Stronger Together – Reflections on GCF 2026
As the warmth of the Antalya sunshine begins to fade, the memories and connections of GCF 2026 remain vivid. Four days gave us a great deal to think about. Here is what stays with me from the Forum. Monday focused on two key priorities: sustainability and cash promotion. The plenary room was full for the […]
Welcoming our newest member: Oumolat Security Printing
At our March Board meeting, the International Currency Association welcomed Oumolat Security Printing as its newest member. Based in Abu Dhabi and established in 2016, Oumolat is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates. The company specialises in high-security banknote printing and related security solutions, contributing to the resilience […]
ICA expands global footprint as Freiberger EuroMetall and CCL Secure join
The International Currency Association (ICA) welcomes Freiberger EuroMetall GmbH and CCL Secure as members. Their membership strengthens ICA’s representation across both coin and banknote supply chains, reinforces ICA’s role as the unified voice for cash worldwide, and further positions the Global Currency Forum as the premier global meeting place for the currency community. The ICA […]
ICA Welcomes Strong EU Measures to Protect Cash Payments, Calls for Even Greater Safeguards
New EU Parliament Report on Legal Tender Regulation Is a Key Step to Protect Our Freedom to Pay with Cash, Says International Currency Association The International Currency Association (ICA) welcomes the recently published “Draft Report on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the legal tender of euro […]
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 It is tempting to view cash as outdated when you can pay with your phone.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 […]