They're not authors, but they help you shape your financial story.

They're not an airline, but they connect global businesses across nearly 160 local markets.

They're not interpreters that they listen to and understand their client's needs.

With global expertise and over two centuries of experience, Citi provides tools, insights and

guidance that helps clients thrive.

They're not just any bank.

They are city.

Learn more at city.com slash we are city.

The Economist.

From The Economist in London, this is Money Talks, a weekly conversation around themes in the worlds of

business, finance and economics. I'm Stan Pignell, the banking editor. In the autumn of 2008, the financial

world is grappling with the near collapse of the global banking system.

So few people noticed a paper by a pseudonymous author introducing a new form of peer-to-peer cash.

Bitcoin blended clever cryptography with a novel approach to

decentralize record keeping which among other things prevented people

from trying to spend it twice. The currency has had its up and downs but

the technology behind it which we dubbed the trust machine on the cover of this week's edition,

is potentially revolutionary. For the first time, two people who don't know each other

can interact without the need for a trusted third party.

Apostles of the blockchain, as it is called, think of it as the Internet of Money, and imagine

a world where banks, governments, and far more besides are going to get swept away.

Ludwig Siegel, the author of our briefing on blockchain, joins us today, as well as Edward Lucas,

...