The Transformation of Value with Cody Ellingham

RECORDED 26th February 2026.

In the 1970s Mehdi Bassiri worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Imperial Government of Iran, including as an attache in London before coming to Tokyo, where he rose to the position of first secretary at the Iranian Embassy. In 1979, the Iranian revolution took place and Mehdi found himself navigating between the old and the new regimes.Support my work - https://www.thetransformationofvalue.com/support

What is the underpinning of the modern world? Where do we get our morals from? Have we forgotten our past?
James Kierstead co-hosts Free Kiwis!, a podcast dedicated to free speech in New Zealand, and previously was a Research Fellow with the New Zealand Initiative, focussing on higher education policy, including academic freedom.
James studied classics at Oxford and Ancient History at the University of London, and holds PhD in Classics from Stanford.
Free Kiwis! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPbHlVTOvfAby8JY47SLdWkgA0kvxneQ6
SUPPORT ME - https://www.thetransformationofvalue.com/support

We live in the most culturally productive moment in human history and yet something feels strangely empty.
David Marx is an American author living in Japan. He writes about fashion and culture. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New Yorker, and The New Republic.
David’s books include Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style, as well as Status and Culture: How Our Desire for Social Rank Creates Taste, Identity, Art, Fashion, and Constant Change.
Most recently, David has written Blank Space: A Cultural History of the Twenty-First Century.
David's website - https://www.neomarxisme.com/
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How does science fiction explore ideas of money, economics, and government? What is the role of speculative fiction in shaping how we see the world around us as well as helping imagine new possibilities?

Eli K. P. William is a Canadian sci-fi novelist, game writer, and translator based in Japan. In 2015 he published his first sci-fi novel, Cash Crash Jubilee, the first book in his “Jubilee Cycle” trilogy.
Most recently, Eli translated The Traveling Tree: Lessons from a Nomadic Life, a book by photographer Hoshino Michio.

Eli's website - https://elikpwilliam.com/
Eli's substack - https://elikpwilliam.substack.com/
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What is Ecash and how does it relate to Bitcoin? Why is a layered approach to digital money important? Why is it important to get the UX of payments right?
In 2024 Erik Cativo left his design job at Ericsson in Sweden to start building on Bitcoin full-time. This year he received a grant from the Human Rights Foundation to work on improving the user experience of Ecash, including both the Cashu and Fedimint protocols. Erik is also the Lead Designer at Hoseki, building proof of ownership infrastructure for Bitcoin.
Erik's website - https://www.erik.day/
SUPPORT ME - https://www.thetransformationofvalue.com/support