monderigentum

Monderigentum is a term that appears infrequently in German-language sources and is not established as a standard legal or economic category. In most usages, it is understood as referring to ownership relations involving monetary assets. Because the term is not widely standardized, its precise definition and scope can vary among authors and disciplines.

Etymologically, monderigentum appears to blend a reference to money (monetary assets) with eigentum (ownership), signaling a focus on who holds rights to money and money-like assets. In practice, discussions framed around monderigentum tend to address the status of ownership in cash, deposits, and digital or electronic money, and how access, control, and transfer rights are governed.

Interpretations of monderigentum generally fall into two broad strands. One views money ownership as a straightforward proprietary relationship between an individual or institution and the monetary asset they possess or control, for example cash in hand or funds in a bank account. The other treats money more as a social or contractual construct, emphasizing the legal and institutional framework—such as central banks, payment systems, and regulations—that enable, regulate, and limit ownership and use of money.

Modern developments, including digital currencies and central bank digital currencies, have intensified questions about how ownership is defined, protected, and enforced in a technologically evolving monetary environment. These debates often touch on issues of custody, access rights, and the distinction between ownership and entitlement within monetary systems.

Because monderigentum is not a widely standardized term, most discussions prefer more precise phrases such as ownership of money or property in monetary assets. See also money, ownership, property, legal tender, and central-bank digital currency.