Since its inception in 1995, the Cash Cycle Seminar, organised by Currency Research (CR) has united industry leaders to share insights and innovations shaping the future of cash. Marking its third decade, the Asia Cash Cycle Seminar 2025, which took place 22-25 September in Bali, Indonesia, carried the theme ‘Cash Cycle 360: Redefining Resilience with Technology & Trust’.

The ATMIA held its Europe and Emerging Markets summit in London 14-15 October.

A key theme of the ATMIA’s Europe and Emerging Markets summit was how access to cash is being managed in the UK. Barclays Bank, Cash Access UK, OneBanx and NatWest Bank spoke about the reality behind the UK’s journey to tackle the problem of access to cash.

Increasingly one hears people speak about cash and payments co-existing in a symbiotic relationship. Generally this is in countries facing a sharp decline in cash use for transactions.

A new NCR Atleos white paper on cash in the digital age reminds readers that the word ‘ATM’ is like the word ‘Google’: It’s a verb, it’s a noun and it’s something that’s just readily understood all over the world.’

The digitalisation of payments offers speed, convenience, and global reach. Yet, this transformation comes with additional vulnerabilities—chief among them, the risk of outages that can paralyze payment systems.

The International Association of Currency Affairs (IACA) held an online round table discussion considering the Future of Cash Management Services, with a particular focus on cash in transit (CIT) companies, cash management companies (CMC) and cash processors. The panellists were Charles Nwodo from Integrated Cash Management Services in Nigeria, Tanja Kulisch-Ziemens from the International Security Ligue (ISL) and Scott Forster from the CPT Group. David Faglemen from Enryo Consulting was the moderator.

Meta has added a QR code-based payments option to the WhatsApp Business App in India, allowing small businesses to share QR codes in one tap so that customers can pay directly within WhatsApp using their preferred payment method.

The leader of China’s Digital Currency Research Institute has obliquely hinted that the eCNY may evolve to involve fractional banking, becoming a tokenised deposit solution anchored by a wholesale CBDC.

A snapshot of recent annual reports (relating to 2024) and their payment contents.

Speaking at the ATMIA’s Europe and Emerging Markets summit, Benjamin Sahel from the European Central Bank (ECB) quoted Christine Lagarde, President of the ECB, and Piero Cipollone, member of the ECB’s Executive Board, to reassure the audience that the ECB sees cash as indispensable and will ensure it remains available and easy to use.

Prof Jay Zagorsky from the Questrom School of Business at Boston University and author of a book, ‘The Power of Cash’, has spoken at a number of conferences recently, and now at the ATMIA’s Europe and Emerging Markets summit. He is an advocate for cash.

At the end of August, concerns about PayPal’s security system led to €10 billion worth of payments being suspended in Germany, according to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

Following the announcement by the US Treasury that it has begun the process of phasing out production of the one cent (penny) coin, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta published an article on its Policy Hub: Macroblog on the topic.

Reuters reports that China’s State Council is considering allowing the use of yuan- backed stablecoins. Intended to boost adoption of the yuan globally, this would be a change in policy given that China banned cryptocurrency trading and mining in 2021 due to concerns about the stability of the financial system.

Over the last five years the UK has closed a higher percentage of branches (34%) than almost all European countries, less than Spain (37%) and the Netherlands (48%).

The Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), a member-based organisation committed to helping banks address the effects of climate change and associated economic impact, has ‘initiated a member vote to decide on a proposed transition from a membership-based alliance to establishing its guidance as a new framework initiative’. This follows the decision by every large bank member in the US and Canada, and several others outside North America, to leave the organisation, with most departing between late 2024 and mid-2025.

A year ago, payments expert Jeremy Light started a substack called ‘Agenda: Payments’ with the aim of helping readers around the world keep track of national payment landscapes and payment themes. He has recently posted data on reader response to 50 articles written across nine broad categories, giving an indication of where their focus and interest lie.

In times of crisis, cash is increasingly recognised for its resilience. At an IMIA organised roundtable, Päivi Heikkinen (Head of Payment Systems Department and Chief Cashier, Bank of Finland), Matthias Schroth (Director of Cash Management Department, Oesterreichische Nationalbank – OeNB), and Koen Thuis (Head of Cash Policy & Oversight Department, De Nederlandsche Bank – DNB) discussed approaches to the future of cash infrastructure and the cash payment habit with the aim of preserving cash resilience.

Swiss lawmakers have unanimously voted to enshrine the right to use cash in the nation’s constitution.