A Crypto Optimist Meets a Crypto Skeptic
About this episode
Katie Haun, crypto's leading optimist, meets Ezra Klein, its resident skeptic, for a debate about what cryptocurrency actually is and whether it deserves the hype. Haun explains blockchains as a new computing platform akin to the early internet, defends Bitcoin against energy-use criticisms, and walks through decentralized finance, NFTs, and her vision of Web3 as a user-owned internet. Klein presses her on speculation, fraud, ransomware, and whether crypto solves real problems or mostly enriches insiders. They also dig into regulation — who should oversee crypto, how securities law applies, and whether rules like accredited-investor limits protect or exclude ordinary people — plus the technology's potential for financial inclusion and cheaper remittances.