Course information

The international monetary system is on the precipice of change. This course suggests a topography of money at this crossroads. Maps help us navigate geographies and terrains, but they have never been associated with money until now. This course walks through a map of the financial system throughout time and a preview of what the map of digital money might look like in the future. It suggests a framework called "layered money" to describe the evolving monetary system, which seeks to explain how different forms of money relate to each other.

By tracing the evolution of layered money, we gain a fascinating perspective on how and why humans interact with currencies. Along with dissecting currency progression, this course asks what the future of money entails. Many will say, "it's digital", but to most of us, money already seems digital. We use smartphone applications to manage checking accounts, make contactless payments, and move to a cashless existence. But with the growth of Bitcoin, digital money has taken on a whole new meaning.

The study of money has thus far lacked a vernacular that incorporates Bitcoin. This course seeks to look at money in the past to contextualize Bitcoin's potential effects on the future of money. This course attempts to explain how Bitcoin might integrate with and change the monetary system. This course aims to explain the monetary system from the beginning.

This course makes the claim that money is a "layered system". This course will attempt to explain why human beings began using monetary systems, how these systems evolved, and how complicated and multilayered they have become today. It will attempt to explain which layer of money certain types of assets are located on and how individuals can navigate between the "layers" of money.