Explore the UK CBDC Digital Pound, understand cryptocurrency markets, and use powerful financial calculators to plan your financial future.
A Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) is a digital form of central bank money that is different from balances in traditional reserve or settlement accounts. Unlike cryptocurrencies, a CBDC is issued and backed by the central bank — making it legal tender with the full faith of the government behind it.
Over 130 countries are exploring CBDCs. China's digital yuan (e-CNY) leads with over 260 billion yuan in circulation. The European Central Bank is developing the digital euro, while the Fed is researching a digital dollar. Sweden's e-krona pilot and Nigeria's eNaira show real-world implementation.
The Bank of England and HM Treasury are jointly exploring a UK CBDC — the "digital pound." This would be a new form of digital money for use by households and businesses for everyday payments, existing alongside cash and bank deposits.
The UK entered its "design phase" in early 2024, expected to run for several years. A launch decision is unlikely before 2027-2028. The Bank of England continues to engage with stakeholders through public consultations and technology experiments.
Cryptocurrency is digital or virtual money that uses cryptography for security. Unlike traditional currencies, most cryptocurrencies operate on decentralised networks based on blockchain technology — a distributed ledger enforced by a network of computers.
Bitcoin (BTC), created in 2009, is the first and largest cryptocurrency by market cap. Ethereum (ETH) introduced smart contracts, enabling decentralised applications (dApps). Together they represent over 60% of the $2T+ crypto market.
Convert between BTC, satoshis, USD, GBP, and EUR. Get real-time Bitcoin prices and unit conversions instantly.
Try Bitcoin Calculator →Calculate your cryptocurrency profit or loss. Enter buy price, sell price, and quantity to see your returns and ROI.
Try Profit Calculator →See how inflation has eroded purchasing power. Enter an amount and time period to find the inflation-adjusted value.
Try Inflation Calculator →Plan your retirement income. Estimate based on your current savings, monthly contributions, and retirement age.
Try Pension Calculator →Hedge your currency exposure. Calculate potential FX gains or losses based on exchange rate volatility.
Try FX Risk Calculator →The Bank of England published its latest progress report on the digital pound, outlining upcoming technology experiments and public consultation feedback from UK citizens and businesses.
Read More →The April 2024 Bitcoin halving reduced block rewards to 3.125 BTC. Historical patterns suggest significant price movements in the following 12-18 months post-halving.
Read More →Over 130 countries now exploring CBDCs. The UK, EU, US, and China are all advancing their digital currency programmes at unprecedented pace.
Read More →Central Bank Digital Currency explained — including the UK Digital Pound.
Key differences between Bitcoin and Central Bank Digital Currencies.
How to buy, store and invest in cryptocurrency — a UK beginner's guide.