Opinion


Policy

DeFi Still Needs a Silk Road Moment

Adoption by criminal enterprises is evidence of the product/market fit for censorship-resistant tech and an indicator of whether innovation will see usage in the non-criminal world.

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Policy

What It Means if Companies Like Twitter Are 'Systemically Important' to Financial Regulators

NYDFS proposals following the Twitter hack are a warning to everyone using centrally controlled "designated" platforms.

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Policy

Money Reimagined: 'They Starve': The Ugly Side of the US' KYC-AML Obsession

Laws like the Bank Secrecy Act, which turns 50 this week, have helped stop money laundering and terrorism. But KYC and AML requirements have served to harm the world's neediest through higher costs and reduced services.

Salcaja, Guatemala, is known for its many residents who have emigrated to the United States and sent money home to their families as remittances.

Tech

Three Trends Killing Web Privacy and Decentralization

The decentralized design of the web gives it the potential to be more privacy-preserving than any other system. Yet, there are long-range threats at play.

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Markets

We Still Lack a Rational Way to Value Tokens

Tokens continue to show little correlation between usage and value, confounding efforts to build better valuation methods.

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Markets

Forget Ethereum, DeFi Is Being Built on Bitcoin

Edan Yago looks to reclaim "decentralized finance" as Bitcoin's, not Ethereum's, turf.

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Tech

What the History of Headphones Says About the Internet's Future

What does the historical development of headphones tell us about the future of the internet?

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Policy

Ban All Ransomware Payments, in Bitcoin or Otherwise

The U.S. Treasury Department has outlawed certain ransomware payments. If it was serious, it would go further, says our columnist.

The WannaCry ransomware attack infected over 200,000 computers in 2017.

Policy

The US Risks Getting Left Behind on CBDCs

The Federal Reserve's “wait and see” approach to digital currency could deprive the U.S. of important fiscal and monetary tools as its rivals move ahead.

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Policy

CBDCs Mean Evolution, Not Revolution

Central bank digital currencies can help create a more inclusive financial system, says the innovation chief at the Bank for International Settlements.

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