Electronic Currencies: a literature review[Monnaies électroniques : a revue de la littérature]

Today, the banking sector enjoys the privilege of creating around 95% of money supply. Moreover, as bank money bears interest as a condition of its existence, it has long been argued that a systemic growth imperative is inherent to its design, which has a clear impact on the exploitation of scarce natural resources, the increasing pollution of the environment, and the looming threat of climate change. The pursuit of the interrelated goals of ecological sustainability and social justice calls for changes to money-as-usual. This article focuses on electronic currencies by looking at them through the novel Degrowth paradigm which advances radical changes in money nature and distribution. Our research question is: does the literature say something about how electronic currency shapes our society for purposive Degrowth? We employ a literature review and we structure our findings basing on the Work System Framework. This literature review shows that electronic currencies can facilitate purchases, build inclusive communities, and support optimal allocation of resources. We contribute to the Degrowth literature by attesting that there is no evidence to support the notion that electronic currency could shape our society for purposive Degrowth.