Status
LIVE
Jamaica
Jamaica JAM-DEX (Jamaica Digital Exchange)
According to Bank of Jamaica disclosures and linked sources, this profile records status, architecture, and capability fields for Jamaica JAM-DEX (Jamaica Digital Exchange).
Program Snapshot
Current status fields and timeline data from the profile record.
Type
RETAIL
Program classification
Wallets
282,274
As of 2025-12-31
Annual Volume
$9.0M
medium confidence
Status and Timeline
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Announced | 2021-03-01 |
| Pilot start | 2021-08-01 |
| Launch | 2022-07-11 |
| Last verified | 2026-03-28 |
Availability
- Retail
- live
- Wholesale
- none
Central Bank
Bank of Jamaica
Technical Profile
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Retail |
| Architecture | two-tier |
| Access model | account based |
| Technology base | dlt |
| Legal tender | full |
Capabilities
offline payments: Yes
programmability: No
cross border: No
interest bearing: No
transaction limits: Yes
Cross-Border Projects
No cross-border project entries are listed for this profile.
Recent Updates
JAM-DEX is the world's first CBDC with legal tender status, launched July 11, 2022. The digitized Jamaican dollar is managed by the Bank of Jamaica and distributed through wallet providers. Pilot began August 2021 with J$230 million minted. As of December 2024, 282,274 wallets registered (7% YoY increase) with 2,379 merchants accepting JAM-DEX and total issuance of J$260.05 million. In 2025, JAM-DEX transaction volume rose 267% and transaction value surged 550% over 2024 (per BOJ data cited at Governor Byles' February 2026 press conference), driven by existing users transacting more frequently rather than new signups. JN Bank launched its JN Pay Wallet as the second provider in late July 2025. Sagicor Bank was added as third provider in August 2023 but its consumer wallet launch was delayed to Q1 2026 by Hurricane Melissa. Governor Richard Byles noted the breakthrough will come when POS machines are converted for merchant acceptance; BOJ is offering to cover half the cost of POS upgrades.
Updated: Mar 29, 2026
Reference Answers
Is JAM-DEX live and legal tender in Jamaica?
high confidenceAs of 2026-04-22Yes. JAM-DEX is tracked as a live CBDC, and the current page continues to describe it as Jamaica's live legal-tender digital currency system.
The Jamaica page should answer this directly because JAM-DEX is one of the few live retail CBDCs in the registry. Bank of Jamaica materials support the live classification, and the profile uses those sources to distinguish the live legal-tender programme from the earlier pilot phase. That makes it a clearer reference answer than a generic 'does Jamaica have a CBDC' fallback.
- JAM-DEX is tracked as live in the registry.
- The profile cites Bank of Jamaica CBDC and JAM-DEX materials.
- The page distinguishes live legal-tender status from the earlier pilot period.
Citations
- JAM-DEX - Bank of Jamaicacentral bank · T1
- CBDC FAQs - Bank of Jamaicacentral bank · T1
Caveats
- Transaction-value updates should keep prioritizing primary BoJ reporting over news summaries.
Related CBDCs
Sources
Sources
Last verified: 2026-03-28
JAM-DEX - Bank of Jamaica
central bank
CBDC FAQs - Bank of Jamaica
central bank
BOJ's CBDC Pilot Project a Success
central bank
JAM-DEX Phased Rollout Progresses
central bank
Bank of Jamaica Annual Report 2024
central bank
JAM-DEX transactions surge 550% in 2025 - Jamaica Observer
news
JN Bank launches JAM-DEX wallet - Silicon Caribe
news