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AbstractLeon Wansleben's new book, The Rise of Central Banks, explains how central banks have emerged as powerful monetary governors over the past half-century. Yet the book's recognition that central banks cannot extricate themselves from quantitative easing and market bailouts begs the question: what does it mean for central banks to be dominant but captive? In this commentary, I identify the book's ambiguities with the concept of infrastructural power the book draws from Michael Mann. Unless the dynamics of state-market interdependence are well specified, giving due attention to the sources of both public and private power, it is unclear what kind of agency central bankers are exercising if they lack sufficient autonomy to act in the public interest.

"Central Banks" published on by Oxford University Press.

War is expensive-troops must be equipped and weapons must be procured. When the enormous borrowing requirements of war make the sovereigns' credibility problem more difficult, central banks enhance a government's ability to borrow. By being the sole direct purchaser of government debt, the central bank increases the effective punishment that can be imposed on the government for defaulting on the marginal lender. This increases lenders' confidence that the government will be punished in case of default, making lenders willing to purchase the debt at a lower rate of interest. The sovereign, dependent on the low borrowing costs offered by the central bank, has an incentive to retain the bank. Data covering the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries reveal that possessing a central bank lowers the sovereign's borrowing costs, particularly during times of war. Adapted from the source document.

A huddle of central bankers -- The widening domain -- How it all began -- Making a name for themselves -- Reign of the rulebook -- Currency boards and their legacy -- Changing fortunes in the 1980s -- The business of central banking -- Monetary policy in practice -- The nightmare of supervision -- How central banks manage reserves -- The safety net -- The dilemma of exchange rates -- The muscle of the federal reserve -- Europe's foursome -- The bank of Japan--a rising star -- Anchors for smaller countries -- Their very own BIS -- The new central banks of the former Soviet Union -- Of markets and men -- Survival of the fittest -- Europe points the way -- A new mandate

All the first central banks were established in the form of private joint-stock companies. After World War II the majority of them were nationalized. However the small group of central banks continues to remain in private property. Though their financial activities do not differ from other central banks, private property has an essential influence on corporate governance.

AbstractWar is expensive—troops must be equipped and weapons must be procured. When the enormous borrowing requirements of war make the sovereigns' credibility problem more difficult, central banks enhance a government's ability to borrow. By being the sole direct purchaser of government debt, the central bank increases the effective punishment that can be imposed on the government for defaulting on the marginal lender. This increases lenders' confidence that the government will be punished in case of default, making lenders willing to purchase the debt at a lower rate of interest. The sovereign, dependent on the low borrowing costs offered by the central bank, has an incentive to retain the bank. Data covering the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries reveal that possessing a central bank lowers the sovereign's borrowing costs, particularly during times of war.

Developments in recent years in the technologies that underpin money transfers and financial investments have challenged banking in general and central banking in particular. On the one hand, with the onset and manifestation of the 2008 crisis, the banking system is being called into question as to whether it can be trusted, and on the other hand, also in the same historical context, blockchain technology is emerging and is seen as a threat by banks. Lately, there has been interest in Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) which are a digital replacement for banknotes and coins in physical form. In this paper we will highlight the features of CBDCs and the proposed Ethereum-based central bank money technology.