In The Middle of The Before and After with Ariel Wengroff

Oct 28, 2025

Ariel Wengroff, EVP of Marketing & Communications at Ledger and a former VICE executive, unpacks the convergence of media and crypto in the age of transparency. She reflects on her VICE days and the critical demand for truth against AI-driven skepticism. Ariel emphasizes the necessity of secure signers for digital ownership and warns against the risks of biometrics. They also discuss how crypto struggles with messaging and the importance of a clear identity in an increasingly polarized political landscape.

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INSIGHT

Mass Media Fragmented By Platform Duopoly

Digital media fractured after the Google/Facebook duopoly shifted distribution and attention away from traditional journalism.
Media now serves emotionally-confirming communities rather than a single mass audience.

INSIGHT

Citizen Journalism Replaces Editorial Authority

Citizen journalism and platforms like TikTok replaced much of traditional editorial authority.
People now accept information based on social confirmation and emotional response rather than objective facts.

INSIGHT

Crypto Messaging Stuck In Old Narratives

Crypto communications still repeat the same narratives from years ago and haven't matured for broader audiences.
The industry often abandons Bitcoin's original ethos of ownership when chasing mass adoption and institutional acceptance.

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Ariel Wengroff, EVP, Marketing & Communications, Ledger, explores how media and crypto are converging around transparency, trust, and digital ownership in today’s evolving digital landscape.

In this episode of Gen C, Ariel Wengroff, EVP of Marketing & Communications, Ledger, reflects on her time at VICE and discusses the changing landscape of the media industry and the growing demand for truth and authenticity in the age of AI. In running marketing for the unicorn hardware company, Ledger, Ariel connects these shifts to Ledger’s vision of digital ownership—giving individuals control over their privacy, identity, and assets through secure signing and self-sovereign technology.

Links mentioned from the podcast:

Sam Ewen, CoinDesk

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-"Gen C" features host Sam Ewen. Executive produced by Uyen Truong.