At this point, it should be evident to everyone that the use of digital means in our lives is no longer a luxury. The vast majority of us could not lead a normal life—understanding 'normal life' as the daily activities we perform, both social and professional—without the aid of some technology.

A friend went further, challenging anyone to spend a day without using any products from the Big Techs (Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google). Have you reflected on this? The impact on your daily activities would be immense!

And it is in this context that currency is inserted. How could it remain immune to this, being such a crucial part of our daily routine, especially when we consider its function as a means of payment? It could not be and will not remain that way.

It is evolving, which means going beyond simple digitalization, as happened with our bank accounts, the use of cards (credit and debit), and more recently, digital wallets.

Current discussions involve a shift in the roles of the financial system, a closer relationship between Central Banks and the public, the creation of private currencies that could collaborate with or compete against government currencies, and even the possible privatization or nationalization of payment systems, among other topics.

The advantages of having digitalized money are numerous, such as traceability, 24/7 online payments, ease of use, cost reduction for the currency issuer, financial inclusion, and even environmental considerations—considering that almost everyone has access to the internet and mobile phones.

These benefits will inevitably lead us to the digitalization of money sooner or later. As I often say, those born now will only see paper money in museums, alongside typewriters, landline phones, and cassette tapes.

And I reinforce, as it is crucial: digitalization is not the same as tokenization. The digitalization of currency is an irreversible global trend, in my view, and tokenization is the best way for it to circulate in the digital environment.

There are many challenges to be overcome on this path, including concerns about groups that are still digitally excluded, such as the elderly, and the fact that there are still regions of the world without internet access. A UN study showed that 2023 was the year when 2/3 of the world's population was connected to the internet. This means that there is still 33% of the global population without connectivity, largely in the African continent.

This is not the case in Brazil, Europe, and the United States, where the internet covers the vast majority of the territory and, consequently, is available to almost the entire population.

Furthermore, in this new stage of currency, it is essential to consider protection mechanisms, such as the FGC (Credit Guarantee Fund).

However, I see that this direction towards a tokenized currency is already charted and advancing rapidly, although still in its early stages.