A common theme among many commenters and the court challenge is concern about the effect that the statute may have on debit card issuers, including small issuers. As I noted earlier, the statute exempts small issuers from the interchange fee standards.
The Bank will continue to explore the possibilities of a digital currency that would be an electronic version of the bank notes that Canadians trust and rely on. We will issue such a currency only if and when the time is right, with the support of Canadians and the federal government, and with the best evidence in hand.