The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) recently unveiled the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Expert Group, bringing together specialists across multiple fields including finance, law, and computer science. To support this initiative, the HKMA inked Memorandums of Understanding with five esteemed local universities: Chinese University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and the University of Hong Kong. This collaborative effort aims to bolster CBDC research and understand its complexities. With work already in progress on two research papers focusing on privacy and interoperability, Mr. Howard Lee, Deputy Chief Executive of the HKMA, expressed his optimism, highlighting the importance of the group in reinforcing Hong Kong’s leading position in CBDC exploration.