cryptocurrency, casino capitalism, and the golden age of fraud McKenzie, Ben creator text nyu New York Abrams Press 2024 monographic eng

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303 pages ; 21 cm At the height of the pandemic, TV star Ben McKenzie was the perfect mark for cryptocurrency: a dad stuck at home with some cash in his pocket, worried about his family, armed with only the vague notion that people were making heaps of money on something he--despite a degree in economics--didn't entirely understand. Lured in by grandiose/utopian promises, and sure, a little bit of FOMO, McKenzie dove deep into blockchain, Bitcoin, and the various other coins and exchanges on which they are traded. But after scratching the surface, he had to ask, 'Am I crazy, or is this all a total scam?' In Easy Money, McKenzie enlists the help of journalist Jacob Silverman for an investigative adventure into crypto and its remarkable crash. Weaving together stories of average traders and victims, colorful crypto 'visionaries,' Hollywood's biggest true believers, anti-crypto whistleblowers, and government operatives, Easy Money is an on-the-ground look at a perfect storm of irresponsibility and criminal fraud. Money and lying What could possibly go wrong? Money printer go brrr Community SXSW, the CIA, and the $1.5 trillion that wasn't there The business of show The world's coolest dictator Rats in a sack The emperor is butt-ass naked Who's in charge here? Unbankrupt yourself Chapter 11 Preacher's father Epilogue Ben McKenzie M478e 2024 9781419766404 1419766406 251128 20251128102105.0 spa