With the rise of a new class of speculative, alternative, and unregulated monetary offerings, referred to as cryptocurrencies, numerous questions arise relating to societal benefits and risks of these instruments. The recent collapse of FTX and the subsequent arrest of its leader highlights some of these risks and prompts a discussion of this phenomenon.

The Henry George School of Social Science (New York City) presents this panel bringing together experts in software, technology, cybersecurity, economics, monetary theory, and social science.

The panel will present:

• The foundational technology allowing for cryptocurrencies to exist
• The security and data privacy risks of this technology
• The rise of cryptocurrencies in the context of monetary systems, regulation, and the role of established versus speculative currency models within society including a highlight on the Georgist perspective on the downstream social effects

Panelists:

Gabi Zodik, Director of Blockchain and Web3 at IBM Research

Gabi works on strategy to transform the fascinating ideas of IBM Research scientists around the world into new blockchain solutions such as CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency) that brings value to clients around the world. Gabi’s vision is to harness blockchain technology for new and existing processes and transactions so they execute in seconds instead of days or weeks, increase privacy so individuals own and manage their digital identities, and build applications that have more transparency for all the stakeholders involved. He also manages the Blockchain and AI Technologies department at IBM Research – Haifa. In this role, he oversees the lab’s R&D efforts in blockchain, Business Automation, Drone solutions. Gabi has an MSc and BSc in electrical engineering from the Technion, and an MBA from the University of Haifa. He is a frequent speaker on the challenges and opportunities in blockchain and the future of AI and IoT systems.

Prof. Eerke Boiten, Professor of Cyber Security & Head of the School of Computer Science and Informatics, De Montfort University, Leicester UK

After obtaining Computer Science degrees at the Universities of Twente and Nijmegen in the Netherlands, Eerke Boiten moved to the University of Kent, UK in 1995. He spent some 20 years working in the area of formal methods, in particular viewpoint consistency and refinement. On the latter topic, he published two textbooks and some 50 peer reviewed papers. His research has since moved mainly towards cyber security and privacy. He set up and led Kent’s interdisciplinary Research Centre in Cyber Security from 2012 to 2017. Looking beyond just his own discipline, Eerke developed an interest in the policy sides of data, from a technical realism perspective, which often lands him at odds with current hype as well as with politicians’ proposals. He engages in public debate in this area, including on privacy in general, with frequent quotes and contributions in the press and on radio and TV.  In 2017, he moved to De Montfort University to lead the Cyber Technology Institute, which obtained NCSC/EPSRC Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research status in 2019 and Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Education (Gold) in 2021. He became Head of the School of Computer Science and Informatics in 2019. His current research projects are in privacy impact assessment, refinement, anonymisation, and cyber intelligence sharing.

Dr. Raphaële Chappe, Defi Economist and Director of R&D and Strategy at DeVol Network

Raphaële Chappe is Defi Economist and Director of R&D and Strategy at DeVol Network. Previously, she was Assistant Professor of Economics at Drew University where she taught courses on macroeconomics and money and banking. Dr. Chappe is also an economic advisor for The Predistribution Initiative, a non-profit that supports investors in creating investment structures that share more economics with workers and communities (and align internal investment governance and financial analysis practices with the principles of system-level investing, universal ownership and systematic stewardship). Raphaële’s research interests include monetary policy and shadow banking. In 2019, Dr. Chappe received a Research Fellowship from the Open Society Foundations. She has also worked as a tax attorney at Goldman Sachs. Raphaële received her doctorate in economics from The New School for Social Research and an LL.M. from New York University.

Ed Dodson, Lecturer at HGSSS

Ed Dodson is a Senior Researcher and long-time member of the Henry George School of Social Science’s faculty. Since his retirement in 2005 from Fannie Mae, where he held various management and analyst positions in the Housing & Community Development group, he has lectured and taught courses at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in Philadelphia. Beginning in the Fall of 2014 he joined the faculty of the Learning Is For Everyone program at Burlington County College in New Jersey. Ed is a graduate of Shippensburg and Temple Universities in Pennsylvania. Since 1997 he has directed the online education and research project called the School of Cooperative Individualism. He is author of the three-volume work, “The Discovery of First Principles” and is a contributor to several publications promoting the perspectives of Henry George.

Moderator: Dr. Ibrahima Dramé, Director of Education, HGSSS

Organizer: James Cusick, Board Trustee, HGSSS

The panel presentations will be followed by a community Q&A.

Date: Tuesday, February 21st, 2023

Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET

ONLINE via Zoom

Note: Access information for Zoom will be made the day of the event.