Why blockchains are trustless: replacing relationships with code

What does it mean to say blockchains are trustless? The recent rise of cryptocurrency funds just might add to the fantasy of creating a new financial system based entirely on cryptocurrency. So, I thought it would be a good time to revisit some questions about the underlying technology that makes these so-called financial products possible: … Read more

Looking back at ‘Gulliver’s Travels’: satire and science fiction of technological innovation

Swift’s use of satire and science fiction to ask: Why invent that? As someone who enjoys reading both satire and science fiction, I absolutely love Jonathan Swift’s novel, Gulliver’s Travels. Published in 1726, it soon became a famous—if not infamous—satire on modern European nations. What’s more, Gulliver’s Travels also became notable as what’s arguably the … Read more

Unintended consequences of blockchain technology: cryptocurrency speculation

Is cryptocurrency speculation one of the unintended consequences of blockchain technology? Before getting into this topic, let’s state one caveat right away. We’re not financial analysts who specialize in blockchain or cryptocurrency. So who are we to opine on this matter? We’re approaching it not from a financial analysis background but from perspectives that explore … Read more