G+D Filia® A Winner in the MAS Global CBDC Challenge

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has declared Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) as one of the three winners of the Global Central Bank Digital Currency Challenge (Global CBDC Challenge). The judges awarded G+D´s solution Filia® for being a means of payment that can be universally used and is truly inclusive enabling participation in the digital economy even without a smartphone or a bank account. The announcement took place at the Singapore FinTech Festival.
The Global CBDC Challenge, initiated by the MAS in June 2021, sought to identify and develop retail CBDC solutions that increase payment efficiencies, improve financial inclusion, and support the broader digitalisation drive of the economy. The Challenge was held in partnership with the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, United Nations Capital Development Fund, United Nations High Commission for Refugees, United Nations Development Programme, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
After five months of intense competition among more than 300 submissions from over 50 countries, three winners were selected for their innovative solutions that best addressed the policy objectives of the challenge. The winners were appointed from 15 finalists who pitched their solutions at a Demo Day to an international panel of judges. It comprised of thought leaders, policy experts, academia, and senior representatives from central banks and inter-governmental organisations.