s central bank stating it does not currently recommend launching a CBDC. “We will be ready to introduce a central bank digital currency if it becomes necessary to maintain an efficient and secure payment system,” Norges Bank governor Ida Wolden Bache said.
Keep up with all the latest FinTech news here
Copyright © 2025 FinTech Global
The post BoE expands research as doubts grow over digital pound appeared first on FinTech Global.