The rise of Bitcoin has lead many to be confused by the digital currency and why it’s preferable to cash. In response, Ledra Capital has published a tongue-in-cheek piece outlining what might happen if the reverse was true — cash is introduced into a world that uses digital currency. Taking the form of a fictional news report, the piece outlines some of cash’s many failings: it’s anonymous, easily lost or destroyed, is geographically limited, and it can even spread disease.
What if cash were the latest currency trend?
is an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.
"I can't think of any reason that a law-abiding individual would want to use cash."
It includes expert quotes saying things like, “It is the perfect payment mechanism for criminals, drug cartels, terrorists, prostitution rings, and money launderers” and “I can’t think of any reason that a law-abiding individual would want to use cash.” Ultimately, it concludes that “it would be hard to recommend that the average consumer or merchant becomes involved in what is still today a very buggy system, filled with risk, inconvenience, high transaction costs, and possible disease transmission.”
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