Our way of paying for things is rapidly changing. Fewer of us are using cash. Instead, we're relying on a growing array of electronic payment methods, including digital wallets, QR codes, mobile money, and, of course, Bitcoin and other digital currencies. Against this backdrop arrives Reimagining Payments: The Business Case for Digital Currencies, an exciting book from prominent cryptocurrency attorney and advisor Michelle Ann Gitlitz.
No doubt you've heard of the challenges surrounding cryptocurrencies. Several projects have imploded, asset values and trading volumes have plummeted, and investor losses have abounded. These events serve as catnip for naysayers and an excuse to dismiss digital currencies outright.
Reimagining Payments shows how this mindset is ultimately misguided. Digital currencies already serve important commercial purposes. At Chipotle, consumers are buying burritos with Bitcoin and other tokens. Some Equinox members pay their dues with digital currencies. Nearly 500 million Shopify users do the same at almost two million merchants. For their part, more than 90 percent of central banks are experimenting with central bank digital currencies to complement cash.
Gitlitz gives the reader a fresh look at the $2 trillion payments industry and explains why it's ripe for disruption. She deftly explores the benefits of accepting digital currency payments: reaching new consumers, providing more secure payment choices, and reducing transaction-related costs and friction.
No theoretical text, Reimagining Payments imparts strategic and tactical advice on this critical topic. Brimming with rich case studies, analysis, and synthesis, this timely text has arrived at the perfect time for senior business leaders to embrace the future of commerce.