CBDCs as a Tool for Financial Inclusion and Offline Access

A Cointelegraph opinion argues that CBDCs (central bank digital currencies) are crucial for closing the “cash-digital divide.” The piece cites World Bank data showing 1.3 billion adults are unbanked and rely on cash, which limits access to formal banking, credit, and insurance. The author says governments should actively promote CBDCs as trusted, low-cost, and risk-free alternatives to physical cash. Key barriers for the unbanked include lack of affordable digital payments, missing transaction records, and the high cost of cash-handling infrastructure in remote areas. The article also notes that cash transactions don’t create digital history, which leaves financial providers viewing users as higher risk. On implementation, it highlights a two-tier distribution model where commercial banks and non-banking intermediaries can reach underserved populations. It also emphasizes offline capabilities for users without reliable internet or mobile connectivity, referencing designs that use short-range communication to keep payments resilient in remote areas. Privacy-preserving data sharing is presented as another benefit: CBDCs could enable voluntary transaction-data exchange to help build credit scores. The author connects this to improved access to savings, credit, and insurance. Adoption readiness is framed with World Bank Global Findex 2025 data: 86% of adults own a mobile phone, 79% have a bank account, and 61% use digital payments in low- and middle-income economies—yet 1.3 billion people still lack financial accounts. Overall, the article concludes CBDCs can provide safe, affordable, convenient entry points into the formal economy.