What happens when the country that taught the world inflation becomes the testing ground for the future of money?

In this episode of Endgame, Amanda sits down with Camila Russo, author of The Infinite Machine and founder of The Defiant, to trace how growing up in Latin America shaped her understanding of money, power, and why crypto matters long before the West noticed. Before becoming one of crypto’s most influential journalists, Camila was a Bloomberg reporter living in Buenos Aires during the peso’s collapse, covering Argentina’s economy as her own salary evaporated under currency controls.

Camila explains how living through Argentina’s currency controls made Bitcoin feel inevitable, why DeFi was the first time crypto felt real, and why stablecoins have become the economic backbone of everyday life across the region. She breaks down why LATAM became a proving ground for UX-driven financial apps, how its developers are quietly building one of crypto’s most important talent hubs, and why countries like Argentina and Brazil may define the next phase of mainstream adoption.

This is a look at crypto through the eyes of someone who’s lived the problem before meeting the technology.

Timestamps

0:00 – How We Met & Crypto Beginnings

1:37 – Working in Argentina & Bloomberg

5:07 – Living Through Hyperinflation

6:07 – Discovering Bitcoin

11:43 – Crypto in Argentina vs US

12:25 – Back to New York & Crypto Coverage

14:41 – Choosing Ethereum for a Book

16:37 – Early DeFi & Starting The Defiant

21:19 – Crypto Media Landscape

23:15 – Conflicts of Interest in Crypto Media

26:53 – Global Media Insights

31:54 – Broken Media Business Model

36:36 – Incentivizing Investigative Journalism

38:16 – Argentina Today & Crypto Use Case

44:48 – Innovation in LatAm Crypto

RESOURCES:

Follow Cami: https://x.com/CamiRusso

Follow The Defiant: https://x.com/DefiantNews

Check out The Defiant: https://thedefiant.io/

Subscribe to Endgame: https://www.youtube.com/@endgamepodcast

Amanda on X: https://x.com/amandacassatt

Serotonin on X: https://x.com/serotonin

Endgame on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6iSvbKOJWoEPiAoGmiulkd

Endgame on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/endgame-with-amanda-cassatt/id1801809440

Substack: https://substack.com/@UCInZsV3L1nDGoFjxoNUnPQQ

Tracy B. Wilson

The AI-powered Podcast Player