A cashless society has long been a staple of sci-fi. Star Wars and Star Trek both have their version of credits, though more materially obsessed cultures do keep a form of hard currency around. It’s also a common trope in dystopian fiction, where money is completely electronic and usually controlled by either the government or mega-corporations.
Speaking as a citizen of a country that isn’t ready to let go of the penny, I’m not sure everyone is ready for a cashless society. Ready or not, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (Mines), and possibly all of surrounding Rapid City, are about to embark on a pilot program for a cashless society in partnership with Nexus USA's Smart Pay system.
In place of a card or some other form of ID, the program uses a system called Biocryptology. The biometrics technology uses a radio frequency to penetrate down seven layers into the skin on a user’s index finger to identify a valid user. The Smart Pay system even checks for hemoglobin in the blood of the finger to determine the user is alive.
