THE BOOK

The Tierra Tipping Point

From Crypto Currencies to the Tierra Digital Currency of the UN Peoples’ Bank in a Transformed International Monetary System

What if the world’s greatest crises are not failures of policy—but failures of money itself?

In The Tierra Tipping Point, international development scholar Frans C. Verhagen, PhD, delivers a bold and meticulously argued vision for transforming the global monetary system at the very moment humanity faces converging emergencies in climate, inequality, governance, and economic instability.

From cryptocurrencies and shadow banking to central bank digital currencies, Verhagen traces the evolution—and the deep structural injustices—of modern money. He argues that incremental reforms are no longer enough. Instead, the world stands at a tipping point that demands a fundamental rethinking of how money is created, governed, and valued.

At the heart of this groundbreaking work is TTRIMS (The Tierra Transformed International Monetary System)—a justice-based monetary framework anchored in decarbonization, sustainability, and global equity. Central to this vision is the Tierra, a proposed global digital currency administered by a UN Peoples’ Bank, designed to align economic activity with planetary limits while reducing inequality and systemic risk.

Drawing on economics, sociology, climate science, and global governance, The Tierra Tipping Point challenges prevailing orthodoxies and introduces transitional justice as the missing foundation for a stable and sustainable world economy. Both provocative and practical, this book offers not just critique, but a roadmap—toward a Bretton Woods 3.0 and a future where finance serves people, planet, and peace.