Article in July “Very Much Wow”

This month’s Very Much Wow published my article titled, “You Shall Not Crucify The Internet On This Cross of Bitcoin“.

The article discusses some the nineteenth century U.S. currency wars: “Free Silver” vs. “Greenbacks” vs. “Gold Standard” (the title refers to William Jennings Bryan’s famous speech condemning the gold standard, the “cross of gold”).  This episode in US politics illustrates how currency technologies are connected to competing cultural narratives.

I lay out some of the thinking that has developed in this blog, discussing the significance of the plethora of  (technically similar) cryptocurrencies.

Please check out the full article (p. 33).

http://issuu.com/verymuchwow/docs/vmw3/34?e=11558635/8421855

I note that in the same issue, the widely regarded Sensei Andreas Antonopoulos is interviewed.  He actually expresses similar views, imagining that everybody could have their own cryptocurrency. It is gratifying to see others thinking the same way.

By the way, Antonopoulos compares cryptocurrencies to Pokeman cards–which is an extremely apt analogy!  The best thing about this metaphor is the picture I get of Marc Andreessen (for instance) as a dragon sitting on a huge pile of…very expensive Pokeman cards! 🙂

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