They have been discouraging the use of cash for years. They want a banking trail, for whatever reason. That is why we still have "Civil Asset Forfieture", where it can take months or years to get your money back, even if no charges of any kind of criminal activity are even charged. Don't get caught on I-40 with cash. The locals get a cut, it get shifted to the Fed, changing juridiction over the money and your dream of getting a deal on an otherwise legitimate cash transaction, are blown, and you have legal fees to pay just to get your life savings back.