Central banks must meet public demand for virtual currencies: ECB's Mersch

LONDON: Central banks need to be ready to meet evolving demand for virtual currencies but with digital versions of cash rather than bitcoin-style cryptocurrencies, ECB policymaker Yves Mersch said on Thursday.

Mersch added that negative interest rates, like those currently at the ECB, were part of the debate. However he stressed that "deeply negative" rates would not become a standard instrument in the central bank's toolbox.