Technology Quarterly | The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow
What to make of cryptocurrencies and blockchains
Cryptocurrencies and their underlying technology, blockchains, have been hyped to the skies. Tim Cross offers a realist’s guide
JOSEPH KENNEDY, John F. Kennedy’s father, supposedly said that when he started getting share tips from his shoeshine boy, he knew it was time to sell. That was in the late 1920s. One investor in cryptocurrencies recalled that remark when he saw advertisements on the London Underground that seemed to suggest pensioners invest in bitcoin. “Be More Brenda,” said the poster, featuring a white-haired lady claiming to have bought bitcoin in under ten minutes.
This article appeared in the Technology Quarterly section of the print edition under the headline “A cryptic message”
From the September 1st 2018 edition
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