The Big View The coming battle over the future of money
9 snips
Oct 14, 2025 Felix Martin, an economist and author renowned for his insights on the history of money, dives deep into the evolving landscape of currency. He explores the tension between traditional banks and emerging digital currencies, highlighting how regulations are reshaping the future. Felix contextualizes Bitcoin's rise amid historical crises and discusses the implications of stablecoins on international finance. He warns about potential risks of digital dollars and how they could influence demand for U.S. Treasuries, altering global financial dynamics.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Crypto Is Old Money, Digitally Upgraded
- Crypto repeats an old pattern: private monies have always existed alongside state money.
- Bitcoin's real novelty lies in digitization, mobile access and cryptographic distributed ledgers.
Tech And Politics Revived Crypto
- Tech diffusion and smartphone ubiquity renewed crypto's reach since Bitcoin's launch.
- Political distrust after the financial crisis also seeded initial crypto demand among diverse groups.
Incumbents Absorb Blockchain
- Decentralized blockchain tools often end up integrated into regulated institutions.
- Users prefer onshore, simpler, familiar interfaces so incumbents absorb the tech rather than being displaced.
