Is Crypto Going Mainstream?
After over a decade on the fringes of the global monetary system, digital currencies are increasingly being embraced by companies, governments, and citizens around the world. Are they set to become an integral part of the global monetary system?
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Transcript
Elmira Bayrasli: Welcome to Opinion Has It. I’m Elmira Bayrasli.
Everyone’s talking about cryptocurrencies. Some say they’ll save the world.
Archive Recording, Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase: You know, we all grew up in this world where every country has their own currency. But the economy is increasingly global, and the internet is global. You know, why isn’t there a global currency?
EB: Others compare cryptocurrencies to a Ponzi scheme.
Archive Recording, Nassim Nicholas Taleb: I realized that it was not a currency without government. It was just pure speculation. It’s just like a game. Nothing. I mean, nothing else. I mean, you can create another game and call it a currency.
EB: The debate is now more urgent than ever. After over a decade on the fringes of the global monetary system, cryptocurrencies seem to be moving into the mainstream.
Archive Recording: Bitcoin has turned from an idea into one of the most talked about financial assets.
Archive Recording: El Salvador could become the first country in the world to make Bitcoin legal tender.