CEV Framework: A Central Bank Digital Currency Evaluation and Verification Framework With a Focus on Consensus Algorithms and Operating Architectures

Abstract

We propose a Central Bank Digital Currency Evaluation and Verification (CEV) Framework for recommending and verifying technical solutions in the central bank digital currency (CBDC) system. We demonstrate two sub-frameworks: an evaluation sub-framework that provides consensus algorithm and operating architecture solutions and a verification sub-framework that validates the proposed solutions. Our framework offers a universal CBDC solution that is compatible with different national economic and regulatory regimes. The evaluation sub-framework generates customized solutions by splitting the consensus algorithms into several components and analyzing their impacts on CBDC systems. CBDC design involves a trade-off between system features - the consensus algorithm cannot achieve all system features simultaneously. However, we also improve the operating architectures to compensate for the weak system features. The verification sub-framework helps verify our proposed solution through empirical experiments and formal proof. Our framework offers CBDC designers the flexibility to iteratively tune the trade-off between CBDC system features for the desired solution. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to propose a framework to recommend and verify CBDC technical solutions.