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David Argente

  • When Cash Isn’t an Option, Consumers Lose Out

    Paper currency is associated with crime and tax avoidance, but low-income consumers often rely on it. New research from Yale SOM’s David Argente puts a figure on how much those consumers forfeit when governments ban cash payments.

    An Uber driver in Mexico in 2018.
  • El Salvador Adopted Bitcoin as an Official Currency; Salvadorans Mostly Shrugged

    In an effort to boost financial inclusion, El Salvador made Bitcoin an official currency and offered incentives for adopting it. A new study co-authored by Yale SOM’s David Argente and Diana Van Patten found that a lack of trust caused use of the cryptocurrency to fall off quickly.

    A Bitcoin ATM in San Salvador in 2021.