About all things crypto. With our colleagues at VICE News, we shot all over the world to find out what cryptocurrency is doing to our culture, politics, economies, society, the planet, and physical infrastructure.
Episodes Season Season 1 · 0/8 0/8 watched · 2022
S01E01 Where Are the Earliest Bitcoin Investors Now? 2022-03-10 32m
In this episode of Cryptoland, Motherboard catches up with some of the earliest investors present at the Bitcoin 2013 conference and reckons with how the cryptocurrency industry has evolved over the past decade and looks at where it's going. more
S01E02 What Is Bitcoin's Environmental Impact? 2022-03-17 27m
Follow Motherboard to West Texas, which is quickly becoming a global Bitcoin mining hotspot, followed by a panel discussion on whether Bitcoin lives up to the promises of its biggest supporters or reflects the fears of its strongest environmental critics. more
S01E03 DeFi & Memecoins 2022-03-24 32m
In the beginning there was only Bitcoin, but today there exists a dizzying array of crypto projects promising eye-popping returns to investors. In this new Wild West, doge-themed memecoins and complex "decentralized finance" (DeFi) projects are making some people rich and ruining others due to scams, hacks, and plain old poor investing. more
S01E04 The Family Business 2022-03-31 29m
"Be your own bank" reflects the core libertarian ethos of Bitcoin. But what happens when it goes wrong? A shocking amount of Bitcoins have been lost by their owners either because they lost their passwords or lost their wallets. In this episode of Cryptoland, Motherboard follows a father-and-son duo who run a business unlocking Bitcoin wallets for investors who could be rich—if they can remember their passwords. more
S01E05 Sex Workers Banned From Banks Turn to Crypto 2022-04-07 29m
Crypto is often said to be a lifeline for people who are blocked from mainstream finance, and one community in particular has embraced its potential: sex workers. Sex workers routinely face discrmination from banks, credit card companies, and payment services, and so some performers—and startups—have turned to the blockchain. But is it a solution, or merely a Band-Aid? Motherboard visits the Spankchain hype house in Las Vegas to see what this world looks like in actions, and speaks to sex worker and author Liara Roux about how Bitcoin fits into sex work. more
S01E06 Ransomware Is Everywhere. Can It Be Stopped? 2022-04-14 24m
All over the world, criminals are locking up important computer systems and demanding crypto as a ransom. So-called ransomware is officially an epidemic, and cryptocurrencies sit at the nexus of the crisis. In this episode of Cryptoland, Motherboard sifts through the fallout of a ransomware attack at schools in Afton, Missouri, and our panelists discuss the history and current role of crypto in this booming type of cyber-crime. more
S01E07 How Bitcoin Mines Were Airlifted From China to the US 2022-04-21 27m
The Chinese government has long tried to stamp out cryptocurrencies in the country with varying levels of success. In 2021, a ban on mining finally sent firms packing and seeking countries like Kazakhstan with friendlier stances toward crypto mining. They've also found homes in towns all over the US, where companies are encountering both support and criticism from locals, as well as politicians at the state and federal levels. Will Bitcoin be regulated in the States, and how should our leaders approach it? more
S01E08 Liberland 2022-04-28 23m
In this episode of Cryptoland, Motherboard takes you to 'Floating Man,' a wild multi-day festival for believers in Liberland, a Bitcoin-powered micronation located in a contested patch of land between Croatia and Serbia that technically doesn't exist. more 