Argent

David McWilliams

Money is not value in itself, but a social contract driven by trust. From barter to coins, paper, banks, and digital wallets, each step has facilitated exchange while relying on trust in systems and rules. Banks create credit, governments and central banks ensure stability, and crises show how fragile trust can be. Inequality grows when money rewards old wealth more than new effort, while technology brings new forms like cryptocurrencies and digital currencies. Through it all, the rule remains the same: without trust, money is just paper or numbers.