Affiliation:
1. University of Lisbon, Portugal
Abstract
Trust is vital to the sustained existence of money. No currency can prevail without it. However, following the international crisis of 2008, the liability-side of trust became increasingly apparent. Blockchain and cryptocurrencies challenged the need to trust and proposed an alternative “trustless” system. In the context of rising interest and concern about cryptocurrencies, the authors intend to discuss the role of trust in the evolution of money, from ancient Mesopotamia to modern sovereign fiat currencies and cryptocurrencies, and whether cryptocurrencies are prompting a shift in the paradigm of money or not.