Such a scenario would make it harder for the central bank to control monetary policy, maintain financial stability, ensure low cost payments and enable financial inclusion.
"Financial inclusion"? Please. Bitcoin is the essence of financial inclusion. Don't have good ID? Turned down for a bank account. Don't have a fixed address? Turned down for a bank account. Bad financial history? Turned down for a bank account. None of that matters with bitcoin. Install a wallet, done. No fiat or CBDC will ever be as financially inclusive as bitcoin is.
So true. When it comes to the developed nations, the term "financial inclusion" actually mean the set of entities they want to keep "financially excluded". When someone like Jack Mallers talks of financial inclusion, he is actually talking about giving people with bare minimum resources access to a savings account. The latter is an actual ethical stand while former is just wielding control.
As the article points out, they are worried that the majority of the population will move to using bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, which directly impacts on their ability to bail out themselves and their friends and prop up their rigged markets indefinitely.
They actually are worried that stablecoins will take over. Right now, most stablecoins are only used for crypto trading. They seem to be pre-empting a scenario where crypto actually begins to be used on a wide scale. With the example of El Salvador, they are truly frightened that they won't have any option to dangle before these poor nation-states as "Oh, look! We've "researched" this CBDC technology for 24 months and are giving it to you free, Use it, not Bitcoin"
I bet if today they had the logistics ready, they'd probably call up every head of state contemplating usage of LN and Bitcoin and give them the offer. The implications for this are huge though. Does anyone believe that these powerful bodies will simply give up all that leverage and power that comes from controlling the financial infrastructure? Honestly, I feel concerned about what their real pushback look like. Currently, its just baby gloves with the FUD and regulations.