The Capitalisn't of Crypto: SBF and Beyond, with Zeke Faux
Nov 16, 2023
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Zeke Faux, Bloomberg News investigative reporter, discusses the rise and fall of cryptocurrency, its relationship with capitalism, and the conviction of crypto entrepreneur SBF. They explore the challenges of Bitcoin as a replacement for central authority, the fraud surrounding FTX, criticism of stereotypical investments, the limitations of Bitcoin as a medium of exchange, and contrasting views on money.
Crypto can be a speculative store of value despite its inability to function as an effective medium of exchange due to high volatility.
Stable coins backed by fiat currency have the potential to address price volatility, but they depend on proper auditing and regulation to serve as a medium of exchange.
Crypto currencies are unsuitable as units of account due to extreme price fluctuations, making it challenging to evaluate goods and services' real worth in cryptocurrencies.
Deep dives
Crypto as a Medium of Exchange and Store of Value
Crypto, such as Bitcoin and Ether, is not an effective medium of exchange due to its high volatility, making it challenging to maintain a stable value. However, it can serve as a speculative store of value, attracting investors looking for potential gains.
Stable Coins as a Potential Solution
Stable coins, backed by fiat currency, have the potential to address the issue of price volatility in cryptocurrencies. They can function as a medium of exchange provided they are 100% backed by fiat currency and subjected to proper auditing and regulation.
Crypto's Failure as a Unit of Account
Crypto currencies are not suitable as a unit of account due to their extreme price fluctuations. The inability to maintain a stable value makes it challenging to evaluate the real worth of goods and services in terms of cryptocurrencies.
Crypto's Dependent Relationship with Sovereign Currency
The success of stable coins, which aim to replace traditional currency, relies on the backing they receive from fiat currency. This dependency on existing financial systems raises questions about the complete liberation from sovereign currency that crypto initially promised.
Crypto's Flaws and Speculative Nature
The flaws and speculative nature of cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, raise doubts about their ability to serve as effective forms of money. The absence of stability, lack of regulations, and the misappropriation of seniorage create significant challenges for cryptocurrencies to fulfill the functions of money properly.
In his new book "Number Go Up," Bloomberg News investigative reporter Zeke Faux takes readers on a wild ride through the world of cryptocurrency, from its origins in the dark corners of the internet, its meteoric rise to mainstream popularity, and finally its equally precipitous fall.
A few days after the 'convicted' verdict in the trial of beleaguered crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), Faux joins Bethany and Luigi to make a case for why we should judge cryptocurrency by what it has done and not what it can do. They discuss whether it is too soon to write crypto off, what larger commentary it offers about capitalism, and why Luigi, who teaches a popular MBA course on fintech, feels "crypto is money that can only be created by computer scientists who don't understand history."
Show Notes: Revisit a 2017 Stigler Center mini-course by NYU Stern Professor David Yermack on the potential implications of blockchain technologies on the future of finance.
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