电子货币:经济交易的中性润滑剂

Electronic Money:Neutral Lubricant of Economic Transactions

电子货币是货币的电子数据化,也是利用技术手段制造的货币替代物。虽然电子货币作为交易媒介极大地提高了交易效率,降低了交易成本,但是单纯的电子货币交易既不会增加经济中的货币供给量,也不会引起产出增长和价格水平上涨。因此,电子货币本质上是经济交易的中性润滑剂。对于电子货币交易隐含的诸多风险,只有审慎的金融监管和社会公众的高度警惕,才能确保电子货币交易处于法制和安全的范畴。

Electronic money is the electronic digitization of money, and it is also a technological currency substitute. Although the electronic currency as a trading medium greatly improves the transaction efficiency and reduces the transaction cost, pure electronic currency transaction will neither increase the money supply in the economy, nor cause the increase of output and price level. Therefore, electronic money is essentially a neutral lubricant for economic transactions. For the risks implied by electronic currency transaction, only the prudent financial supervision and the public’s high vigilance can ensure the electronic currency transaction is in the scope of legal system and security.