Techquitable

@sheila_warren is the CEO of the Crypto Council for Innovation, a premier global alliance for advancing the promise of digital assets through research, education and advocacy.

In 2023, Sheila was voted one of the most influential women in DC by the Washingtonian and previously founded the World Economic Forum’s blockchain and digital assets team.

It was a pleasure to have her join the Techquitable podcast to share her perspective on the stalled crypto policy in America, her work at CCI and much more. 

Timestamps:

[1:50] - Sheila’s background in data 

[6:39] - The new Trump administration’s impact on crypto

[14:25] - The importance of crypto in the recent U.S. election

[19:45] - CCI’s approach to policy engagement

[20:40] - Decentralization as the next foundational question

[23:20] - Interoperability between critical jurisdictions

[29:10] - Sheila’s biggest concern for the crypto industry

Dr. Kelsie Nabben (@kelsiemvn) is an ethnographic researcher specializing in the social impacts of emerging technologies, particularly decentralized digital infrastructure (including blockchains, peer-to-peer protocols, and DAOs) and other algorithmic systems (such as LLMs).

She joined the Techquitable podcast to discuss computer aided ethnography, her research on distributed systems, Web 3’s Security Alliance and much more. 

Timestamps:

[1:45] - Kelsie’s unique background

[3:45] - Resilience and decentralized technologies

[6:40] - Research challenges in digital world

[9:20] - Vulnerabilities in digital networks

[17:50] - Dr. Nabben’s early findings

[27:00] - Accountability in Web 3

[31:00] - Social and technical governance

[38:00] - Future role of decentralized technologies

Dr. Nabben’s work includes: 

(1) Is a "Decentralized Autonomous Organization" a Panopticon?: Algorithmic governance as creating and mitigating vulnerabilities in DAOs: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3907693 
(2) Governing Blockchain Security: White Hat Hackers ‘Code of Conduct’: https://kelsienabben.substack.com/p/governing-blockchain-security-white

Paul Brigner leads the Coinbase Institute and is the founder of the PGP* (Pretty Good Policy) for Crypto group. He joined us on the Techquitable podcast to discuss what he’s hearing in Washington, the importance of decentralization and much more.

Timestamps:

[3:00] - Paul’s unique background

[9:20] - The progression of the internet

[11:40] - The current blockchain advocacy community in DC

[19:40] - Announcing the DC Privacy Summit

[20:55] - How to best educate staffers and opportunities for blockchain

[25:45] - The importance of decentralization

[32:00] - How do we avoid the mistakes of the past?

Kyle Bligen, Director of Financial Policy at the Chamber of Progress joins the Techquitable podcast to discuss what he’s hearing in Washington on legislation affecting blockchain technology, decentralization and much more.

Timestamps:

[0:30] - Introduction to Kyle

[2:50] - What Kyle is hearing on the Hill

[7:40] - The current campaign landscape and former President Trump

[10:00] - Policy priorities ahead of the election

[15:00] - Are policymakers sufficiently educated?

[20:00] - Is policy trending in an equitable direction?

[25:12] - Kyle’s recommendations for future policy

[33:11] - A look into Congress and their relationship with blockchain technology

What impact will the future of blockchains have on constitutions and institutions?

DRC Executive Director Connor Spelliscy spoke with DRC Fellow Professor Eric Alston on the Techquitable podcast to discuss Eric's career in economics and law, decentralization in digital governance, and much more. 

Timestamps:

0:30 - Eric’s journey through economics and institutions

4:13 - Mapping a career path

10:13 - Zero-knowledge proofs and privacy rights in the digital age

23:17 - Steps required for an equitable future

28:11 - How to best connect with Eric

Congressman Wiley Nickel (@RepWileyNickel) is currently serving his first term in Congress as the U.S. Representative of the 13th District of North Carolina which includes Wake, Wayne, Johnston and Harnett Counties.

Prior to being elected to Congress, Wiley served as a North Carolina State Senator, attorney, small business owner and worked for two White House administrations.

This conversation occurred at the 2024 Equitable Tech Summit, which the DRC co-hosted in Washington, D.C.

0:55 - Why does the Congressman engage in tech policy?

4:10 - How can policy balance innovation and consumer protection?

7:00 - Will President Joe Biden soften his stance on digital assets?

10:40 - The importance of decentralization

16:20 - How academics can best influence policy

23:35 - What does equitable ownership and governance mean to Congressman Wiley?

Nathan Schneider (@ntnsndr), joins the podcast to discuss the need for accountable centralized structures in decentralized participation and the importance of designing governable spaces. 

9:12 - Ethics and power dynamics in emerging tech

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce shares her perspective on innovation, securities law and blockchain technology, and whether the three can co-exist.

Show highlights:

0:00 - Intro

4:57 - How should regulators approach emerging tech?

6:50 - The importance of open collaboration between industry, regulators, and the public.

8:30 - Leveraging social media for a new perspective. 

10:47 - Commissioner Peirce defines decentralization. 

11:54 - When decentralization is useful and when it isn't.

15:13 - Why talking about and implementing emerging technologies is so difficult.

17:36 - Developing a philosophy on governance and policy making.

19:42 - Balancing laissez-faire economics and strict regulation.

24:37 - Blockchain's intersection with regulation.

26:08 - Adapting to emerging technologies in the future.

28:58 - Inspiring policymakers and regulators to learn about emerging tech.

32:05 - Encouraging ethical innovation and mindful regulation.

Shrey Jain is a Research Fellow at the Decentralization Research Center and Technical Program Manager at Microsoft and Co-Founder of the Plural Technology Collaboratory at Microsoft Research.

In this spotlight episode Shrey shares his work on artificial intelligence following his late 2023 publication of Contextual Confidence and Generative AI.

Ari Juels is the Weill Family Foundation and Joan and Sanford I. Weill Professor in the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech and the Technion and a Computer Science faculty member at Cornell University. He is a Co-Director of the Initiative for CryptoCurrencies and Contracts (IC3). He is also Chief Scientist at Chainlink Labs.

He is the author of crypto thriller novel The Oracle (Talos Press).