This interview podcast features Tony Edward speaking with James Wallis, Ripple's Vice President of Central Bank Engagements. The conversation centers on Ripple's CBDC platform, its functionality, and Ripple's partnerships with various countries (including Colombia and Palau) to develop and implement CBDCs. Wallis details the platform's four key components (issuer, operator, wallets, and the XRP ledger) and discusses the potential for both private and public ledger implementations. A significant portion of the discussion focuses on the implications of programmable CBDCs, including privacy concerns and the need for government transparency to build public trust. The interview concludes with a discussion of Ripple's CBDC Innovate Hackathon and the evolving relationship between central banks and the private sector in the development of digital currencies.
