Punk6529: Future of the metaverse and commerce will likely be a centralized dystopia

Episode 9 of Season 5 of The Scoop was recorded remotely with The Block's Frank Chaparro and Punk6529.

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Just as the internet revolutionized the taxi industry through the advent of apps like Uber and Lyft, it is only a matter of time before money gets brought into the digital age, according to the pseudo-anonymous crypto personality Punk6529.

"Eventually cash is also going to end up being a centralized database," said Punk6529, and "the person who has the master password to the database can decide what rights you have in society."

In this episode, Punk64529 lays out two possible futures for our society: one in which a handful of centralized corporations control the details of our daily lives, and one in which decentralized communities come to a consensus on the best path forward.

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About Authors

Davis Quinton is the Director of Podcasts at The Block and runs our flagship podcast called The Scoop, hosted by Frank Chaparro. Since joining The Block as an 'intern' in early 2022, he has worked closely with leaders across departments to translate The Block's written content into engaging multimedia formats. He holds a degree in Social Research & Public Policy from New York University in Abu Dhabi and is based in Sydney, Australia.
Frank Chaparro is Host of The Scoop podcast and Director of Special Projects. He also writes a biweekly newsletter. Chaparro started his career at Business Insider, where he specialized in the intersection of digital assets and Wall Street, market structure, and financial technology. Soon after joining Business Insider out of Fordham University, Chaparro was interviewing top finance and tech executives, including billionaire Mark Cuban, “Flash Boys” star Brad Katsuyama, Cboe Global Markets CEO Ed Tilly, and New York Stock Exchange President Tom Farley. In 2018, he become a sought after reporter in the crypto world, interviewing luminaries such as Tyler Winklevoss, the cofounder of Gemini, Jeremy Allaire, the CEO of Circle, and Fundstrat head Tom Lee. For inquiries or tips, email [email protected].