EP 69: Better Than Money: David Chaum On Architecting The Financial System Of The Future

In the season finale of Couchonomics S02, Arjun was joined by David Chaum, inventor of electronic money and privacy technology. As Arjun puts it, David is a “living legend” and one of the most influential architects of our present-day financial systems.

David’s work in cryptography and every other he has touched has had a massive impact across the world. So far, his achievements and impact have been covered predominantly in Western Media, so we’re truly excited to bring this conversation to our mostly MENA-based audience.

David is currently leading xx network, a completely private, quantum-secure decentralized messaging and payment platform. He is also known for other fundamental innovations in cryptography, including privacy technologies such as mix nets and secure voting systems. 

With a PhD in Computer Science from UC Berkeley, he has taught at NYU Graduate School of Business and the University of California. David is the founder of the International Association for Cryptologic Research, the Cryptography Group at the Center for Mathematics and Computer Science in Amsterdam, and DigiCash. Among his breakthrough projects are digital blind signatures, multiparty computation, and random sample voting.

In the episode, Arjun and David discussed: 

• Why David invented eCash, and how his work pioneered the way for cryptocurrency to be developed in its present form
• David’s involvement in exposing cryptographic weaknesses in payment systems
• His latest work: “Better Than Money”, inspired by the shortfallings of the current financial system
• How “Better Than Money” could address global financial inequity
• Barriers to financial improvement, and how blockchain-driven solutions could benefit the unbanked
• The role of both commercial and central banks in the evolving financial landscape
• How “Better Than Money” could coexist with CBDCs and stablecoins
• The potential of “Better Than Money” to address inefficiencies in cross-border payments 

To learn more about “Better Than Money” and David’s ongoing work, visit his website: https://chaum.com/

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