Money in Crisis : The Return of Instability and the Myth of Digital Cash

From the origins of money to the most modern forms (payment applications, central bank digital currencies, crypto) all forms of money are discussed, in a way accessible to the general reader, explaining their implications for society from the economic, political, social and cultural viewpoint.

From its origins in ancient Mesopotamia, through the advent of coinage in ancient Greece and Rome and the invention of paper currency in medieval China, the progress of finance and money has been driven by technological developments. The great technological change of our age in relation to money centres on the creation of digital money and digital payment systems. Money in Crisis explains what the digital revolution in money is, why it matters and how its potential benefits can be realized or undermined. It explores the history, theory and evolving technologies underlying money and warns us that money is in crisis: under threat from inflation, financial instability, and digital wizardry. It discusses how modern forms of digital money (crypto, central bank digital currencies) fit into monetary history and explains the benefits and risks of recent innovations from an economic, political, social and cultural viewpoint.