Hoy, el banco KBC presentó Kate Coin, una oferta de dinero electrónico basada en blockchain que solo se puede usar a través de la aplicación KBC Mobile. Su primera prueba a gran escala con 8000 empleados de KBC se lleva a cabo este fin de semana.
The bank was keen to distance itself from stablecoins given the closed-loop nature of Kate Coin. Initially, the coin can only be used to pay for KBC banking and insurance services, but it plans to partner with some of its enterprise customers and others to use it in the KBC Mobile ecosystem.
KBC said it is preparing for the future with its new offering, citing the new world of web3 and NFTs.
The in-house developed system has programmable money features. That means it’s possible to use code to control the money’s functionality, such as what it can be used to pay for during a specific time period. During this weekend’s trial, employees participating in the festival can use it to pay for snacks and drinks.
More generally, the functionality is initially restricted, so the coin is not transferrable between KBC customers, nor can it be exchanged for euros even though it is backed one for one in a segregated account. Instead, users will receive the coins for loyalty as rewards. For example, if someone purchases a particular product, invests in a socially responsible fund, or takes out a loan for an electric bike which is considered a sustainable activity.
“The customers who want to use the Kate Coin don’t have to do anything: they automatically receive the Kate Coins in their Kate Coin wallet in KBC Mobile and Kate (digital assistant) keeps them personally informed: why they receive Kate Coins, how long they can be used, etc,” said Erik Luts, Chief Innovation Office KBC Group.
La solución utiliza la blockchain empresarial Hyperledger Fabric con planes para alojar algunos de los nodos fuera de KBC. "Con los canales (Fabric) y las recopilaciones de datos privados podemos mantener la confidencialidad y cumplir con el RGPD", dijo Dirk Hermans, gerente de innovación y líder de blockchain en KBC por correo electrónico.
Mientras tanto, KBC tiene bastante historia de blockchain, incluso como instigador de we.trade. La plataforma de financiación comercial respaldada por una docena de bancos e IBM inició los procedimientos de insolvencia la semana pasada.
También participa en otra solución de pagos digitales, Fnality. Propiedad de 15 de los principales bancos y del Nasdaq, en octubre Fnality lanzará una plataforma que permite pagos interbancarios respaldados por dinero del banco central, comenzando con libras esterlinas.
