Crypto, Cryptocurrency Scams, and the Illusion of Easy Money (with Ben McKenzie)

Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer

Civic Ventures

News, Business, Government, Politics

4.7 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 28 April 2026

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Crypto is back—new hype cycles, rising prices, and fresh promises that this time cryptocurrency is changing the financial system for good. But the questions haven’t changed: is this innovation or just another wave of speculation, scams, and financial fraud? That’s why we’re revisiting this conversation with actor and author Ben McKenzie—whose bestselling book Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud and new documentary, Everyone is Lying to You For Money are once again fueling the debate over crypto’s real impact. What started as curiosity became a deeper look at how the crypto boom blurred the line between investing and gambling—and what that reveals about an economy increasingly driven by speculation instead of real value. McKenzie joins Nick and Goldy to pull back the curtain on the hype, the believers, and the system that made it all possible. Ben McKenzie is an actor, author, and director best known for his roles on The O.C., Southland, and Gotham. A graduate of the University of Virginia with a degree in economics and foreign affairs, he has emerged as a leading critic of the cryptocurrency industry. He is the co-author, with journalist Jacob Silverman, of Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud, and has expanded that work into a documentary, Everyone is Lying to You For Money , examining the rise—and risks—of crypto. Social Media: @benmckenzie.bsky.social mrbenmckenzie @ben_mckenzie Further reading: Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud When Prophecy Fails Mistakes Were Made (but Not By Me) ⁠Everyone is Lying to You For Money New York Magazine: Congress Just Injected Crypto Directly Into the Most Stable Part of the Economy. What could go wrong? Website: http://pitchforkeconomics.com Facebook: Pitchfork Economics Podcast Bluesky: @pitchforkeconomics.bsky.social Instagram: @pitchforkeconomics Threads: pitchforkeconomics TikTok: @pitchfork_econ YouTube: @pitchforkeconomics LinkedIn: Pitchfork Economics Twitter: @PitchforkEcon, @NickHanauer Substack: ⁠The Pitch⁠

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hey, pitchwork listeners, Goldie here.
0:02.5	Last year, we talked with actor, writer, and cryptocurrency skeptic Ben McKenzie about his book,
0:09.2	Easy Money, Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud.
0:15.6	And since his new documentary, everyone is lying to you for money is now out in theaters, we thought now would be a
0:24.4	good time to revisit that conversation. Hope you enjoy. The rising inequality and growing
0:32.5	political instability that we see today are the direct result of decades of bad economic theory. The last five
0:40.3	decades of trickle-down economics haven't worked. But what's the alternative? Middle-out economics is the answer.
0:47.2	Because the middle class is the source of growth, not its consequence. That's right.
0:57.5	This is Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer, a podcast about how to build the economy
1:03.8	from the middle out.
1:05.6	Welcome to the show.
1:13.3	Goldie, this week we're talking to an actor.
1:15.3	We don't usually do that.
1:16.2	No, we don't.
1:19.4	I think this may be our first actor ever.
1:25.5	I think a lot of our guests are, especially the politicians are actors at heart. That's true.
1:26.0	That's true.
1:26.2	That's true.
1:26.9	Yeah.
1:27.0	But this is an actual professional actor you've seen on TV, Ben McKenzie.
1:33.3	You might know him from his roles on the O.C. Southland or Gotham.
1:39.3	He's an actor and a writer.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Civic Ventures, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Civic Ventures and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.