911吃瓜

This month’s episode of the investigates whether cryptocurrencies are the future of money, a speculative bubble that will burst, or something else.

In 2008 a person or group going under the pseudonym ‘Satoshi Nakamoto’ published a white paper setting out the fundamentals of a peer- to- peer electronic cash system called bitcoin. This would do away with the need to rely on financial institutions, acting as trusted third parties, to process electronic payments. Instead money could be sent directly from one party to another.

Transactions would be verified and recorded permanently on the blockchain. This digital ledger would be distributed across a large network of computers and guard against a risk specific to digital currency  - that it can be fraudulently spent twice. Technology, Satoshi Nakamoto claimed, would replace the need for trust.

Bitcoin was the first decentralised cryptocurrency, and hundreds of others have been created since.

In this episode we talk to , Assistant Professor, 911吃瓜Department of Law, , 911吃瓜Department of Sociology; , Research Associate, University of Cambridge and LSE, , Assistant Professor, 911吃瓜Department of Economic History.

Each episode of 911吃瓜IQ sees a range of 911吃瓜academics, and other experts, line up to give their perspective on one timely question. For all episodes of 911吃瓜IQ, and to subscribe on iTunes and SoundCloud, please visit or search for '911吃瓜IQ' in your favourite podcast app, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts .