数字货币可以帮助穷人？听PayPal的CEO怎么说
如今，全球金融系统需要一次大升级。无论你在哪里，金融系统的费用都很高且极不方便，有时候企业需要几天时间才能够完成交易结算，而且低收入人群获取或使用钱款的手续费过高。
在新冠疫情期间，封锁措施促使全球消费者和企业只可以接受数字优先的商务环境，数字支付技术在三至五个月内实现了三至五年的飞跃。
现在，金融服务业迎来了一个前所未有的重塑行业架构的机会，让更多人能够享受到便捷的支付，实现资金往来的即时高效，降低成本，最重要的是保证安全。虽然从现金向数字货币转型仍然处在早期阶段，但对金融系统的基本技术架构进行现代化升级的时机已经成熟。
将数字货币变成主流可以扩大其使用范围，尤其是针对弱势群体和低收入人群。美国推出的新冠刺激政策凸显出了这种便利的支付手段的重要性，因为有数以百万计没有银行账号的美国人领取政府补助时出现了延误甚至无法领取的情况，其中许多人是有色人种或者没有太多谋生手段的人群。更可悲的是，能够获得急需资金的人群还需要支付极高的支票兑换和处理费。而数字钱包和数字货币可以帮助填补这个空白，保证人们能够在急需时即时获得资金。
加密货币一直被作为一种投资资产，但它们作为支付机制的采用率较低。宣传、普及和推广数字货币，包括法定货币数字化，能够大幅提高数字支付的使用率。数字货币可以带来许多好处，尤其是企业和消费者将从中受益，他们有机会用更低成本、更安全和更高效的方式进行交易，同时满足消费者对于更多支付选择的广泛需求。
新的数字时代需要建设性的公私合作模式。它所需要的参与度和贡献力度，单靠政府或私营部门都力有未逮。信用卡网络、银行、科技公司和其他金融服务企业在积极推广数字货币的同时，应该与政府合作推进行业创新，并遵守国家和全球监管框架。这些合作对于利用区块链技术的不可变性打击违法金融活动，创建安全的生态系统至关重要。
新冠疫情给全世界的领导者们提出了挑战，他们必须进一步推动创新，才能够迎合数以百万计民众不再使用现金的潮流。随着各国央行和政策制定者纷纷开始探索央行数字货币（Central Bank Digital Currencies）在国内应用的途径，行业领导者应该发挥作用，为新数字经济模式的建立提供帮助。
随着我们的金融服务进入新阶段，企业有义务满足当前的紧迫需求，维护民众的信任。在满足当前的迫切需求开展负责任创新和进一步普及数字资产的同时，还需要宣传数字货币的能力、开展新产品测试试点，并就消费者安全才是重中之重这一点达成共识。
疫情让我们了解到世界上还有许多人和社区的财务状况非常糟糕。我们必须迅速采取行动，确保未来新时代的全球金融体系可以重视包容性，为有迫切需求的人们提供保障。而数字货币则是实现这个愿景的关键。（财富中文网）
本文作者丹·舒尔曼是PayPal公司总裁兼首席执行官。
译者：刘进龙
审校：汪皓
如今，全球金融系统需要一次大升级。无论你在哪里，金融系统的费用都很高且极不方便，有时候企业需要几天时间才能够完成交易结算，而且低收入人群获取或使用钱款的手续费过高。
在新冠疫情期间，封锁措施促使全球消费者和企业只可以接受数字优先的商务环境，数字支付技术在三至五个月内实现了三至五年的飞跃。
现在，金融服务业迎来了一个前所未有的重塑行业架构的机会，让更多人能够享受到便捷的支付，实现资金往来的即时高效，降低成本，最重要的是保证安全。虽然从现金向数字货币转型仍然处在早期阶段，但对金融系统的基本技术架构进行现代化升级的时机已经成熟。
将数字货币变成主流可以扩大其使用范围，尤其是针对弱势群体和低收入人群。美国推出的新冠刺激政策凸显出了这种便利的支付手段的重要性，因为有数以百万计没有银行账号的美国人领取政府补助时出现了延误甚至无法领取的情况，其中许多人是有色人种或者没有太多谋生手段的人群。更可悲的是，能够获得急需资金的人群还需要支付极高的支票兑换和处理费。而数字钱包和数字货币可以帮助填补这个空白，保证人们能够在急需时即时获得资金。
加密货币一直被作为一种投资资产，但它们作为支付机制的采用率较低。宣传、普及和推广数字货币，包括法定货币数字化，能够大幅提高数字支付的使用率。数字货币可以带来许多好处，尤其是企业和消费者将从中受益，他们有机会用更低成本、更安全和更高效的方式进行交易，同时满足消费者对于更多支付选择的广泛需求。
新的数字时代需要建设性的公私合作模式。它所需要的参与度和贡献力度，单靠政府或私营部门都力有未逮。信用卡网络、银行、科技公司和其他金融服务企业在积极推广数字货币的同时，应该与政府合作推进行业创新，并遵守国家和全球监管框架。这些合作对于利用区块链技术的不可变性打击违法金融活动，创建安全的生态系统至关重要。
新冠疫情给全世界的领导者们提出了挑战，他们必须进一步推动创新，才能够迎合数以百万计民众不再使用现金的潮流。随着各国央行和政策制定者纷纷开始探索央行数字货币（Central Bank Digital Currencies）在国内应用的途径，行业领导者应该发挥作用，为新数字经济模式的建立提供帮助。
随着我们的金融服务进入新阶段，企业有义务满足当前的紧迫需求，维护民众的信任。在满足当前的迫切需求开展负责任创新和进一步普及数字资产的同时，还需要宣传数字货币的能力、开展新产品测试试点，并就消费者安全才是重中之重这一点达成共识。
疫情让我们了解到世界上还有许多人和社区的财务状况非常糟糕。我们必须迅速采取行动，确保未来新时代的全球金融体系可以重视包容性，为有迫切需求的人们提供保障。而数字货币则是实现这个愿景的关键。（财富中文网）
本文作者丹·舒尔曼是PayPal公司总裁兼首席执行官。
译者：刘进龙
审校：汪皓
Our global financial system needs an upgrade. No matter where you are around the globe, the system is expensive and inconvenient, sometimes taking days to settle transactions for businesses, and charging exorbitant fees for lower-income populations to access or use their money.
During the pandemic, the growth of the use of digital-payment technologies leapfrogged by three to five years in the span of three to five months, as lockdowns led people and businesses globally to embrace a digital-first environment for commerce.
Now, more than ever before, the financial services industry has an opportunity to reshape its architecture to make payments accessible to more people and to enable transactions that are instantaneous, efficient, low cost and most of all, secure. While we remain in the early days of the transition from cash to more digital forms of money, the time is ripe to modernize and upgrade the underlying technological infrastructure of the financial system.
Mainstream adoption of digital currencies would expand accessibility, particularly for those who are underrepresented and have lower incomes. The need for this access was evident in the rollout of pandemic stimulus payments in the U.S., which were late in reaching and in some cases failed to reach millions of unbanked Americans––many of whom were people of color and those with lesser means. Those individuals that could access these much-needed funds were sadly disproportionately burdened with check-cashing and processing fees and charges. Digital wallets and currencies can help fill this critical gap, and ensure that people can get direct access to the money they need instantaneously.
Cryptocurrencies have historically been used as investment assets, and their adoption as payment mechanisms has been slow. Making digital currencies, including the digitization of fiat currencies, more useful, understood, and ubiquitous will go a long way to driving greater digital payment use and utility. The benefits are legion, particularly for businesses and consumers––presenting an opportunity to engage in cheaper, safer, and more efficient transactions while meeting widespread consumer demand for the expansion of payment options.
This new digital era demands constructive public-private partnership. It will require greater engagement and contributions than either government or the private sector can undertake alone. As card networks, banks, technology companies and others in the financial services industry lean into the positive promise of digital currencies, industry innovation should be pursued hand-in-hand in partnership with governments and in compliance with national and global regulatory frameworks. These partnerships will be critical to ensuring that we create a safe ecosystem leveraging the immutability of blockchain technology to help combat illicit finance.
The pandemic is challenging world leaders to push digital innovation further as millions of people move away from handling cash. As central banks and policymakers around the world explore ways to leverage Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) for their citizens, industry leaders should play a role in helping shape the new digital economy.
As we enter in this next stage of financial services, the urgency of the moment must be met by the obligation of companies to be responsible stewards of citizens’ trust. The pressing need to innovate responsibly and expand access to digital assets must be accompanied by education efforts about their capabilities, pilot projects that test new offerings, and a shared understanding that the safety and security of the consumer is the top priority.
The pandemic has shone a spotlight on the already dire financial circumstances of far too many people and communities around the globe. We must act swiftly and with intention to ensure that the next chapter of our collective financial future is centered on the inclusion and security of the people who need it the most. Digital currencies will be key to making this vision a reality.
Dan Schulman is the president and CEO of PayPal.
