Stanford Seminar - Can We Mitigate Cryptocurrencies' Externalities

Explore the environmental, economic, and societal impacts of cryptocurrencies in this Stanford seminar. Delve into Bitcoin's energy consumption, equivalent to that of the Netherlands, and examine the broader implications of over 10,000 cryptocurrencies. Investigate the e-waste generation, ransomware industry facilitation, supply chain disruptions, and criminal activities associated with digital currencies. Analyze the lack of social benefits beyond speculation and consider potential strategies to mitigate these widespread negative externalities. Gain insights into the Bitcoin process, decentralization, economies of scale, and the differences between permissionless and permissioned systems. Examine the carbon footprint, greenwashing tactics, power shortages, and security risks inherent in cryptocurrency ecosystems. Discuss the challenges of immutability, vulnerability to attacks, and the proliferation of fraudulent schemes. Explore topics such as Ethereum's mining pools, exchanges, anonymous transactions, and the role of blockchain in various applications, including NFTs and their high-value market.