Matt Sykes of the CPT Group in Australia, global experts in cash, payments and money systems, has written a review about whether cash can deliver on its role providing critical redundancy for national payment systems. They want to start a debate about whether the infrastructure that supports cash distribution deliver on this promise given the acute and growing strain it is under. Does a misalignment between policy assumptions and market realities risk rendering cash ineffective as a payment option in a crisis?

At G+D’s Currency Technology Symposium in July, one of the discussions centred on how efficiency can be leveraged to build resilience across a wide range of scenarios. Managing the steady state is relatively straightforward with its predictable workflow, regular cash processing volumes within expected parameters, reliable supply chains, sufficient staff etc.

Fifth Third Bank are the sixth-largest commercial payments provider in the US by revenue, and they spoke at G+D’s Currency Technology Symposium in July. They have just announced that they are buying DTS Connex, which provides cash management software for multi-location businesses such as retailers, restaurants and healthcare providers.

The GENIUS Act (Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins Act), is a US federal bill establishing the first comprehensive regulatory framework for the issuance and supervision of payment stablecoins in the US. The legislation introduces a tiered oversight model, codifies prudential standards, and confirms that payment stablecoins are not to be treated as securities or deposit liabilities. It is, therefore, critical legislation with global implications.

Currency Research’s (CR) regionally focused Cash Cycle Seminars are returning the second half of this year with stops in Bali and Miami. Established in 1995, the Cash Cycle Seminars bring global best practices around commercial cash management, distribution, and circulation to address key issues in regional markets, providing a holistic view of the cash cycle and the challenges and opportunities confronting the entire range of industry stakeholders.

Pakistan’s 2025-2026 federal budget marks a decisive policy pivot toward cultivating a digitally empowered, future-oriented financial landscape.

UK Finance recently published its Annual Fraud Report. It describes in detail what is happening and changes in fraud. Although it does not say how those costs are then passed on to the consumer, it will undoubtedly be the consumer who ultimately pays. Understanding fraud is, therefore, important.

A new paper from the SUERF, the European Money and Finance Forum, explains that the rising systemic importance of Non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs), is sharply increasing the need for central banks to intervene to stabilise financial systems as banks become less able to provide liquidity.

The news pages and feeds are full of stories about stablecoins at the moment. For example, Citi has recently announced that they are looking to issue their own stablecoins and their CEO, Jane Fraser, said that stablecoin issuance could reach $3.7 trillion by the end of the decade. In the US President Trump has signed into law the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act to establish a regulatory framework for ‘payment’ stablecoin issuers.

France’s National Payments Committee urges immediate action to secure future payments sovereignty amid rising geopolitical tensions. Cash is crucial for economic resilience, industrial autonomy and national sovereignty.

Over 80% of online merchants offer payment by Cash on Delivery (CoD) in markets such as Greece, Bulgaria and Slovakia.

Despite the rapid rise of digital payments, cash remains a critical pillar of the global financial system, especially in regions where digital infrastructure is lacking or financial inclusion is low. The cash ecosystem is complex, involving central banks, commercial banks, cash-in-transit (CIT) companies, and technology providers. It is also facing mounting pressure to adapt due to infrastructure vulnerabilities, economic misalignments, financial exclusion and a need for better crisis preparedness.

At May’s Currency Conference the Bank of Thailand’s (BOT) Anak Somkanae, Senior Director, Payment Infrastructure and Services Strategy and Development Department, presented on cash logistics and its significant carbon footprint and. Separately, Montira Pattanakul, Senior Director, Banknote Operations Department took part in panel discussion on the cash product from cradle to grave. These two sessions gave an excellent overview of the BOT’s cash operations.

ATMIA recently held a webinar with Diebold Nixdorf (DN) looking at the role of ATMs in sustainable banking. Contributors were Helena Mueller, VP Europe, Matt Phillips, Head of Banking, UK & Ireland and Raoul Meichtry, Managing Director, Switzerland.

Mastercard’s Chief Product Officer says stablecoins offer promising attributes like high speed and low costs but lack essential attributes like a seamless user experience and wide distribution to consumers.

Five big banks in Belgium have joined the European Payments Initiative (EPI) with the intention of rolling out the Wero digital wallet and instant account-to-account (A2A) payment application to customers in the first half of next year.

Speaking in Kyiv at the National Bank of Ukraine, the Governor of the Bank of England (BoE) spoke about the role of central banks in the context of changing market structures and events. His speech throws an interesting light on recent developments in the US and Europe in this area.

Finally, the US Senate has passed legislation about stablecoins after a number of years trying.

The CB+DC Conference 2025 takes place from 9-11 September in Nassau, in collaboration with the Central Bank of The Bahamas.

May’s edition of Cash & Payment News™ reported on a recent Bank of Canada staff paper updating a previous study on access to cash in Canada. Hot on its heels is a new paper that moves the topic forward.