In the “Imagine 2030” report, Deutsche Bank suggests that digital currency could eventually replace cash one day, as demand for anonymity and a more decentralized means of payment grows. In this report the bank says that cryptocurrencies are currently just additions to the current money payment system.
Crypto regulation could be just around the corner. As regulatory hurdles are surmounted, cryptocurrencies may become legitimate substitutes for fiat currency. Many governments will not sit by and lose control of the money supply without a vicious fight. Libra and other stablecoins may ultimately provide the road map to more widespread adoption, with stronger oversight by government regulators.
What’s even more remarkable about the report is a section that’s entitled “The end of fiat money?” That’s pretty wild, when you consider that this report comes from a huge global bank. What people in the cryptocurrency community have known for a while, banks are starting to realize now. But that’s good news!
The real victim of crypto may not be fiat, but plastic cards. For decades now, we’ve been slowly phasing out cash. Cash, credit and debit cards are slowly becoming obsolete and may continue on this course, as crypto acceptance increases. When you think about the evolution, we moved from paper money and coins to online transactions and debit/credit cards. The rise of mobile payments through WeChat Pay, AliPay and Paypal already makes plastic cards redundant. Blockchain offers plenty pf advantages over plastic cards, but the basic difference between the two, is that all payments and transfers are done with the user’s full consent. Deutsche Bank believes that plastic cards could die. As cryptocurrency adoption increases, it’s only logical to assume that credit cards will disappear. We simply won’t need them anymore.
