Bitcoin Consumes as Much Electricity as Argentina—Cash Is the Sustainable Alternative
Bitcoin consumes as much electricity as an entire country—Argentina. That striking fact, highlighted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), should give every policymaker pause. While the digital payment world is celebrated as convenient and cutting-edge, it carries a hidden and massive energy bill that rarely makes it into official economic statistics or climate debates. The […]
Cash is Class: Ethics in the Future of Payments
How we pay is more than a technical choice. In a world racing toward digital everything, it is a statement of who we are. Payment systems do not just move money; they shape access, autonomy, and trust. It is tempting to view cash as outdated when you can pay with your phone. But that would […]
Cash as a Public Good: Protecting Local Economies from Bank Fees
For many, cash is more than a payment method. It is a lifeline, a tool for control over spending, and a driver of local economic circulation. Consider a simple £50 note. In cash form, it can change hands dozens of times without losing value. A person repays a debt, the recipient pays the hairdresser, the […]
Kenya’s Parliament Endorses Landmark Bill to Protect Cash Users
The Kenyan National Assembly’s Committee on Finance and National Planning has recently endorsed an amendment to the Central Bank of Kenya Bill to protect the use of cash in face-to-face commerce. Under the proposed legislation, all businesses dealing with customers in person would be required to accept cash payments of up to KSh 100,000. Providers would […]
Cash Access and the New Legal Frontiers
Governments across continents are waking up to the manufactured scarcity of cash—think mass closures of bank branches and a shrinking ATM network, as well as unparalleled marketing and lobbying from card giants, all nudging society to go digital. But 2025 is proving that when policy and public opinion converge, cash doesn’t vanish quietly. It rallies. […]
The Manufactured Myth of Convenience: Why Cash Still Matters
You’ve seen them everywhere. Those glossy advertisements painting a picture of payment perfection: the cheerful barista, the customer effortlessly waving their phone over a sleek terminal, the street vendor sporting a contactless reader like a badge of modernity. Even grandma, once clutching her purse protectively, now taps her smartwatch with the confidence of a digital […]
Cash Is Not King — It’s Democratic
I’m seeing some truly ridiculous advertising campaigns and arguments online about whether cash is still king. Honestly, this whole debate completely misses the point. Cash isn’t about royalty or exclusivity. Quite the opposite. Cash is the most democratic payment method there is. Unlike digital payments, which are controlled by corporations, cash is public money. It’s […]
Standing Up for Cash: A Coalition Meets MEP Fernando Navarrete Rojas in Brussels to Defend Legal Tender
On Friday, 27 June, a delegation of Trade Associations and Organisations, which strongly advocate for the benefits of cash in society that support cash, met with Fernando Navarrete Rojas MEP, Rapporteur on the draft EU Regulation on legal tender and the digital euro, at the European Parliament. Representing a coalition of organisations including the International Currency Organisation, ESTA, EURICPA, Cash […]
The Case for Cash in a Digital Age
In our inaugural episode, we ask a deceptively simple question: what happens when money goes fully digital—and who stands to lose? From silent costs like lost privacy and data tracking, to real exclusions faced by those on the margins—people without bank accounts, survivors fleeing abuse, or anyone who cannot or will not live fully online—this […]
Cash as a Constitutional Right: Why Switzerland Is Moving to Guarantee the Use of Cash
In a striking move, Swiss lawmakers have voted to support enshrining the right to use cash in the nation’s constitution—a significant stance as digital payments gain ground. This decision follows a referendum initiative led by the Swiss Liberty Movement, which garnered over 100,000 signatures, underscoring growing public sentiment that physical money remains essential. Though mobile […]