Sam Hart, a developer and editor at the Cryptoeconomic Systems journal, dives deep into the world of blockchain technologies. He explores the paradox of Bitcoin as both a decentralized tool and a potential instrument of political power. Hart discusses how cryptocurrency can empower local economies and critiques the reliance on state-controlled money. He also tackles the environmental impact of mining, zk-SNARKs for secure computation, and the implications of NFTs on social mobility, making a compelling case for the Left to engage with crypto.