Cloudmoney: Cash, Cards, Crypto and the War for our Wallets
- Downloads：4179
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-07-17 06:52:01
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Brett Scott
- ISBN：1847926657
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
Cloudmoney take us to the frontlines of a war for our wallets that is also about our freedom: it is a captivating tour of the world of money that also asks the most important questions about our future。
'A wonderfully revolutionary text' - YANIS VAROUFAKIS
The reach of corporations into our lives via cards and apps has never been greater; many of us rarely use cash these days。 But what we're told is natural and inevitable is actually the work of powerful interests。 And the great battle of our time is for ownership of the digital footprints that make up our lives。
Cloudmoney tells a revelatory story about how the fusion of big finance and tech requires physical cash to be replaced by digital money underpinned by the banking sector， or 'cloudmoney'。 Diving beneath the surface of the global financial system， Brett Scott uncovers a long-established lobbying infrastructure waging a covert war on cash。 He reveals the technical， political and cultural differences between our different forms of money， and shows how the cash system has been under attack for decades， as banking and tech companies promote a cashless society under the banner of progress。
Cloudmoney takes us to the frontlines of a war for our wallets that is also about our freedom。 From marketing strategies against cash， to the weaponization of Covid-19 to advance fintech platforms， and the cryptocurrency rebels and fringe groups pushing back， it asks the most pressing questions:
Who benefits from a cashless society and who gets left behind？ Is the end of cash the end of true privacy？ And is our cloudmoney future closer than we think？
'A wonderfully revolutionary text' - YANIS VAROUFAKIS
The reach of corporations into our lives via cards and apps has never been greater; many of us rarely use cash these days。 But what we're told is natural and inevitable is actually the work of powerful interests。 And the great battle of our time is for ownership of the digital footprints that make up our lives。
Cloudmoney tells a revelatory story about how the fusion of big finance and tech requires physical cash to be replaced by digital money underpinned by the banking sector， or 'cloudmoney'。 Diving beneath the surface of the global financial system， Brett Scott uncovers a long-established lobbying infrastructure waging a covert war on cash。 He reveals the technical， political and cultural differences between our different forms of money， and shows how the cash system has been under attack for decades， as banking and tech companies promote a cashless society under the banner of progress。
Cloudmoney takes us to the frontlines of a war for our wallets that is also about our freedom。 From marketing strategies against cash， to the weaponization of Covid-19 to advance fintech platforms， and the cryptocurrency rebels and fringe groups pushing back， it asks the most pressing questions:
Who benefits from a cashless society and who gets left behind？ Is the end of cash the end of true privacy？ And is our cloudmoney future closer than we think？
Reviews
Irene
，
I’m going to give you one guess why Germans are so fond of cash and distrustful of digital money that can be easily taken away if something goes wrong with the system。I’ve been reading books on this topic recently and they paint a bleak picture， but this one is at least not an entirely hopeless one。 Cryptocurrency was， originally， a different beast from what it’s become， and I was already familiar with the concept （as familiar as one can be with something as confusing as cryptocurrency） but this I’m going to give you one guess why Germans are so fond of cash and distrustful of digital money that can be easily taken away if something goes wrong with the system。I’ve been reading books on this topic recently and they paint a bleak picture， but this one is at least not an entirely hopeless one。 Cryptocurrency was， originally， a different beast from what it’s become， and I was already familiar with the concept （as familiar as one can be with something as confusing as cryptocurrency） but this book goes into detail about how all digital money works， and uses metaphors to illustrate it clearly。 I’ll be keeping my money in stacks of bills under my mattress from now on， thanks。Further reading:Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing - More background about the history of money and the origins of cryptocurrency。The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power - Pretty self-explanatory。Making Money - When you're done being depressed， this is very funny。 。。。more
Jules Porter
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In Cloudmoney， Brett Scott has managed to take potentially challenging topics， and make them not just accessible， but a genuinely enjoyable read。The institutions pushing for a ‘cashless society’ are sufficiently powerful and interconnected that they’re able to make the trend towards it seem like an organic process being driven by average citizens。 But Scott takes you below the surface to understand the motives at play， the dangers posed by allow private companies to gain total control of our mon In Cloudmoney， Brett Scott has managed to take potentially challenging topics， and make them not just accessible， but a genuinely enjoyable read。The institutions pushing for a ‘cashless society’ are sufficiently powerful and interconnected that they’re able to make the trend towards it seem like an organic process being driven by average citizens。 But Scott takes you below the surface to understand the motives at play， the dangers posed by allow private companies to gain total control of our money， and how the illusory appearance of an organic process is actually created。 In the current global political climate of human rights erosion and increasing state control， cash has never been a more crucial ally in the fight for democracy and human rights， and we must assert our right to use it。 The future of cash and our own future are far more deeply interconnected than many of us realise。 。。。more
Jeff Kaye
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Brett Scott has written a timely and absorbing book on money， how it is being used by banks and fintech organisations to harvest the consumer and why cash seems to be the only obstacle in their drive for supremacy。This is a well-written work that excellently describes the numerous forms of digital 'money'， how the banks （including Central Banks） are working to make cash obsolete and why they are doing so。I particularly liked the chapters on cryptos （I don't like the term crypto currencies as the Brett Scott has written a timely and absorbing book on money， how it is being used by banks and fintech organisations to harvest the consumer and why cash seems to be the only obstacle in their drive for supremacy。This is a well-written work that excellently describes the numerous forms of digital 'money'， how the banks （including Central Banks） are working to make cash obsolete and why they are doing so。I particularly liked the chapters on cryptos （I don't like the term crypto currencies as they are not） and blockchain developers。 It properly shows cryptos are just numbers but hyped beyond reality by those （mainly libertarians） who wish to substitute their agenda and power structures for the nation state and their fiat currencies。 It is a book I can recommend to anyone interested in how the world is fast becoming dominated by the massive corporations from USA to China that exploit the power of the internet and collectivisation of information for massive profit and control over individuals that become mere fodder。It is not a heartening book - reality is not that heartening in this context。 Cash appears doomed and wishful thoughts do not abound as the power of the corporation in advanced nations seems too strong。 I learned a lot from David Graeber's book - Debt: The first 5000 years - and it is good to see him so revered by Brett。 。。。more
Denise
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Pros:: Learned so much about cash， credit， including the merging of finance， business， greed and AI。 Scary at times！ Did a great job in explaining bit coin and it’s implications， even the influence it has on politics。 Cons :: Nothing Cover art 5 out of 5。
Sarah Jaffe
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