If you thought “DOGE” only stood for the “Department of Government Efficiency”—well, you’re not alone. The world of crypto is full of double meanings and inside jokes, making the recent arrival of these alternative currency markets—and their attendant “crypto bros”—into the seat of power in Washington all the more mystifying.

Enter Molly White, a longtime crypto researcher (and skeptic) whose work has appeared in the New York Times as well as in her self-published newsletter, Citation Needed. On this week’s episode, Molly explains what journalists, and everyone else, need to know about meme coins (dogecoin, $TRUMP), crypto’s grifty culture, and what recent policy changes mean for the average consumer.

Read more:

*Lauren Watson in CJR on the lessons of crypto media.

*The Times on how Trump’s meme coin made a few people very rich—at the expense of most everyone else (with research by White).

*White on the strategic bitcoin reserve, and how the crypto industry is trying to shed itself of government oversight.

Hosted by Josh Hersh
Produced by Amanda Darrach