Currency Research Launches Cash Resilience Strategy Initiative (CRSI)

Currency Research, in collaboration with currency practitioners from African central banks, has launched a new international research initiative to examine global cash usage trends and the future role of physical currency in a rapidly evolving payments landscape.

The Initiative forms the foundation of a dedicated workshop – the Central Bank Summit – at the Banknote Conference 2026 in Washington DC this May, and is being supported by a comprehensive CRSI survey distributed to central banks worldwide.

The partners leading the initiative are:

• Dominic Owusu, Director, Currency Management Department, Bank of Ghana
• Evans Muttai, Director, Currency Operations, Central Bank of Kenya
• Sencia Kaizemi-Rukata, Director, Currency Management & Banking Operations, Bank of Namibia 
• Pearl Kgalegi, Head of Currency Department, South African Reserve Bank.

While many economies in the Global North are experiencing declining cash usage, numerous countries in the Global South continue to report robust growth in cash in circulation and cash transactions. This divergence has significant implications for currency policy, production planning, infrastructure investment, and long-term cash ecosystem resilience.