In the cryptocurrency world, it’s important to stay ahead of the curve. Keeping up with the latest developments and cultivating a strong understanding of the technology behind crypto helps you learn the ropes — and even make the investing decisions that can benefit you most. One way to start building your crypto knowledge base is by watching TED Talks on cryptocurrencies.
These lecture-style videos last about 10 to 20 minutes and feature subject matter experts discussing a range of cryptocurrency topics to help you gain a deeper understanding of crypto. These videos will also help you comprehend Bitcoin, Ethereum, NFTs and other crypto-related concepts, giving you a holistic look into this digital currency and providing actionable tips you can use to understand and strategize.
Whether you’re new to the game or relatively familiar with crypto, it never hurts to brush up on your knowledge. That’s why we’ve rounded up six TED Talks to get you started in improving your understanding of all things crypto.
1.“How NFTs Are Building the Internet of the Future” by Kayvon Tehranian
A new conversation around property and ownership on the internet has sparked public interest in NFTs as assets. In this TED talk, Kayvon Tehranian breaks down how NFTs are the solution to gaining value from your creations. He explains how NFTs are revolutionizing the ways we interact with digital assets and lays out some compelling cases for their implementation.
For example, he describes how artists could use NFTs to sell their work online more securely and transparently or how gamers could trade virtual items in a trustless environment. He explains how something as complex as royalties, which usually require endless legal documentation and communication, can be solved using one line of code.
In this lecture, Tehranian covers the history of the internet and how it’s changed in recent times. He also helps you develop a better understanding of why NFTs are an important driver for growth, financially and technologically, moving forward. His real-life scenarios will guide you through the future of the internet using NFTs’ potential for giving economic control to the people.
2. “How Cryptocurrency Can Help Startups Get Investment Capital” by Ashwini Anburajan
If you’ve ever wondered how groups get investment capital for their startups through cryptocurrency — and how you could potentially do the same — this TED Talk is for you. Ashwini Anburajan, an entrepreneur who helped nearly 30 companies raise investment capital through cryptocurrency, explains why this is a feasible option for future entrepreneurs.
Ashwini Anbura’s TED Talk provides a great overview of how cryptocurrency can help startups pursue and obtain investment capital. Essentially, cryptocurrency allows businesses to bypass traditional gatekeepers like banks and venture capitalists and raise money directly from their potential customers. This cuts out the intermediary and can be a more efficient way to get funding for a business.
An added bonus is that cryptocurrency also allows for transparency and accountability because all transactions are recorded on a public ledger. This could help reduce fraud and corruption in the business world. Anbura goes on to explain how cryptocurrency can be used to raise money for a startup through an initial coin offering (ICO) — something helpful to understand if you’re an investor.
3. “How the Blockchain Will Radically Transform the Economy” by Bettina Warburg
In this video, Bettina Warburg talks about how she thinks blockchain could transform today’s economy. People have speculated about the adoption of blockchain in daily life almost since its inception. If you’ve ever wondered about what the economy could look like if blockchain were implemented in our current trading systems, then this video is for you.
What are the key takeaways? Well, Bettina Warburg suggests three main radical shifts if blockchain were implemented in trade.
Firstly, transactions between buyers and sellers will be transparent. This is because you’d be able to track your order across the supply chain up to the point when you receive it — and you can assess that the order wasn’t tampered with at any stage. Secondly, blockchain will establish trust because you can verify the vendor’s actions. Lastly, she suggests that blockchain would ensure there’d be no breach of contract without necessitating a third-party enforcer.
You’ll find all these and more practical examples of the ways blockchain could radically transform the economy in this just-under-15-minute TED Talk.
4. “We’ve Stopped Trusting Institutions and Started Trusting Strangers” by Rachel Botsman
Similar to Bettina Warburg’s TED Talk, Rachel Botsman explores the idea that we’re starting to trust strangers more than ever before, all thanks to the internet. She posits that this trend is actually a good thing, as it can lead to increased innovation and collaboration.
In this talk, you’ll discover how, through technology — and, more specifically, blockchain — trustworthiness on the internet is now normal. You’ll also learn about some real-world applications in which technology has led to the rise of phenomena like crowdfunding, peer-to-peer lending and collaborative consumption. These platforms allow people to collaborate on projects and pool resources to accomplish objectives, and because they’re built on trust, they tend to be more efficient — an important takeaway for today’s digital age.
5. “The Future of Money” by Neha Narula
In this video, research scientist Neha Narula discusses the history of money and the future of our monetary system. Today, some stores accept payments in cryptocurrency. However, most products and services require payment in digital fiat currency. Now, imagine paying for all products and services in cryptocurrency. Would it solve the challenges we currently face with using digital money and cash?
Narula also outlines the shift from using physical cash in an analog world to using digital money. Though it’s much faster and farther in global reach, Narula talks about the gatekeeper institutions that control digital money and whether cryptocurrency can lead to a new phase. This phase will be programmable, combining software with currency to create a transaction system free from third-party institutions or human intervention.
This TED Talk is highly recommended to help you learn how safely investing in cryptocurrency works, along with the challenges we might face if it’s implemented on a more global scale.
6. “How the Blockchain Is Changing Money and Business” by Don Tapscott
In this TED Talk, Don Tapscott breaks down the fundamental concepts of blockchain. He describes this building block of cryptocurrency’s underlying technology, which was created to ensure trust when making payments.
What are the key takeaways? The video explains that blockchain acts as a distributed ledger of transactions using cryptography. Because this ledger is shared globally on millions of computers, there exists a track record of all the transactions made in a particular cryptocurrency’s history. The Ethereum blockchain, in particular, uses smart contracts that offer a way of enforcing a transactional agreement between people.
Tapscott proceeds to discuss five real-world opportunities in which blockchain technology augmented the economy for prosperity. This is a great way to understand what blockchain is and how it can help improve people’s daily lives.
