Cryptocurrency and Blockchain

In 2009, the world’s first online cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, was launched using blockchain technologies. Now, thousands of cryptocurrencies are in circulation, including some backed by the Dubai and Chinese governments. 

In this episode, our new host Amelia is joined by Associate Professor Vidy Potdar and Professor Saurav Dutta, to discuss how widespread cryptocurrencies will be in the future.

• Relationship between cryptocurrencies and blockchain [01:10]
• Taking power from banks [04:00]
• High energy consumption – as much as Belgium [08:49]
• Prone to hacking? [11:59]
• Explaining Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Litecoin and Tether [13:27]
• Can anyone get involved? [18:19]
• Vidy’s and Saurav’s projects [23:09]
• Government responses [26:20]
• Will cryptocurrencies replace fiat money? [29:57]

Our experts

Associate Professor Vidy Potdar: Laboratory – businesslaw.curtin.edu.au/our-research/centres-and-institutes/blockchain-research-and-development-laboratory/, Crypto fund – payments.curtin.edu.au/crypto-donations/

Professor Saurav Dutta: Books – amazon.com/Saurav-K.-Dutta/e/B00E6JFXVW%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share, Curtin School of Accounting – businesslaw.curtin.edu.au/curtin-business-school/accounting/

Learn more

BBC Newsnight: How does Bitcoin mining work?

Curtin University: Curtin announces new blockchain lab to research disruptive technologies

Curtin University: Curtin’s new cryptocurrency scholarship fund a boost for PhD students

Got any questions, or suggestions for future topics?

Email [email protected].

Curtin University supports academic freedom of speech. The views expressed in The Future Of podcast may not reflect those of the university.

Music: OKAY by 13ounce Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 Music promoted by Audio Library

You can read the full transcript for the episode here.