Nah, it's something people can actually use :). gentle /s

the article mentions how monopoly-esque the notes feel. i assume they're easier to forge than euro notes. maybe some cryptographic signature on the notes would allow instantaneous verification of banknote authenticity, using eg. only a cell phone?

How would that alone prevent copying ? Unless the actual note/id is linked to some user (and then it has become way more complicated and expensive) ?

Never use that word here or you will be automatically down voted by Luddites.

> many nations will jail centralized issuers

Central banks (and the related monetary presses) are “centralised issuers.” Nobody is jailing them.

Moreover, creating a private currency is legal in most states. (It usually takes the form of IOUs.) People don’t do this because it’s unprofitable. You need additional motivations, like cultural preservation, to counterbalance the economic cost.