cash - ugh
TBH unlike most of the posters here I hate cash.
Havent carried cash for near on 3 years.
Not saying it shouldnt exist - just that it has downsides too - such as getting smacked over head to take it off you - the *costs* of printing, distributing, guarding, recalling, counterfeiting, storing it. Just because the consumer doesnt see the cost doesnt mean there isnt one - its paid for (by your taxes).
So I pay for everything I can with tap-and-go (apple/googlepay - call it what you will). Which works for 99.5% of purchases. In fact my 4 year old grand-daughter want to pay for a hot-chocolate with her own 'dollar-bucks' recently and couldnt - because the coffee stand doesnt take cash. So she's going to need a 'stored value' pocket money card.
So there are trade-offs - like a trace of everything I buy and, although I am not a fan of our current government (Oz) I am not actually paranoid enough to think they care enough about me personally......maybe if I lived elsewhere. Apparently Oz has one of the highest take-ups of swipe-to-pay in the world.
Oh and I pay tax and am not trying to hide stuff from the government.
The thing is I dont see what this 'ecash' has over what we currently have (the swipe card/phone system) - apart from hiding stuff from the 'gummint'?