Politics and Prose
Politics and Prose
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Andrew R. Chow — Cryptomania - with Jeff Guo

Posted

September 12, 2024

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Watch author Andrew R. Chow's book talk and reading at Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C.

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As cryptocurrency rose in popularity during the pandemic, new converts bought into the idea that crypto would not only make them rich, but would usher in imminent revolutions across art, finance, politics, and gaming. Cryptocurrency caught the zeitgeist through figures like FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, who only two years later would be convicted of one of the most calamitous acts of financial fraud in US history.

During his meteoric rise, Sam Bankman-Fried outflanked idealists in the movement like Vitalik Buterin, who sought to build fairer, more democratic systems through Ethereum. Bankman-Fried pursued a growth-obsessed, by-any-means approach to crypto, which proved seductive to those who just wanted to get rich. But this Silicon Valley-like approach also drove the creation of a spate of high-risk financial instruments that mirrored those of the 2008 financial crisis. Accused of misleading investors and mishandling funds, Bankman-Fried became a target of prosecutors.

Now, Cryptomania unfolds the tumultuous twenty months inside this male-dominated, overhyped industry that led to its downfall. Drawing on exclusive reporting and an extensive network in the global NFT community, Andrew Chow chronicles the battle for crypto's soul, and the human toll of its economic meltdown--from the conmen and eccentrics driving the bubble to the victims caught in its burst.

Andrew R. Chow is a correspondent for Time who covers technology, culture, and business. He has written four Time cover stories, including about the impacts of the AI corporate arms race and a prescient profile of Vitalik Buterin months before the 2022 crypto crash. He has previously written for The New York Times, Pitchfork, and NBC News. Cryptomania is his first book.

Chow is in conversation with Jeff Guo (he/him), a co-host and reporter for Planet Money, NPR's award-winning podcast that finds creative, entertaining ways to make sense of the complicated forces that move our economy. Previously, Guo covered economics and policy for The Washington Post, where his work frequently blended reporting and data analysis.

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Founded by Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade in 1984, Politics and Prose Bookstore is Washington, D.C.'s premier independent bookstore and cultural hub, a gathering place for people interested in reading and discussing books. Politics and Prose offers superior service, unusual book choices, and a haven for book lovers in the store and online.

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Guests & Subjects Covered

with Jeff GuoAndrew R Chow'sFTX CEO Sam Bankman-FriedSam Bankman-FriedVitalik ButerinEthereum Bankman-FriedSilicon Valley-likeNow Cryptomania

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