Blockchain, the brains behind cryptocurrencies, is a concept that once seemed like the stuff of science fiction. But there is much more that blockchain can do beyond supporting digital currency. It is the building block (pun intended) of programmable ledgers that will define the way forward for complex digital financial transactions. CIO Tony Roth explores blockchain’s vast potential with Paul Brody, EY Global Blockchain Leader.

When the Colonial Pipeline was hacked last spring, it forced the company’s only complete operational shutdown in 57 years, ceasing its normal daily transport of 2.5 million barrels of fuel for five days. This is just one instance of widespread cybercrime in the past 12 months. Online attackers are getting increasingly sophisticated, finding new ways to outsmart our defenses. Chief Investment Officer Tony Roth sits down with cybersecurity expert Morgan Wright to discuss what businesses and individuals can do to stay safe from ongoing cyberthreats.

B.C.—before COVID—children bemoaned the end of summer while parents waited with bated breath for a return to school, work and well, the normal routine of life. That was then. Today, the Delta variant has pushed up case rates, while vaccination rates in certain states remain anemic. Are mandates the needed shot in the arm to get us up and running on the road to normalcy? And what is our obligation to make vaccine rate inroads globally? Chief Investment Officer Tony Roth and New York University Langone Medical Center’s Dr. Arthur Caplan discuss these matters and much more.

Investors remain infatuated with bitcoin, the digital diva of cash systems, despite its extraordinary volatility. But is the love misplaced? Stillmark Venture Capital Founder and Managing Partner Alyse Killeen joins Chief Investment Officer Tony Roth to break down the currency into its essential building blockchain elements and explore its practical applications.

No, it isn’t your imagination. Prices are up—consumer goods are over 5% higher than a year ago. Inflation is rising, too—and not just because of supply snafus and increasing demand due to COVID reopening. So, is it a temporary blip or will it be That ‘80s Show all over again? To discuss the prospect of inflation, and the Fed’s role in not letting it get out of hand, Chief Investment Officer Tony Roth welcomes former Fed economist Claudia Sahm, a senior fellow at Manhattan-based think tank, the Jain Family Institute.

The rise of 5G—all the rage in commercials and conversations—ranges from internet infrastructure safety and the increased use of smart cars to the cost of the next iPhone. But when we take a step back from the chatter, exactly what changes are we eagerly awaiting? Muriel Médard, an information theorist and electrical engineer, and the Cecil H. Green Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, joins Chief Investment Officer Tony Roth to unscramble the mixed signals around this next wave for broadband cell networks.

For many, COVID-19 has meant the home front has been doubling as the workplace, creating growing pains and the need for more space. At the same time, Millennials have been getting the itch to become homeowners. These forces have resulted in a massive migration from big cities to the suburbs and smaller cities. What do these trends mean for real estate markets—is another housing bubble ahead? Chief Investment Officer Tony Roth and Eric Willett, director of Research and Thought Leadership for CBRE’s Pacific Southwest Division, break down the impacts on homeowners and investors.

Just a few years ago, the U.S. was moving at a snail’s pace relative to Europe when it came to prioritizing the climate crisis. Today, we see fervent interest from policy and industrial standpoints, as well as mainstream society—while catastrophic weather events continue to exact heavy financial tolls. How is the world rehabbing from its addiction to fossil fuels and what are the likely global economic effects? Chief Investment Officer Tony Roth explores the weighty price tag with Gernot Wagner, NYU climate economics professor who pens Bloomberg’s Risky Climate and is co-author of Climate Shock.

The economy is still rising after a COVID-induced hibernation, further bolstered by easy monetary policy and vaccinations, while pent-up demand and stimulus are being deployed, brightening the outlook for corporate earnings—but for how long? How much has the recovery been priced into stocks? Chief Investment Officer Tony Roth welcomes the insights of seasoned stock pro Lori Calvasina, head of U.S. Equity Strategy at RBC Capital Markets, who recently raised her S&P 500 price target.

The infrastructure package, which currently comes with a $1.7 trillion price tag, seeks to deliver new roads and bridges and expands clean energy initiatives. While President Biden is working toward a deal, a broad sweep of complex economic issues has yet to be worked out. To dimension the implications and likely outcome of this initiative, Chief Investment Officer Tony Roth turns to Professor Rick Geddes, director of Cornell University’s Program in Infrastructure Policy.