The Evolution of Money

In this TEDx-style talk, Harold Tan explores the fundamental question—what is money, and how did our current monetary systems emerge? He traces its journey from physical forms like gold and commodities to modern fiat currencies and, ultimately, to digital innovations like Bitcoin. Along the way, he explains how each evolution addressed key needs—portability, divisibility, trust—and how innovations like blockchain aim to revolutionize the nature of money and financial trust.