On January 20th, 2023 the IMF hosted a virtual seminar called The Fight for the Future of Money, where they invited former CFTC Chairman J. Chris Giancarlo, BPI Senior Fellow Natalie Smolenski, and the IMF's Tommaso Mancini-Griffoli to debate the merits and risks of CBDCs.

In her presentation, Natalie warned of the dangers of CBDCs, the growth of the surveillance state, and the unity of bank and state. She explained how AML/KYC laws constitute warrantless surveillance and fail to stop crime. She concluded her presentation by advocating for bitcoin as an alternative to CBDCs.

Watch Natalie's presentation here.

Download Natalie's powerpoint here.