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According to consumer Association, Which? the closure of ATMs have saved UK banks £120 million in ATM interchange fees and cost consumers £104 million in surcharging.

Despite swelling numbers of digital transactions, cash retains a large slice of the payment mix. Banks are being assigned the role of stewards for cash distribution. But this requires a debate as to what cash services banks and other stakeholders render to the public and at what cost.

Charity GiveDirectly gave US$1,000 each to poor households in Kenya, resulting to US$2.60 in additional spending or income for every US$1 cash delivered.

Cash and Crises, a series of financial literacy audiographics by CashEssentials releases its fourth episode with a social mission to support the relief and development community in understanding how cash is managed for society in times of crisis.

Today, smartphones are more than just a device used for communication. For young African millennials, engaging in sports gambling is all in reach with just a swipe of one's finger. A 2017 GeoPoll survey found that up to 54% of sub-Saharan African youth between 17 and 35 years have engaged in sports gambling. Read the full article on The Conversation.

The ATM doesn't just dispense cash, it dispenses value way beyond that of the banknotes it disgorges. They play a pivotal role in disaster risk reduction, poverty alleviation and social protection. But they could do more.

For the first time, some researchers are claiming that the number of installed ATMs may have marginally declined worldwide, with key markets such as China, the USA, Japan, Brazil and India experiencing a lag in growth. However, in no way is this correlated to a decline in cash demand. The decline seems to be limited to a few major markets and could well be due to structural factors.

The Dutch government is putting forward a package of measures to Parliament, aimed at fighting against money laundering. Two of these measures specifically target cash: banning cash payments above and scrapping the €500 note.

Does Facebook's global d(en)omination herald a new worldwide form of WeChat, the Global Bank of Facebook or virtual nation state?

New York City Council Member Ritchie Torres is speaking out against racial and socioeconomic discrimination in his city. Refusing to accept cash - as is happening in a growing number of the city's establishments - is a blatant way to discriminate against the poor, racial minorities, the homeless, the un- and underbanked as well as the undocumented.

Bitcoin is not being used to pay for Uber in Argentina, and any such news should be taken with a grain of salt.

Governments are taking measures to safeguard cash and strengthen the cash cycle realizing the vital role it plays in society.