The momentous moment of crypto

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Fortune

Crypto at a turning point

The dramatic leaps and dives of digital coin prices have turned crypto investing into a profitable gamble for millions and a diverting spectator sport for everyone else. It’s easy to forget that the crypto phenomenon is rooted in technology whose idealistic designers wanted to tackle genuine, thorny business problems. But a funny thing happened on the way up to Bitcoin $60,000 (and back down again): Crypto hype has drawn more attention, and more funding, to blockchains’ broader potential. Investors who made a killing on price fluctuations are now pouring money into projects that put blockchains to work—building new markets for digital art, tracking problems in global supply chains, and above all making the financial system more efficient and accessible.

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The Inside Story: Crypto at a Turning Point

Date/Time: August 5, 2021, 1:00 PM (ET)