Libra 2.0白皮书( 英文 29 页)

Introduction

The advent of the internet and mobile broadband has empowered billions of people globally by providing access to the world’s knowledge and information, high-fidelity communications, and a wide range of  lower-cost, more convenient services. These services are now accessible using a $40 smartphone from almost anywhere in the world.1 

Despite this connectivity, large swaths of the world’s population are left behind — 1.7 billion adults globally remain outside of the financial system with no access to a traditional bank, even though one billion have a mobile phone and nearly half a billion have internet access.2 For too many, parts of the financial system look like pre-internet telecommunication networks. Twenty years ago, the average price to send a text message in Europe was 16 cents per message.3 Prices were high but were the same for everyone. Today, people with less money pay more for financial services. Hard-earned income is eroded by fees, from remittances and wire costs to overdraft and ATM charges. 

Blockchains have a number of unique properties that can potentially address some of the problems of accessibility and trustworthiness. These include distributed governance, which ensures that no single entity controls the network; open access, which allows anybody with an internet connection to participate; and security through cryptography, which protects the integrity of funds. But existing blockchain systems have yet to reach mainstream adoption. Mass-market usage of existing blockchain-based currencies has been hindered by their volatility and lack of scalability, which have, so far, made them poor mediums of exchange.

We believe that it is possible to combine the best aspects of blockchain-based technological  innovation — distributed governance, open access, and security — with a robust compliance and regulatory framework. Building certain compliance requirements at the Libra protocol level can improve the effectiveness of programs like prevention of illicit activities or Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT), and sanctions compliance. Developers, merchants, and consumers benefit from the compliance and security that is built into the Libra network. Technological innovation conducted in collaboration with the financial sector, including regulators and experts across a variety of industries, is the only way to ensure that a sustainable, secure, and trusted framework underpins this new system. And this approach can deliver a giant leap forward toward a lower-cost, more accessible, more connected global financial system.

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