Ep 77 | The Evolution of Money with Niall Ferguson*

The Hoover Institution’s Niall Ferguson* is one of the world’s most accomplished historians. He’s the best-selling author of many books, including the seminal work, “The Ascent of Money.”
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2023, Niall joined Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire for a wide-ranging conversation about the evolution of money, credit, central banks, and some of the values that guide innovation. Together, they put current developments in the crypto ecosystem into a broader historical context.
Their Money Movement episode covers:
👉 0:42 Influences on Niall’s academic work
👉 4:07 Competition in currencies
👉 6:05 The state’s monopoly on money
👉 8:29 The medieval version of cryptography
👉 12:40 Great waves of inflation
👉 13:34 Central banks’ ultimate ambition
👉 18:05 The physics of money
👉 20:10 The theory of financial evolution
👉 26:00 Tensions over an open Internet
👉 28:28 Niall’s nightmare vision
👉 32:53 The enemies of liberty
👉 37:35 The power of direct connectivity
👉 41:02 The importance of educated citizenry
👉 45:46 Legacy financial systems
If you’re interested in learning more about the evolution of money and the structural tension that often exists between individual liberty and state control in this realm, tune in to this episode of The Money Movement.
*Circle compensated Niall Ferguson for his appearance in this podcast. His views are his own honest beliefs and do not necessarily reflect the views of Circle.
Subscribe here:
👉 KZbin: bit.ly/3lUcJFN
👉 Apple: apple.co/3G3CrPZ
👉 Spotify: spoti.fi/3lUd6jF
👉 Email: bit.ly/3aXWYY5
And connect with Niall here:
👉 Twitter: / nfergu
👉 LinkedIn: / niall-ferguson
👉 Personal Website: www.niallferguson.com
👉 Website: www.hoover.org
About the show
The global economy is experiencing unprecedented challenges and change. Business leaders everywhere are grappling with how to transform their companies to become more digital, resilient, and efficient. As we face this change, a new global movement is building around the promise of digital currencies and blockchains - forming a new architecture for the global economy and creating new opportunities for companies everywhere. The Money Movement explores the issues, ideas, and icons driving this transformation in how we spend, send, save, and store value.
The Money Movement is brought to you by Circle. Our mission is to raise global economic prosperity through the frictionless exchange of value. Learn more about Circle Business Accounts and Platform APIs at circle.com.

[@TheChinaPlay]

I'm digging Niall's boots.

[@TheMoneyMovement]

Thanks Risk Capital :)

[@kasparfenner]

Excellent conversation, thank you 🙏 It's insane people are not taking advantage of borderless payments today and I still have to use bank accounts with high fees to receive payments from someone at the other side of the globe.

[@TheMoneyMovement]

Thanks Kaspar!

[@antoniobergamasco7799]

Good job man.

[@TheMoneyMovement]

Thanks!

[@davidbuderim2395]

Jeremy, I find your questions way too long and a bit confusing - I'll admit to zoning out after 30 secs.

[@TheMoneyMovement]

Thanks for the feedback David!