Zeke Faux's Crypto Adventures and His Relationship With Former FTX CEO SBF - Ep. 545

Zeke Faux, author of 'Number Go Up,' shares his findings after making a deep dive into the world of crypto. From skepticism to a full-blown investigation, Faux recounts his journey that led him to the heart of crypto, meeting some of the most eccentric characters in the industry. As a Bloomberg investigative reporter, Faux brings a critical eye to the crypto sphere, unearthing the bizarre, the risky, and the downright astonishing facets of what the crypto community calls a financial revolution.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Show highlights:

what the book 'Number Go Up' is about

Zeke's background as an investigative reporter for Bloomberg

whether Zeke is skeptical about crypto

why Zeke thought it was a big deal to investigate Tether, the issuer of USDT

whether he had a conclusion on the fact that he couldn't find anything big about Tether

why Zeke says that Sam Bankman-Fried had a sloppy approach to risk management

why Zeke believes that SBF did not give so much money to charity even though he's an effective altruist

how projects like STEPN and Axie Infinity are 'clearly not the future of finance,' according to Zeke

how SBF had such an open relationship with the media that helped him when the FTX collapse happened

what Zeke found out investigating pig butchering scams in Cambodia

how Zeke’s attempt to buy a Mutant Ape to get into an Ape Fest in New York City taught him about crypto’s bad user experience

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Guest:

Zeke Faux, author of ‘Number Go Up’
Bloomberg: 11 Hours With Sam Bankman-Fried: Inside the Bahamian Penthouse After FTX’s Fall
Links
Tether

Unchained:

Is Tether a Fraud? Its Bank Says It's Not

Tether, the Multibillion-Dollar Stablecoin at the Heart of the Crypto Ecosystem

Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX

Unchained:

Sam Bankman-Fried on How to Prevent the Next Terra and 3AC

SBF Behind Bars: Why Revoked Bail Is a Big Deal for Crypto’s Biggest Trial

Pig butchering scams
Unchained: How This Prosecutor Is Spearheading the Fight Against Crypto ‘Pig Butchering’ Scams

Crypto in developing countries

Bitcoin in El Salvador: Why Would Cypherpunks Support Government-Mandated Bitcoin Adoption?

Anita Posch on Why ‘Bitcoin Is a Tool for Freedom’ – Especially in Africa

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