Book and ArtsBook ReviewThe end of cash - Kill billsThe Future of Money. By Eswar Prasad.For most people, money still means physical cash printed by a sole, public authority.Yet that is a surprisingly modern incarnation: only a century ago, private currencies competed with government-issued banknotes.It may be short-lived, too, as cash succumbs to the digitalisation of finance and new means of payment take over.This big bang will have huge implications for states, people and companies.Whether it does more good than harm, says Eswar Prasad, depends on the world’s dowdiest institutions ― central banks ― embracing change without losing control.That cash is declining may not surprise readers.Many will bank from laptops and make payments on their phones.Financial innovation is old news, too.One of the first “fintech” breakthroughs happened centuries ago, when China helped engineer a boom in Asian commerce by introducing paper currency to replace metal coins, which were heavy and scarce.Yet this time is different, Mr Prasad insists.
