The Ethics of the Blockchain

Today’s episode features a conversation with Medha Parlikar, about the ethics of the blockchain and cryptocurrency. We talk about the vision of what cryptocurrency could be, what dangers it might pose to our values, and what the future of cryptocurrency might look like in a web-3 world. Medha Parlikar is co-founder and chief technology officer of CasperLabs. She has more than 30 years of tech experience and is one of the top women leaders in blockchain. She is a prolific speaker, having spoken at several global conferences including Davos, LA Blockchain Summit, and NFT.LA , among others. Medha is a mentor and has worked with organizations including Strongurl to elevate and encourage women in blockchain/tech. A quick note: Medha and I recorded this episode right before some really big things happened in the crypto world. Like the crypto crash in December of 2022 when it was revealed that the notorious Crypto entrepreneur, investor, and billionaire “SBF,” or Sam Bankman Fried, the founder and CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and associated trading firm Alameda Research, was discovered to have likely committed massive fraud. The discovery led to a high-profile collapse resulting in chapter 11 bankruptcy in late 2022, and a massive shake to the crypto industry. Things might have changed in the crypto world a bit since then, but even so, neither blockchain technology, or the place of cryptocurrencies in the financial industry, seem to be going anywhere, and I think the conversation stands up to time. You be the judge!