Did you see any of the celebrity-backed ads for the slew of now defunct crytpo businesses? Did they leave you scratching your head at the time? It was precisely the inscrutability of cryptocurrency that allowed scammers like Sam Bankman-Fried to pocket billions through crypto exchanges like FTX. That company’s pitch was essentially “it’s OK if you don’t understand how all of this works, we’ll handle it for you.” But then, of course, the bubble burst. This week on Sea Change Radio, we check in with Matthew Slater, a community currency engineer and blockchain expert with whom we spoke back in 2011, at the dawn of the alternative currency movement. Slater boils down the past decade of cryptocurrency mayhem into layman’s terms and explains why, despite the many bumps along the way, he still believes in a financial system based on what he terms “trade justice.”
Track: Chris Cross Artist: Jimmy McGriff Album: Electric Funk Label: Blue Note Year: 1970
Track: Suspicious Minds Artist: Elvis Presley Album: From Elvis in Memphis Label: RCA Victor Year: 1969
Track: Deal Artist: Grateful Dead Album: Dave’s Picks Vol. 8 Label: Rhino Records Year: 2013