From bartering to bitcoin: A visual history of payments Part 2

Mankind has been interacting with payments technology since the literal dawn of civilization. In part one of our two-part infographic series, we explored how the very first methods of payment used on earth developed into the familiar credit cards we all carry around in our wallets today.

You may have noticed that our first timeline spanned thousands of years, while the second part covers roughly three decades. Why the disparity? Two words—digital revolution. In the 1990s, an entirely new digital environment was created—the Internet. The subsequent development and popular adoption of web-based technology have exploded over the past 30 years, resulting in rapid advances in payment technology.

 

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