Australia's central bank said on Thursday it was taking another major step toward a wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC) with a range of industry partners pursuing projects using real money and assets for the first time. The Reserve Bank of Australia said its "Project Acacia" initiative would test 19 pilot cases involving money and assets, along with five proof-of-concept use cases involving simulated transactions. The trials involve a range of asset classes, including fixed income, private markets, trade receivables and carbon credits. Proposed settlement assets include CBDCs, stablecoins and bank ... (full story)