**[Norwegian Central Bank: No Immediate Need to Launch Digital Currency, CBDC Project Temporarily "Shelved"]** Odaily Planet Daily News – After years of research, Norges Bank (the Norwegian Central Bank) has announced that there is currently no need to issue a central bank digital currency (CBDC), citing that Norway's domestic payment system is already "efficient and secure" with a robust emergency mechanism in place. Although Norway has one of the lowest cash usage rates globally, which has fueled discussions around digital currency, the central bank believes the current system still meets the country's needs. Norwegian Central Bank Governor Ida Wolden Bache stated: "If maintaining the efficiency and security of the payment system requires it in the future, we will be ready to launch a CBDC at any time." She also emphasized that the central bank will continue to collaborate with the financial industry and other central banks to monitor global developments in CBDCs and digital currencies. In the Nordic region, political attitudes toward digital currencies have been relatively cautious. While Sweden initially wavered, the Swedish Central Bank has called for renewed discussions on the e-krona. Meanwhile, the European Central Bank (ECB) plans to launch a digital euro pilot as early as 2027, with a potential official issuance in 2029. Norges Bank plans to release its CBDC research summary and future roadmap in the first quarter of next year and has stated that it does not rule out the possibility of issuing a CBDC in the future. The bank will also continue to study tokenization and various forms of digital currencies. (Bloomberg)