Cryptocurrency and blockchain technology is for many people one of the most interesting things to work on today. There is rapidly developing technology and if you want to keep up with class developments, you will have to spend several hours a day to stay up to date with the latest developments. Tech expert Lasse Meholm has been doing just that for several years, and now, according to himself, has landed his dream job.

Earlier this fall, Norges Bank announced a tender for consultants for the Digital Central Bank Money (DSP) project. Meholm won and will start the job next Monday.

He couldn't say much about what he would be doing, other than that it was the job he wanted most, and that over the next two years he would be testing various technologies for DSP at Norges Bank.

Extensive background

Lasse Meholm has a background as a computer engineer and holds a bachelor's degree in international finance. He also studied at Oxford Saïd Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management. He was responsible for digital assets, crypto issues and blockchain technology at Nordea, DNB and most recently at law firm EY Tax & Law.

Meholm has also previously founded several fintech companies that have been sold to large Nordic companies. He has also given a number of lectures on Bitcoin, blockchain technology and the new smart money as well as written several books on cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology at the book publisher Hegnar Media. Finansavisen's Kryptoskole was also with him.

DSP at Norges Bank

Work with DSP at Norges Bank has been ongoing since 2018 and in a report earlier this year presented to the working group at Norges Bank the characteristics that a DSP must have, how technical solutions can ensure that these characteristics are achieved and the consequences of implementing a DSP for banks. After that, Norges Bank decided to continue the investigation in the fourth stage, for up to two years.

The fourth stage is experimental testing of technical solutions combined with further analysis of the need and consequences of the introduction of digital central bank money. This work will provide a basis for deciding whether Norges Bank will test selected technical solutions, the Norges Bank website says. It has not yet been decided whether it will be blockchain/DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) technology. or whether there will be digital central bank money at all.