I often wonder: how much money is there in the world actually? The answer turns out to be much more complicated than it seems at first glance because it all depends on what we consider as money.

If we talk about physical cash — banknotes and coins, what economists call M0 — it's about 40 trillion dollars. It sounds impressive, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

When we add demand deposits, that is easily accessible bank accounts (M1), the figure jumps to around 80 trillion. People hold money not only in their wallets but also in accounts, and that’s also part of the money supply.

But if we consider the total amount of money in the world, including savings accounts and other liquid assets (M2 and M3), we get approximately 100-130 trillion dollars. Here, the difference between cash and what people have saved becomes clear.

But the most interesting part begins when we look at financial assets as a whole — stocks, bonds, derivatives. All this value reaches 400-500 trillion dollars. And if we add complex financial instruments like derivatives, the nominal value can even surpass quadrillions.

These figures are constantly changing — markets fluctuate, central banks print new money, the economy develops. When I look at this picture, it becomes clear why cryptocurrencies are starting to take up more and more space. Even if virtual assets reach a third of all this money, it will be a huge reshuffle in the financial system. It’s fascinating to see how attitudes toward digital assets are changing against the backdrop of such a global money supply.