Financial innovation often outpaces regulators’ ability to keep up. This was the case in the 1700s, when the Irish satirist Jonathan Swift decided to give away no-interest, peer-to-peer loans which immediately bore fruit, spawned imitators, and

Building Bridges with Bitcoin

Jan 23rd, 2025 18m 42s

Oftentimes, even a revolutionary technological advancement is only the beginning of something bigger. Such was the case in the early 2000s, when the Royal Bank of Scotland released a mobile-banking app that precipitated not only the age of mobi

A Faster, Cheaper Way to Pay

Jan 9th, 2025 16m 9s

For generations, credit cards have set the speed limit for digital payments made by consumers and businesses around the world. From metal “charge plates” used to run up a tab at a department store; to the Diner’s Club card, which created a grou

Rebuilding the Creator Economy

Dec 17th, 2024 18m 6s

For centuries, creators have given up a big share of their earnings for a chance to reach audiences. In 18th century England, authors’ desires to break free of censorship and exercise the power of the written word led to the growth of modern co

Money Without Borders

Jun 18th, 2024 20m 31s

Throughout history, financial markets have struggled with the issue of borders. Borders create friction, add cost and cause headaches for anyone who wants to spend money across them. On top of that, various national currencies can be wildly uns

The Blockchain Revolution

Jun 6th, 2024 19m 12s

The costs of the paper check system – both in time and money – have been with us for centuries. But there’s a new technology called blockchain that looks as though it could provide a solution, with an online ledger that’s universally accessible

Birth of a New Asset Class

May 30th, 2024 15m 13s

Why did Bitcoin move from a currency to an investable asset in just 15 years of existence? It was because of mainstream adoption by retail investors who believed there was money to be made. But behind that mania for all things crypto was a much

In Money We Trust

May 23rd, 2024 18m

The history of money is riddled with crises, followed by innovation that transforms the monetary system. In 17th century England, a coinage crisis triggered a loss in trust in the money’s value. To restore that trust, Goldsmiths stepped in as i

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Introducing: Evolving Money

May 6th, 2024 2m 5s

Is cryptocurrency the next logical evolution of the monetary system? In Evolving Money, to explore whether we’re at an inflection point, we’ll look back at moments in the history of money when how we paid for things and stored value long-term c

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