Book
Information about my new book Reimagining Payments: The Business Case for Digital Currencies.
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Our way of paying for things is rapidly changing. Fewer of us are using cash. Instead, we’re relying on a growing array of electronic payment methods, including digital wallets, QR codes, mobile money, and, of course, Bitcoin and other digital currencies. Against this backdrop arrives Reimagining Payments: The Business Case for Digital Currencies, an exciting book from prominent cryptocurrency attorney and advisor Michelle Ann Gitlitz.
No doubt you’ve heard of the challenges surrounding cryptocurrencies. Several projects have imploded, asset values and trading volumes have plummeted, and investor losses have abounded. These events serve as catnip for naysayers and an excuse to dismiss digital currencies outright.
Reimagining Payments shows how this mindset is ultimately misguided. Digital currencies already serve important commercial purposes. At Chipotle, consumers are buying burritos with Bitcoin and other tokens. Some Equinox members pay their dues with digital currencies. Nearly 500 million Shopify users do the same at almost two million merchants. For their part, more than 90 percent of central banks are experimenting with central bank digital currencies to complement cash.
Gitlitz gives the reader a fresh look at the $2 trillion payments industry and explains why it’s ripe for disruption. She deftly explores the benefits of accepting digital currency payments: reaching new consumers, providing more secure payment choices, and reducing transaction-related costs and friction.
No theoretical text, Reimagining Payments imparts strategic and tactical advice on this critical topic. Brimming with rich case studies, analysis, and synthesis, this timely text has arrived at the perfect time for senior business leaders to embrace the future of commerce.
The fourth title from Racket Publishing is out now.
Praise
“The brilliance of Gitlitz’s Reimaging Payments: The Business Case for Digital Currencies is to reveal how the coming digital future of value will provide enormous financial efficiencies while disrupting venerable market structures and present, most importantly, the critical challenges and opportunities this change poses for free societies the world over.”
—J. CHRISTOPHER GIANCARLO, former chairman, US Commodity Futures Trading Commission
“The leading expert on payments regulation deftly (and downright thrillingly) situates cryptocurrency in historical, practical, and regulatory context—with brilliantly grounded considerations for the future of payments. This book is a powerfully accessible combination of information and inspiration, like the democratization of finance at its best.”
—MICHAEL MOSIER, former acting director and digital innovation officer of the US Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
“Reimagining Payments provides a sweeping view of the payments system. It explains and places current innovations in digital assets squarely in context and highlights the positive real-world impact those technologies can have on the payment system’s most vexing problems. This is a great read for payments practitioners, students of economic history, and those interested in digital assets.”
—PAUL DWYER, cofounder and chief executive officer, Viamericas Corporation
“Thoughtfully outlined and comprehensive, yet easily readable, Reimagining Payments is a primer on digital currencies that everyone from novice readers to industry veterans can benefit from reading.”
—JEANINE HIGHTOWER-SELLITTO, chief commercial and strategy officer, EDX Markets
“I wholeheartedly recommend Reimagining Payments to anyone intrigued by the world of digital transactions but who might find the subject too daunting to navigate. Gitlitz’s expertise shines through, making this book an indispensable, accessible guide for understanding the past, present, and future of payments.”
—DAVID PUTH, former CEO of CLS Group and Centre Consortium and former J. P. Morgan executive
“With a deep understanding of technology policy, cryptocurrency, and fintech, Reimagining Payments is an essential read. The book not only debunks common misconceptions about cryptocurrencies but also illuminates their growing commercial significance. Gitlitz’s work is a rich source of strategic guidance and practical insights, making it indispensable for professionals and enthusiasts keen on understanding the future of digital payments.”
—PAUL BRIGNER, head of policy and strategic advocacy at Electric Coin Co. and adjunct fintech professor at Georgetown University McDonough School of Business
“I thoroughly enjoyed this easy-to-read passage through disruptions in payments and comparisons to the dot-com era.”
—BRUCE SILCOFF, cofounder, Shyft
“Not your typical finance read, this is an homage to money’s historic arc, wrapped in practical insights on the future of payments. With charm and wit, Michelle Gitlitz transforms technological complexity into a compelling narrative that sparks creativity and equips you with everything you need to confidently navigate the evolving landscape of digital payments.”
—JESS CHENG, member at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
“Michelle has been an industry leader in the field of digital currencies and payments for many years. This book will paint a picture for you of how the world of money and payments has been disrupted by emerging technologies and, most importantly, what the future of payments holds.”
—JASON BRETT, Digital Assets Senior Contributor, Forbes.com