According to an article published today in [Telegraph.co.uk](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/30/bank-england-plots-bitcoin-style-digital-currency/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_tw) Bank of England is pondering the launch of a digital cryptocurrency, linked to the pound.

> A Bank of England-issued digital currency would potentially allow British citizens to keep their money - in digital form - with the central bank itself, dispensing with the need for a retail bank. Big-ticket transactions, such as buying a house, could happen in nanoseconds.

I'm seeing more and more of these news and I'm a bit confused, to be honest. 

The use of blockchain technology doesn't necessarily mean we're talking about a _decentralized cryptocurrency_. All the state-owned banks are in fact talking about a centralized, permission-based ledger, which is something completely different from what Bitcoin, Ethereum and Steem are. 

I'm happy to see blockchain adoption increased, but it's not the technology itself that sits at the core of Bitcoin-like ecosystems, but the permissionless nature of these ledgers, the fact that they are decentralized and not "owned" by anyone. 

The more banks will announce their own "crypto-currencies pegged to the USD, EUR or GBP", the more skeptic will  I be towards these projects.
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_I'm a serial entrepreneur, blogger and ultrarunner. You can find me mainly on my blog at [Dragos Roua](http://dragosroua.com) where I write about productivity, business, relationships and running. Here on Steemit you may stay updated by following me @dragosroua._
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_If you're new to Steemit, you may find these articles relevant (that's also part of my witness activity to support new members of the platform)_:
* [Rewards: Were Does The Money Come From?](https://steemit.com/steemit/@dragosroua/steemit-newbie-faq-rewards-were-does-the-money-come-from)
* [Netiquette: How To Avoid Being A Steem Douche?](https://steemit.com/steem/@dragosroua/steemit-newbie-faq-netiquette-how-to-avoid-being-a-steem-douche)
* [Witnesses: What Are They And Why Should You Care?](https://steemit.com/steemit/@dragosroua/steemit-newbie-faq-witnesses-what-are-they-and-why-should-you-care)
* [How Can I Mine Steem And What CPU / GPU Power Do I Need For That?](https://steemit.com/steemit/@dragosroua/steemit-newbie-faq-how-can-i-mine-steem-and-what-cpu-gpu-power-do-i-need-for-that)
* [The Beginner Guide To Not Getting Hacked On Steemit](https://steemit.com/steemit/@dragosroua/the-beginner-guide-to-not-getting-hacked-on-steemit)