Financial History Issue 125 (Spring 2018) | Page 7
MUSEUM NEWS
THE TICKER
MoAF Evening Lecture Series Features
“The Blockchain and the Future of Everything”
By Mindy Ross,
Director of External Relations
through cryptocurrency investments, but
also revealed some of the threats inher-
ent in these alternative investments and
the significant technical development and
regulatory reform needed to bring these
transactions into large-scale mainstream
acceptance.
An engaging Q&A followed, with the
audience submitting questions to all par-
ticipants on a wide range of topics. The
evening also marked the release of the
newest book by authors Casey and Vigna,
The Truth Machine: The Blockchain and
the Future of Everything. A book signing
and cocktail reception followed the formal
program. Sponsors for the evening were
ING, program sponsor, and Investopedia,
media sponsor.
A video of the program is available on
the Museum’s YouTube channel, and sev-
eral articles on the program are featured
on the Museum’s website.
On February 27, the Museum hosted an
evening program featuring some of the
leading figures in blockchain technology
and cryptocurrency. The event was held in
partnership with the Fordham University
Gabelli Center for Global Security Analy-
sis. Speaking to an engaged audience of
350 Museum members, invited guests and
members of the press, Museum President
David Cowen introduced the topic and
cited a quote from former Treasury Secre-
tary Lawrence Summers: “Views differ on
bitcoin, but few doubt the transformative
potential of blockchain technology.” His
remarks were followed by a brief welcome
from the Dean of the Gabelli School of
Business, Donna Rapaccioli, and a pro-
gram overview by Gerald Walker, CEO of
ING Americas.
The program began with a fireside chat
between Michael Casey, MIT Digital Cur-
rency Labs and Chair of the CoinDesk
Advisory Board, and Ethereum Co-
Founder Joseph Lubin. Mr. Casey encour-
aged Mr. Lubin to share his inspirational
thoughts on the transformative potential
of blockchain technology and decentral-
ized economic models on financial trans-
actions and other wide-ranging applica-
tions throughout society.
A panel discussion followed, moderated
by Paul Vigna, reporter for The Wall Street
Journal, featuring Cameron and Tyler
Winklevoss, co-founders of Gemini, and
Joshua Brown, CEO of Ritholz Wealth
Management. There was a lively discus-
sion on the future of cryptocurrencies,
the investment landscape and the expan-
sion of ICOs (Initial Currency Offer-
ings). The panel highlighted potential
opportunities to expand wealth creation
Left to right: Joshua Brown, Paul Vigna and the
Winklevoss twins discuss the future of cryptocurrencies.
More than 350 people attended the Museum’s recent
blockchain event, which was held at Fordham University.
www.MoAF.org | Spring 2018 | FINANCIAL HISTORY 5