If, as research suggests, the days of carrying physical cash are numbered, what alternatives are we being presented with? With electronic and mobile payments on the rise, it's estimated that by 2017 these methods will account for over half of all payment transactions. Pair this with the staggering statistic that 98% of all money in circulation is digital, it looks like the future of money is due to undergo some mammoth changes.

With this in mind, last night Protein hosted the Future of Money: Take Note Forum, covering everything from new and innovative payment systems and the rise of Bitcoin, to claims that identity is the new money. Using the usual format, the evening started with an informative introduction from each of our speakers, followed by a Q+A from the audience.

Discussing the wider implications of crypto-currencies and the way our basic understanding of money is set to change were our panel of experts, including Hafez Rafiramse, director of partnerships at Birdback, an innovative start-up that's building technology that links offline experiences with online rewards, Austin Houldsworth, co-founder of the Future of Money Awards, and Mark Lamb, CEO of Bitcoin trading platform Coinfloor.

The inaugural event at our new New Inn Yard venue, the forum was a shining success. For more news on upcoming events and forum, sign up to our Supplement here.