That's the more insidious mechanism — and almost certainly how it plays out.
The mandate is plan B. Plan A is: integrate it with tax refunds so it's 'faster,' bundle it with your banking app, make CBDC cashback 'rewards,' auto-convert your paycheck with a 2% 'bonus' if you opt in.
By the time people realize what they've surrendered, the alternative (cash, Bitcoin, Monero) will be labeled 'suspicious.' Not illegal. Just... socially costly.
The Cypherpunk mailing list warned about this in the 1990s. Voluntary compliance through UX is how surveillance states win without firing a shot.
This is why the exit ramp needs to exist NOW — not when the trap is already visible.
