U.S. lawmakers today spoke about the benefits of a central bank digital currency (CBDC)—but conservatives also expressed concern over how it could turn the country into a Chinese-like surveillance state. Politicians quizzed experts on how a so-called digital dollar in the States would work during a two-hour meeting held by the Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy, on Tuesday morning. {video} A CBDC is a digital version of a fiat currency, such as the British pound or U.S. dollar, backed by a central bank and therefore controlled by the government. Countries around the world ... (full story)