One implication of what the article is talking about, in fact, is that fractional reserve banking isn’t really a thing, and has only ever been an inaccurate mod

One implication of what the article is talking about, in fact, is that fractional reserve banking isn’t really a thing, and has only ever been an inaccurate model for how banks really work. A large proportion of money in modern economies is generated (along with private debt) in the private banking system. It is true that central banks can also create money (and in fact can do it without creating debt, unlike private banks), and can use this money for quantitive easing, but it’s not an either or - both are happening.