Harry Handelbar 
When currency collapses with flair.
An enterprising group of students from the Arts Department of the University of Zimbabwe have accidentally kick-started their country’s economy. Their brilliant method? Selling intricate paper planes made entirely from obsolete Zimbabwe banknotes. What initially started as a reckless fraternity dare has quickly turned into a massive financial boon for the nation.
The Rise of Currency Crafting
Following the students’ unexpected success, hundreds of citizens promptly jumped onto the bandwagon. Across the country, enterprising locals are now introducing other offbeat uses for the defunct physical currency. Today, local markets overflow with colorful paper hats, folded toy boats, custom Christmas wrapping paper, and geometric wallpaper.
We approached an official from the Zimbabwe Treasury for an interview. Unfortunately, he could not provide a comment on the economic boom because a crafting workshop had literally tied his hands to a chair.
Glitches and Global Demands
According to recent data from eBay, this new currency craft category is fast becoming one of the platform’s top global sellers. International collectors are buying up the folded assets much faster than locals can fold them.
The only major glitch occurred within PayPal’s automated currency conversion algorithm. The sheer volume of transactions triggered an unprecedented overflow of zeroes, which forced the online invoicing system to stretch across multiple computer screens. Thankfully, tech engineers quickly applied a software patch to stabilize the system.
A Looming Origami Crisis
Consequently, other countries have begun to follow suit as their own fiat currencies falter under the current global economic crisis. This sudden artistic shift has naturally caught the attention of international watchdogs.
Various market analysts worry that this new craft-based income stream will wreak total havoc on traditional global trade markets. In fact, a few conservative economists have already demanded that the international community impose strict sanctions, such as mandatory paper cuts, on the region.
