The revolution in financial markets over the past few decades, a phenomenon that a paper published by the Central Bank of Ireland in November describes as the "democratisation of financial market,"has brought money's role as a store of value to the fore.

"In periods of financial market turbulence, this role may now dominate the medium of exchange role," the authors argue, adding that money seen as an asset is "increasingly coming to the rescue of investors stricken with fear as financial market