Crypto: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review

Introduction

LOOKING BEYOND CRYPTO BOOMS AND BUSTS

by Jeff John Roberts

I first encountered cryptocurrency in the summer of 2013 when, as a young tech reporter, I covered a Bitcoin meetup in leafy Union Square Park in New York City. I didn’t expect much—maybe some tables set up with people buying and selling muffins and T-shirts—but what I found instead was something very different. In a corner of the park, a motley crew of scruffy anarchists and well-dressed bankers flashed QR codes and $100 bills. They were trading Bitcoin in the open air, and despite their wildly different backgrounds, they were united in celebration of this new digital money. The vibe felt less like the outdoor flea market I had expected and more like a cross between a ...