Evolving Autonomous Economies

Bettina Warburg, a blockchain researcher, educator and entrepreneur, delves into how an intersection of technology and politics are effecting the world's financial future in her talk on economic change.

To begin, she breaks down what a blockchain is, boldly introducing it as, "A new technological institution that will fundamentally change how we exchange value." From here, she links it to past practices to increase her audience's understanding of the technology. With this, she shows how much less control these methods resulted in, with informal rules and formal institutions being the examples which she compares online institutions to. Due to the rise of convenient platforms like eBay, Amazon and Alibaba, Bettina Warburg believes that trade will continue to evolve down this path.

The blockchain, she states in her talk on economic change, is a "registry of assets and transactions" that leads to more transparency and security. As this technology is spread globally, it will eventually lead to a decentralized economy, meaning that trade will no longer rely on consolidated banks and government institutions.