280: Easy Money with Ben McKenzie
The Lincoln Project
The Lincoln Project
4.6 • 9.1K Ratings
🗓️ 21 September 2023
⏱️ 52 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Host Reed Galen is joined by the television star turned crypto-critic…Ben McKenzie. They discuss the rise of cryptocurrency, who’s drawn to it, and why no one can seem to explain exactly what it is. Plus, a look at the fraud of Sam Bankman-Fried/FTX and other major players in the crypto-space…and how Donald Trump’s presidency/MAGA set the stage for cryptocurrency to take off in the way that it did. For more on this topic, be sure to check out Ben McKenzie’s new book, Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud. If you’d like to ask a question or share a comment with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hey, everyone, it's Reid. Before we get started, this month, the Lincoln Project is going to be |
| 0:04.9 | dedicating itself and our energy to making sure that Americans across the country know the good |
| 0:11.6 | job that Joe Biden is doing on behalf of the American people and on behalf of the United States. |
| 0:17.2 | I hope you'll tune in to our work and share the content and materials we're putting out with your friends and neighbors. |
| 0:24.3 | Guys, the next 14 months are as crucial a time as we've seen in our living memory. |
| 0:30.3 | Go to Lincolnproject.us or join theunion.us to get involved. |
| 0:35.8 | And now, on with the show. |
| 0:45.3 | Music Union.us to get involved. And now, on with the show. Welcome back to the Lincoln Project. I'm your host, Reed Galen. Today, I'm joined by television |
| 0:51.7 | star turned crypto critic Ben McKinsey. |
| 0:58.4 | You may know Ben from his roles in the O.C., Southland, and Gotham. |
| 1:00.1 | But that's not why he's here today. |
| 1:04.4 | About two years ago, he teamed up with journalist Jacob Silverman to write the book, |
| 1:09.0 | Easy Money, Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud, |
| 1:11.4 | which is available wherever fine books are sold. |
| 1:16.1 | He also recently testified before the U.S. Congress as a witness in a Senate Banking Committee hearing on cryptocurrency and the collapse of the FTX crypto exchange. Today he's coming to us from |
| 1:21.8 | Brooklyn, New York. Ben, welcome. Thanks for having me, read. All right, so there is so much that's in this, but I made a note that I wanted to start |
| 1:31.7 | the conversation with. |
| 1:33.6 | It was one of your sources. |
| 1:35.3 | It was the guy you met at the country club. |
| 1:36.7 | He said, quote, for me, it's all obvious. |
| 1:39.8 | Give me one legitimate use for crypto. |
| 1:41.9 | Give me one thing you can use crypto for. I just don't see it and no one |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Lincoln Project, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of The Lincoln Project and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.