Banks and Money

CONVERSION RATES AND STARTING MONEY
2 Earth Credits = 1 Martian Marks = 8 Belter Yuan

Starting money and prices in the book are in Earth Credits.

SMART COINS
Most money is electronically transferred using hand terminals. But "smart coins" (sort of like a digital cashier's check) are also used and can be loaded with any amount. The amount is loaded onto the coin by a bank and is digitally displayed on the face of it. The coin glows red for Marks, blue for Credits and yellow for Yuan. They are encrypted and tamper proof. A bank can remotely change the amount on a coin via request from a hand terminal if the coin is on the same world or station network as the bank. The issuing bank keeps a record of the serial number and amount loaded on it. But coins can be loaded with funds from other coins or from money transferred between banks and different money types so that tracing the origin of money loaded on a coin is often difficult to impossible. Especially since Earth, Mars, and Belt banks do not share client data.

MAJOR EARTH BASED BANKS
UN Global Bank

First Terran United Bank

Blue Planet Consolidated Bank

MAJOR MARS BASED BANKS
Mars Congressional Bank

Green Mars National Bank

MAJOR BELT BASED BANKS
Ceres First Bank & Trust – Based on Ceres.

Belters United Bank – Based on Ganymede.

Setara Dui Bank (True Star) – Based on Ceres.

Copain Felota Bank (Floating Friend) – Based on Tycho Station.