Written by Professor Micheal Mainelli, chair of Z/Yen & President of London Chamber of Commerce & Industry - late Lord Mayor of London 2023-2024. central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) offer the potential of programmable, state-backed money promising efficient taxation, digital public infrastructure and financial inclusion, However, what about the risks, including overreach, surveillance and systemic fragility? Governments need to exercise caution in replacing traditional fiat infrastructure with digital rails because CBDCs may reshape power dynamics, financial intermediation - even the definition of money itself. Potentially CBDCs’ most significant impact may emerge, not from retail use but from wholesale cross-border applications where CBDCs could truly redefine global finance.