Karina A. Johnson is the CBDC Project Specialist at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and Project Manager on the ECCB’s DCash pilot project. DCash was the first CBDC issued by a currency union. Karina is an attorney-at-law and holds postgraduate specialisations in International Economic Law; and Finance and Law. She is a founding member of the Caribbean Digital Finance Alliance.

The ECCB is the Monetary Authority for a population of 600,000+ people spanning six sovereign states: Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Saint Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and two U.K. overseas: Anguilla and Montserrat. The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) has been diligently fulfilling its mission of “Advancing the good of the people of the Currency Union” by maintaining monetary and financial stability and promoting growth and development.

CB+DC Academy: First Movers-Insights from the ECCB's CBDC Pilot and New Perspectives on the Future of Digital Money

With the completion of the ECCB's 3-year CBDC pilot and the benefit of post-pilot analysis, how has our approach to, and thinking about, CBDCs evolved. Specifically; how have we levied the lessons of the pilot in clarifying a role for CBDCs as part of an integrated and innovative payment system in the ECCU.

 

As the digital currency landscape matures, stakeholders across the public and private sectors are grappling with what lies ahead. This forward-looking panel will examine various perspectives on the future trajectory of digital currencies, including CBDCs, stablecoins, and tokenized deposits.

The discussion will explore key trends shaping the next phase of digital currency adoption, including regulatory convergence, technological innovation, cross-border collaboration, and evolving use cases in retail and wholesale finance. Panelists will reflect on lessons learned from recent pilot programs and policy developments, while identifying critical priorities for ensuring scalability, trust, and inclusivity.

This session aims to provide a holistic outlook on how digital currencies are likely to impact the global financial system, the strategic decisions ahead for both regulators and innovators, and the collective roadmap needed to foster a resilient, interoperable, and equitable digital financial future.