We sit down with journalist Ethan Lou, author of the book Once a Bitcoin Miner: Scandal and Turmoil in the Cryptocurrency Wild West, to talk about China’s digital currency, the fallout of speculative markets, and democratizing the metaverse.
Episode notes
The metaverse isn’t just inevitable; it’s already here (and it has a booming real estate market).
As we move more of our lives online onto platforms controlled by increasingly powerful digital giants, Ethan explains the democratizing power of cryptocurrency and blockchain.
On the other hand, China’s new digital currency (government-issued but crypto-inspired) raises questions about privacy and surveillance. And why did China declare all cryptocurrency transactions illegal?
Is crypto the new oil—an environmental disaster burning all this energy in the face of climate change? Bitcoin was using as much energy as Finland or Pakistan.