Legal Hour | Central Bank Digital Currency - A Global Game Changer? | China International Business and Economic Law (CIBEL) Centre

About this event

UNSW Law & Justice invites you to join this dynamic panel discussion on the topic of Central bank digital currency: a global game changer?

Central bank digital currency (CBDC) is a digital version of fiat currency. With the rise of cryptocurrencies, declining use of cash, and emergence of stablecoins, economies such as Australia, EU, US and China are exploring CBDCs and the possibility of CBDCs going global.

With the introduction of CBDCs, currency competition is likely to be fierce between public money and private money, giving rise to a new financial ecosystem that will generate huge volumes of data that is considered ‘King’ in the digital age. CBDCs will also profoundly affects business models – from finance and e-commerce, to data, technology and security.

As we look ahead to the future, what are the game changing impacts of CBDCs? How do the benefits and opportunities weigh up against the challenges and risks?

Join the conversation with leading experts in law and business, who will discuss the structure of CBDCs in the financial system and what CBDCs will mean for local and international businesses.

Chair

UNSW Scientia Professor Ross Buckley

Professor Ross Buckley is a UNSW Scientia Professor at UNSW Law & Justice and a member of the Herbert Smith Freehills China International Business & Economic Law (CIBEL) Centre. He is an ARC Laureate Fellow; KPMG Law -- King & Wood Mallesons Chair in Disruptive Innovation; and Chair of the Digital Finance Advisory Panel, Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC).

His principal area of research interest is in international regulatory measures to increase the resilience and stability of financial systems. His Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship (ARC) is a $2.6 million project that explores how Australia might best regulate the rise of data and its analysis so as to seize the related benefits while managing the many risks.

Professor Buckley is the third most-read legal author in the world from the Social Science Research Network.

Speakers

Urszula McCormack - Partner, Cross Border Finance and Technology, King & Wood Mallesons

Urszula McCormack is a Partner at King & Wood Mallesons based in Sydney and Hong Kong.

Urszula is a regulatory and digital economy lawyer, with a focus on blockchain and other emerging technologies. Urszula is especially well known for building global digital ecosystems that integrate virtual assets and payments.

Urszula is a member of multiple advisory bodies and has been appointed to the Panel of Recognised International Market Experts (P.R.I.M.E.). She is regularly invited to brief governments, regulators, central banks and transnational policymakers. Urszula is admitted to practice law in Hong Kong, Australia and England & Wales.

Professor Barney Tan - Head of School, Information Systems and Technology Management, UNSW Business School

Barney is the Head of School and a Professor at the School of Information Systems and Technology Management (SISTM) of UNSW Business School. He graduated with a PhD in Information Systems from the National University of Singapore and was formerly Professor of Strategic Information Systems and Deputy Head of the Discipline of Business Information Systems at The University of Sydney.

His research interests include digital platforms and ecosystems, fintech and blockchain applications, IT and sustainable development, IT management in the Asia-Pacific, and qualitative research.

Barney’s research has been published in MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research, Journal of Association of Information Systems, and Information Systems Journal. He is also currently a Senior Editor at Information Systems Journal and Information Technology and People, as well as an Associate Editor at Information and Management and Internet Research. 

Michele Levine - Partner, Hamilton Locke

Michele is a Partner at Hamilton Locke and alumna of UNSW Law & Justice and UNSW Business School (LL.B/BCom). Michele is an innovative and trusted financial services lawyer that acts for clients across financial services, credit, insurance, fintech, payments and cryptocurrency. She provides support on all legal aspects, including regulatory advice on product design, service offerings, distribution, licensing, agreements, compliance obligations, transactions and regulator engagement and enforcement. She understands the regulatory environment (current and emerging) and is well placed to advise on regulatory requirements, legal solutions and risk mitigation strategies for businesses of all sizes. She is passionate about fintech and works with Blockchain Australia and Fintech Australia. Michele is also a mentor at Startupbootcamp.