It's funny how crypto became branded as "decentralized" when actually it's the exact opposite. Every single transaction ever made is recorded onto a single central ledger. It's not even anonymous; pseudonymity (your wallet address) is not anonymity.

It is in fact cash that is decentralized and anonymous. If I go into a dark alley and give you a $100 bill, there is not a single soul other than you and me who knows about the transaction that took place.

Crypto tornados for rough anonymization

Cash eventually passes through banks: Can't the read the serial numbers, and pretty easily at this point?

It's not like tracking credit card or Venmo transactions, but if you take out $500 and give it to someone who deposits it, and if they read the serial numbers, it's clear what happened.

Just today I listened to an article from NPR talking about some sort settlement involving small businesses and credit card vendors. I want to support my local business and not have them pay the credit card charges. But the convenience of carrying around just one card vs various bills and coins is hard to give up.

I’m curious, how do you personally handle change specially small currency like pennies and nickels?

> the convenience of carrying around just one card vs various bills and coins is hard to give up.

How hard is it to carry cash? You don't have to take coins; you just take your wallet which already has the bills. "various" doesn't make sense: you don't need to make sure to bring some 1s, a 5, 4 10s, etc.

Just put the change in your pocket and put it in a bowl when you get home.

Keep it in my pocket until I get home. Stick it in a jar. It becomes a little fun or emergency money. I find that using cash, I tend to not buy dumb little things as I'm out and about and don't actually carry change around all that often.

We may need to help them by looking at the POS interface and make sure they're using/requesting debit for debit cards.

I suspect the POS defaults to credit. But I've never looked at any of the interfaces.

I know US Postal Service somehow detects my card is debit and then requests a debit transaction because the credit card pad asks for a PIN not a signature. So maybe some POS have an autodetect option.

(See also my other comment)

Cash-only here. I have not (generally) accepted pennies since the mid 1980's.

Many of the local places (Seattle - Belltown & the Market) are cool with rounding transactions to the nearest dollar, so that helps. It might also be part of being an active participant in the local society.

I don't use cash anymore, but if I still was. I'd just chuck them all in a tub and every now and then dump them in the coin counting deposit machine at the bank to get notes back.

I use cash still and this is exactly what I do with my coins. I have a huge vase that I keep all my coins in. Years ago, I used to convert the coins to bills maybe once or twice per year when the vase filled up now. I use cash so infrequently now (and also usually get change rounded to the nearest dollar) that it’s been several years since the last dump and the vase hasn’t filled up yet.

Same.

Plus I can tip easily, split bills, not have to worry about internet connections, etc

Cash also helps staff (tips) and small business owners avoid taxes (assuming they don't declare cash). Obviously depends a bit on your own morals regarding taxation.

Although tips won't be taxed, that only affects federal taxes, starts 2026 and finishes 2028 (amongst other limitations).

I think you spend less if you pay cash because you see the money.

Nah, once the cash has left my bank account I see it as already gone and spend it freely.

Same. If it doesn't show up in my bank or savings balances it's effectively already spent.

> I think you spend less if you pay cash because you see the money.

This may be true for some people. Doesn't work for me at all. I see the money equally in digital and print formats.

One more advantage:

A number of random places will charge extra for a credit card.

Not a lot, of course. But something.

My credit cards, both the physical ones and the ones on my phone, work without an internet connection.

Cash "just works" until you run out, or have too large denominations that people refuse. And there are more stores now that don't take cash at all.

> or have too large denominations that people refuse

In the US, if you have actually incurred a debt (e.g. you've already eaten your meal, or you've already had the repair performed, etc), the business can "refuse" payment in cash, but by so doing, they have effectively declared the debt void.

US legal tender case law permits businesses to refuse cash for non-debt-mediated transactions, but if a debt has been incurred, they have to accept it.

Well turns out that even with cash, you can still carry your debit card, just in case... Good God it really isnt that big of a deal to carry cash.

Getting cash is usually the issue, I don't get paid in cash and I have to make a special trip to get it.

> My credit cards, both the physical ones and the ones on my phone, work without an internet connection.

Of course not. I guess you haven't been to shops that say their network is down, so it's cash-only until it comes back online.

It used to be shops had those credit card imprint sliders to handle payments when phones lines were down, but nobody has those anymore (many credit cards don't even have the raised numbers anymore).

Really?

I’ve had multiple places not able to accept credit cards due to internet issues.

Literally had that last week. (Library, they had to call me later for payment.)

Accepting an offline transaction is at the discretion of the merchant, a payment terminal is going to be able to certify that a payment card is genuine, however as the issuer of the credit card may have the card reported stolen in its database, the merchant takes the risk of fraud in card-theft cases. So if as a merchant you have a well-known customer in front of you, you can still do the sale. Every acquirer can configure this to be more or less lenient for each issuer, and the tendency has been to be less and less lenient.

That makes sense, because I have paid in remote areas (no internet) before, thanks.

I wonder why companies don't scan cash as part of fraud prevention. (You do know that all bills have unique serial numbers I hope)

The 'scan' part would be OCR with errors or humans with errors

How many shops actually use the fake bill checker device?