## The Death of the 'Mattress' Defense

During extreme economic recessions, Central Banks cut interest rates to 0% to encourage people to spend money. If 0% doesn't work, economists mathematically want to cut rates to -2.0%. However, under the current system, if a bank charges you -2.0% to hold your money, you will simply withdraw it as physical paper cash and stuff it under your mattress, retaining 0%.

### FAQ

**Q: Why do Central Banks want a digital currency (CBDC)?**
A: If a Central Bank replaces paper cash with programmable digital tokens held in an app, they eliminate the physical "escape hatch." If they declare a massive recession and program the CBDC network to execute a -2.5% interest rate, your digital wallet balance will literally tick downward every second you refuse to spend it at the mall. It algorithmically forces economic spending by penalizing savings directly.