(Bloomberg) -- Yi Gang, governor of the People’s Bank of China, said a pilot program on the rollout of a digital currency in four cities has been smooth.

There have been more than 4 million transactions, totaling over 2 billion yuan ($299 million) in the digital currency so far, Yi said at the Hong Kong Fintech Week conference on Monday.

He also made the following comments:

• Fintech companies have some key advantages over commercial banks, in terms of developing a customer base and managing risk
• Access to financial services in remote areas has been boosted by new technologies, for example microloans and mobile payments
• Growth in contactless banking during the virus pandemic has created challenges for central banks, which have to manage the convenience for consumers while ensuring their safety
• Protecting consumers’ private information is a challenge

Yi was speaking on a virtual panel with Agustin Carstens, head of the Bank for International Settlements, and Klaas Knot, president of the Dutch central bank.

Read More: How China Is Closing In on Its Own Digital Currency: QuickTake

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