From Rai stones to Blockchains: The transformation of payments

Abstract

Computer technology has dramatically changed the marketplace, including the way we make payments. Electronic access to funds expands liquidity and the relationships within payment networks allow strangers to build bridges of trust, increasing trade and human interaction. But electronic payment channels have also presented new challenges in security and privacy, including new forms of criminal behavior and tax avoidance for governments to address. This essay outlines some of the legal, social, and technological implications from this transformation of payments and assesses future challenges in the electronic payments frontier.