A cashless society - one where paper and coin currency is no longer used and instead replaced with electronic transactions. Many countries are already moving in this direction with benefits noted as including lower crime rates and reduced money laundering, and of course convenience. But going cashless does have its downsides.

Brett Scott is the author of Cloudmoney, a revelatory story about the fusion of big finance and tech, which requires physical cash to be replaced by digital money or 'cloudmoney'. Diving beneath the surface of the global financial system, He uncovers a long-established lobbying infrastructure waging a covert war on cash, as banking and tech companies promote a cashless society under the banner of progress.

He joins us to dive deeper into the thesis behind his book and to share his views on how cryptocurrency and blockchain fits into this.

Topics covered in this episode:

Brett's background and how he got into the Fintech spaceThe central thesis of CloudmoneyThe meaning of 'not all money is created equally'The arguments around Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of TerrorismPrivacy and the value of digital payment dataCentral bank digital currencyBrett's views on the blockchain industryIOU vs money as a commodityWhere to buy Brett's bookEpisode links:

CloudmoneyBrett's newsletterBrett on TwitterJoin Epicenter as our Community ManagerSponsors:

Steakwallet: Steakwallet is your new favorite multi-chain, mobile wallet. Tired of having a different wallet for every chain? Get Steakwallet today and get the power of Web 3 across all chains right at your fingertips: https://steakwallet.fi/ -This episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/456