Europe

Russian criminals transferred more than $20 billion stolen money in Europe via Moldovan, Latvian and British banks.

In a recent study on blockchain technology, the ECB concluded that the distributed ledger technology does not meet its requirements in terms of safety and efficiency.

France's restrictions on cash payments are feared to cause unfair competition for French luxury goods stores - especially the jewelry and watchmaking sectors.

The Conservative Party plans to make Norway cashless by 2030. Nevertheless, various groups are raising their voice to protect the cash and show its advantages over digital payments.

There are over 15 billion euros of outdated national banknotes and coins that are still circulating outside the banking system. Some countries are willing to exchange the old notes indefinitely.

Unlike many countries that have recently decided to demonitise high denominations notes, Poland has recently issued its highest denomination: the 500 zloty.

A soon-to-be-published survey on cash use, carried out on behalf of the ECB, shows that over three-quarters of all payments at points-of-sale in the euro area are made in cash.

Germany has been exceeding its yearly euro production allocation, but it could lead to additional costs in the future. German's love of cash is one reason but not the only one: euro banknote migration could also be the cause.

Rural towns in the US and in the UK are increasingly being left without access to banking services and cash machines. Thankfully, residents are organising to seek alternative solutions.

Diebold Nixdorf is selected to manage Bankdata's 500 ATMs fleet in Denmark.

France's La Poste recently presented a prototype connected piggy bank at the Las Vegas Consumer Technology Association. The piggy bank is designed to help teach kids how to manage their money in a fun an modern way.

Fritz Zurbrügg of the Swiss National Bank explains why cash is still king and a symbol of confidence during his opening speech at the World Banknote Summit, being held in Basel until 1 March, 2017.