A lecturer in financial markets, corporate finance and principles of economics at UIC Barcelona, Astorga’s interest in the evolution of money dates back to 2019, when he published the article “El fin del dinero” (The End of Money). As noted by Dídac Ramírez Sarrió, professor emeritus what about articles at the University of Barcelona, in the book’s foreword, Astorga has spent six years reflecting on whether physical money is truly destined to disappear or remain part of our everyday lives.

Beginning with the observation that cash payments are increasingly rare, the author examines the potential consequences of the disappearance of physical money for society. He explains what money is, how it has evolved and the various forms it now takes, from banknotes and coins used in physical transactions, to cryptocurrencies and digital currencies issued by central banks.

Astorga explores how changes in cash usage have accelerated, particularly since 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise in digital activity. “We are witnessing a decline in bank branches and cash machines, which is pushing customers to carry out all types of banking operations online,” the book notes.

In the final chapter, the Doctor in Economic and Business Sciences evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of the disappearance of physical money. Among the advantages, he identifies financial inclusion, the ability to programme payments, improvements in monetary policy, the fight against money laundering and the efficiency and resilience of payment systems. Conversely, the disadvantages outlined include the loss of citizens’ privacy, interest rates applied to deposits, the inability to withdraw cash from banks in certain situations, the risk of cyberattacks or system failures, scenarios linked to disasters or vulnerable groups, and the so-called Reverse Waterfall. 

According to the author of the foreword, “The absence of any hint of indoctrination is one of the book’s strengths. Its tone is another. A direct style that avoids creating barriers with the reader makes clear from the first chapter Dr Astorga’s commitment to educating beyond mere dissemination, fully aware of the challenges involved in acquiring financial knowledge.”