This year’s Freedom Fest panel: “The War on Cash,” explored recent moves by central banks and economists to eliminate physical money. Central banks and economists claim that abolishing paper currency would help combat terrorism, the illegal drug trade, and tax evasion. Contradicting this idea, the Freedom Fest “The War on Cash” panel found that physical currency was an important basis of a free society. The panelists, including Dr. Adam Trexler, Valaurum’s President, and founder, discussed the market need for physical currency (to the tune of $10tn). Several panelists noted that increased private market solutions in the precious metal sector could deemphasize government-printed paper currency in the future. Participants in the panel included Edmund C. Moy, Former Director of the United States Mint, Jayant Bhandari, U.S. Global Investors, and Casey Research Advisor, and Keith Weiner, CEO of Monetary Metal.