In this episode, Kevin's guest is Emily Parker, a writer who's worked for The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Previously, she was a member of the policy planning staff at the U.S. State Department, where she advised on Internet freedom, digital diplomacy, and open government. Today, Emily writes about tech and foreign affairs, and she works at a blockchain startup.So what are you going to learn about on today’s episode? Emily Parker you through some of the differences between “blockchain,” “cryptocurrency,” and “initial coin offerings” (or ICOs). She and Kevin talked about what governments like and fear about these technologies, and they discussed how companies and particularly social networks are trying to implement them. Kevin also asked Emily to put Telegram’s $1.7-billion ICO into context, and they shared their ideas about what a Telegram cryptocurrency could mean politically in Russia.In 2014, Emily Parker authored a book called “Now I Know Who My Comrades Are: Voices From the Internet Underground,” where you can read stories about Internet activists in China, Cuba, and Russia. Find it here on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Now-Know-Who-Comrades-Are/dp/0374176957And read all Emily's work by following her on Twitter:https://twitter.com/emilydparkerIf you enjoy this podcast, consider pledging a little dough to help with sound recording, editing, and hosting costs:www.patreon.com/kevinrothrock

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