The Transformation of Value with Cody Ellingham

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/
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Athena Tong previously served as Director of Public Relations for the now disbanded pro-democracy Demosistō party in Hong Kong.
Now based in Japan as a visiting Researcher at the University of Tokyo, Athena focuses on infrastructure resilience, political warfare, and economic security, with an emphasis on communist China’s influence in East Asia and the Indo-Pacific.
Her writing has been published by the Jamestown Foundation, Nikkei Asia, and the China Strategic Risks Institute.

Athena on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/athena-kerin-tong/
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Greg Girard is a Canadian photographer who has spent much of his career capturing the urban landscapes and people of Asia. He has authored several photographic books, including City of Darkness: Life in Kowloon Walled City, Phantom Shanghai, and most recently his upcoming book Snack Sakura, which explores Japan’s iconic night-time snack bars.
Greg Girard on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gregforaday
Greg Girard website - https://www.greggirard.com/
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What are charter cities? Is law really just like computer code that can be forked and modified? How do you bootstrap an economy?
Patri Friedman founded The Seasteading Institute, a non-profit exploring the creation of sovereign ocean colonies. He is on the board of the Startup Societies Foundation, advising a variety of new governance projects. Most recently he founded Pronomos, the first charter city investment fund.

Pronomos Capital - https://www.pronomos.vc/
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