Cash is the first step of financial inclusion

El Salvador has become the first country to make bitcoin legal tender, hoping to increase financial inclusion. Critics fear it will become a vigilance tool for the government.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, most Spanish consumers remain sceptical of digital payments. Several have faced problems paying with cash. Bank desertification in less populated areas has worsened during the pandemic.

Those facing disaster quickly revert to that which they know and trust – the cash economy – whenever they can. This is because they find cash helps them become more resilient by enabling them to determine survival strategies for themselves rather than being subject to political and commercial manipulation.

Innocent Tshilombo, who spent 10 years at Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, describes how attaching conditions to cash and voucher assistance can seriously impact its effectiveness.

Amandine Blier, Communication Manager at Citéco and a jury member of the IMAGINE CURRENCY photo contest, shares her vision of the future of money. Discover her questions, her doubts, but also her favourite ideas!

Recent research led by the Norwegian Refugee Council on how ATMs are used by Syrian refugees in the Lebanon once again demonstrates that ATMs play a crucial role in disaster response.

Currency in circulation and the cash infrastructure expanded in Afghanistan during the “Forever War” and the Covid-19 pandemic. In the years before the second Taliban regime, the Afghan central bank promoted digital and mobile payments to mitigate high financial exclusion.

The IMAGINE CURRENCY photo contest is still ongoing and designer of banknote security elements, Reto Karrer, shares his tips and inspirations to help you make your unique creations possible.

The IMAGINE CURRENCY photo contest invites you to create your own currency to serve the message of your choice. This highly creative exercise is particularly suited to those who are adept at the art of photomontage.

Ghanaian authorities have been promoting digital payments well before the Covid-19 pandemic. However, currency in circulation is growing at a faster pace than digital payments.

CashEssentials is extending its photo contest submissions until September 29. Don't miss out your chance to create your currency and win exciting prizes!

During the Covid-19 pandemic, digital payments did not overtake cash as the main payment instrument in Nigeria, despite initiatives and incentives from the banking sector and fintech firms.