All cryptocurrency is is computer code stored on ledgers called blockchains that obscure the identity of the people that are transacting.

But if it's just computer code that doesn't actually do anything in the real world, then you're sort of just investing in the idea of it, right?

Or you're using it to commit crime. It's the Lawfare pod. You're sort of just investing in the idea of it, right?

Or you're using it to commit crime.

It's the Lawfare podcast.

I'm senior editor, Michael Feinberg, and I'm here today with actor, director, and writer-journalist

Ben McKenzie.

I think that really gets at the heart of sort of the fundamental misunderstanding of cryptocurrency.

Even Bitcoin has people behind it.

There are developers who maintain the operating system.

It's not like you can just create these things and they exist on their own.

And they sort of have to exist with people because we made them up.

Today we are discussing his new film. Everyone is lying to you for money. A deep dive into the seigneur side of cryptocurrency. We're going to very much get into the substance of the

film. But like you at the outset of the project, I was very

much a newcomer to the idea and field of crypto. And having read your book now and watched

your film and done some independent research, I find myself very much in agreement with your

conclusions. So to keep this sort of

interesting, I'm going to steal a page out of John Stewart Mill's playbook and ask you as a sort of

anti-crypto advocate to sort of step out of your own skin for a moment and try and give me the

best argument you can think of to promote any

aspect of crypto, whether it has a positive use for society or it's filling a gap that otherwise

would go unfilled. Just if you were a crypto proponent, what would you say to me?

...