According to Bundesbank Executive Board member Andreas Dombret, the speculative bubble surrounding Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies could pose a threat to financial stability in the medium and longer term. At the same time, however, these risks are only part of the picture, he noted in an interview with the German weekly news magazine Focus, adding that new digital products in the field of payment systems will, in future, make faster and more transparent settlement a reality.

The Bundesbank celebrates its 55th birthday on 1 August and continues to stand for an exceptionally strong orientation to stability. We discussed the highs and lows of this era with Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann and former Bundesbank President Helmut Schlesinger, who has been following the Bank’s fortunes since its beginning. The interview was conducted on 29 June 2012, shortly after the Brussels EU summit had cleared the way for a European banking union.