Korea Minting, Security Printing & ID Card Operating Corporation (KOMSCO) has released two more currency-themed goods made from recycled currency by-products, following the launch of the Money Pen, Money Keyring, and Money Envelope earlier this year.

Dr Andrzej Nowak, Head of Open Innovation at SICPA, presented at the Future of Cash conference in Warsaw in November about what a radical banknote of the future could look like.

SICPA leveraged its security ink and traceability expertise to launch BullionProtect® in 2020, designed to prevent counterfeit gold bars being mistaken for genuine ones. Jointly developed with refiner and coating specialist Metalor Technologies, in line with LBMA (London Bullion Market Association) guidance, the integrated solution comprises a security image applied directly to the bar and bespoke validation devices.

In last month’s Currency News™, we reported on a new programme for financial inclusion called MoneyBox. In this interview, we provide more detail on this far-sighted and far-reaching initiative.

Cash processing plays a crucial role in Pakistan’s financial system, ensuring liquidity, security, and public confidence in an economy where physical currency remains widely used. Despite the growing adoption of digital financial services and a determined push by the government to reduce dependency on cash, it continues to dominate daily transactions, particularly in the informal sector (which generates over 40% of GDP).

The International Association for Currency Affairs (IACA) has announced that the nomination period for the 2026 Excellence in Currency Awards is now open.

The Coin Conference 2026 will take centre stage next year as a key part of the industry’s event calendar. The event, organised by the publishers of Currency News, brings together experts to tackle critical challenges facing coin production and circulation in the context of a rapidly-evolving payments eco-system.

The Mint and Print (MAP) conference 2025, held from 11 to 13 November in Istanbul, reiterated the message: cash remains a vital pillar of monetary stability and national sovereignty, even as payment methods become increasingly digital.

Since its founding in 1995, the Cash Cycle Seminar organised by Currency Research (CR) has brought together industry leaders to discuss the future of cash. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the 2025 seminar in Bali, Indonesia, adopted the theme ‘Cash Cycle 360: Redefining Resilience with Technology & Trust’, bringing together over 150 delegates from 64 organisations, including 20 central and commercial banks, and 24 CIT companies.

In a bold step to modernise its currency and reaffirm national identity, the Bank of Namibia (BoN) has launched an upgraded series of banknotes and a fully redesigned set of coins. Officially introduced by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah in July 2025, the new currency began circulating at the end of September 2025, marking a historic milestone for the nation.

The Royal Monetary Authority (RMA) of Bhutan has unveiled the designs for the first three notes in its new banknote family – the 100, 500, and 1,000 ngultrum (Nu).

The Central Bank of Bolivia has completed its new ‘B’ series of banknotes with the issue of 10, 20 and 50 boliviano notes. The new 100 and 200 bolivianos were issued in June.

Dr Andrzej Nowak, Head of Open Innovation at SICPA, presented at the Future of Cash conference in Warsaw in November about what a radical banknote of the future could look like.

The Czech National Bank is to issue a commemorative 5,000 koruna banknote next March to mark the centenary of the central bank, and the 30th anniversary of the Czech koruna.

Hueck Folien has successfully commissioned a new high-vacuum vapour deposition facility at its headquarters in Baumgartenberg, Austria. The €8.6 million investment, announced in September 2024, includes both a new metallisation system and associated infrastructure upgrades, and marks a major advance in the company’s production of high-performance coatings for the security sector.

Jörg Eigendorf, Chief Sustainability Officer at Deutsche Bank recently posted on LinkedIn about monetising the protection of the rainforests. Coincidently, almost to the day, Biobanknote wrote to us about a project to reforest the Amazon.

Authentix, a pioneer in nano-optic security technologies, has signed a Cooperation and License Agreement with LEONHARD KURZ, one of the world’s largest advanced high security feature manufacturing companies, uniting the former’s breakthrough innovation with the latter’s world-class production capacity.

American Eagle, a US clothes manufacturer, hired the actress Sydney Sweeney for their autumn 2025 denim campaign. The campaign led to an increase in sales, attracting nearly a million new customers between July and September. The two products in the adverts, named after Sweeney, sold out – the denim jacket in a day and the jeans in a week.

We are all familiar with the earnest reasons for using cash. But what other benefits are there?

The Bank of Estonia’s supervisory board has chosen the current Deputy Governor Ülo Kaasik as its candidate for the next Governor. He has served as Deputy Governor since 2011 and will replace Madis Müller, whose term ends in June 2026.