The paper is a physical representation of an entry on an electronic ledger.
A plastic card with n embedded chip is the access to that ledger and makes the paper dollar obsolete. the crypro currency is also electronic blips that obsoletes the plastic card and provides entry to the ledger via your phone.
In china, the card has been made obsolete by various applications that allow transactions directly between the phone (computer) and the cash register (computer) ledgers. we have some early applications like tht but not nearly so ubiquitous as in china.
I see there’s a phone app now that allows a person to go up to an ATM and have it spit out money from their account.