A sceptic’s guide to crypto: the ‘smart’ money

08/28/22 • 25 min

In the second episode of the latest season of Tech Tonic, FT columnist and host Jemima Kelly tries to understand why an influential Silicon Valley investment firm thinks that Web 3 is a good bet. Will blockchain technology really be the foundation of a new internet era? Is Web 3’s promise to decentralise the internet going to pose a challenge to companies such as Facebook and Twitter? The FT’s innovation editor John Thornhill interviews Chris Dixon, head of Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto fund, and Jemima talks to Molly White, author of the Web3 Is Going Just Great blog.

Presented by Jemima Kelly. Special thanks to John Thornhill. Edwin Lane is senior producer. Produced by Josh Gabert-Doyon. Executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.

News clips credits: CBC, NBC, CNN.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

News clips credits: CBC, NBC, CNN.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

FT Weekend: The art of sound design. Plus: summer hits of 2022

FT Weekend has its own podcast feed! For more content, subscribe to 'FT Weekend' wherever you listen.

This weekend, we meet a British pioneer of sound design. Errol Michael Henry invites us to the Air-Edel studios in London to show us how a song gets made. Errol is one of the few black sound designers in the UK. He’s been producing music through his independent label, Intimate Records, since the 1980s. He breaks down how he creates his distinct sound, layer by layer. Then, we explore what makes the perfect summer track with music critic Arwa Haider. She and Lilah take a tour through the top hits of the season, from Beyoncé to Bad Bunny to Pussy Riot.

Email us at [email protected]. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

Links and mentions from the episode:

–Yasmin Jones-Henry’s piece in HTSI: ‘My father, the pioneer of sound design’ https://on.ft.com/3JpA2zD

–Errol’s music is under the name The Sound Principle

–“You Threw Our Love Away”, by The Jones Girls, sound designed by Errol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-vpFCn6Ros

–“You Left Me Lonely”, by Lulu (1993), sound designed by Errol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UILaejQFcJA

–You also heard Intimate Records tracks “Please Come Back” by Dean Edwards and “Keep It Comin” by Julianne, both written and produced by Errol

–Here’s the song Errol says is closest he’s gotten to designing something that matched what he’d imagined: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFPgZv-5zbQ

–Errol’s organisation is called Music Justice

–Arwa Haider is on Twitter @ArwaHaider. Errol is on Twitter @ErrolMHenry, and on Instagram @thesoundprinciple. Yasmin is on Instagram @yasminrjh

–Arwa’s review of Lady Gaga live: https://on.ft.com/3ANGkrV

–Arwa’s music recommendations: "Renaissance" by Beyoncé, "Verano Sin Ti" by Bad Bunny, Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems, "Hold the Girl" by Rina Sawayama, "Matriarchy Now" by Pussy Riot, and opera singer Julia Bullock

Music clips copyright: Streamline, Interscope, Parkwood, Columbia Records, Rimas and Neon Gold. Julia Bullock clip from NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert (2020)

Special offers for FT Weekend listeners can be found here. Join us at the FT Weekend festival in London on September 3rd: ft.com/ftwf. A £20 off promo code: FTWFxPodcast22

Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

US watchdogs take on private equity

Financial markets are bracing for a longer period of high interest rates, EU foreign ministers are set to suspend the bloc’s visa facilitation agreement with Moscow, and Alibaba is trying to manoeuvre a rebound. Plus, the FT’s Stefania Palma explains why the US antitrust officials are targeting the $10 tn private equity industry.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Jay Powell says Fed will ‘keep at it’ in hawkish inflation speech

Investors expect higher rates to persist after hawkish Jay Powell ends hope of Fed pivot

ECB officials warn of ‘sacrifice’ needed to tame surging inflation

US trustbusters: why Joe Biden is taking on private equity

The private equity club

The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson and Marc Filippino. The show’s editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.