I am transfixed by the plummeting signal strength on my phone as employees of cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase close the flap of the stuffy silver tent I’m standing inside. The fabric walls enclose a cubic space about 8 feet across and contain mesh that functions as a Faraday cage that blocks electromagnetic radiation. By the time the door is sealed, my connection to the outside world has drained away to nothing. Now the ceremony can begin.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices