The article discusses the origin of money, its modern stage and the fact that it is one of the first inventions of mankind. Leading scientists of the world have studied the issue of the origin of money for many centuries and today conduct many studies. This article analyzes modern studies of the formation of monetary relations. The author conducted a theoretical and critical analysis of the literature devoted to the development of monetary relations. Based on the theoretical analysis, conclusions were made about the forecast of further changes and development of monetary relations.