Kyle Feinstein, Stanford University -- After much anticipation, Bitcoin City has met its end. The futuristic city was first announced at the 2021 Latin American Bitcoin and Blockchain Conference along with a 10 billion USD bond investment. This urban oasis was a symbol of El Salvador’s unprecedented decision to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021. The metropolis was to be built at the base of the Conchagua volcano and serve as a hub for cryptocurrency mining and foreign investment. Bitcoin City’s strategic location offered a steady source of geothermal energy for bitcoin mining; to enhance its appeal, the city would also not collect income taxes. As a testament to El Salvador’s ambitious efforts to integrate cryptocurrency into the national economy, Bitcoin City had a circular layout, invoking the shape of a coin.
Tag: Technology
LONG-FORM COMMENTARY: The True Cause of Silicon Valley Bank’s Collapse
Andrew Zeng, Stanford University -- On March 10th, 2023, Silicon Valley Bank, a premier financial institution in the startup world, suddenly collapsed. The federal government soon seized its assets, and as its clients tried, increasingly in vain, to withdraw their deposits, panic soon set in. Wealthy, platformed individuals began demanding that the government bail out the bank and compensate them, while news anchors and financial analysts predicted a ripple effect that would irreversibly end the dominance of Silicon Valley.
Our Winter 2023 Issue
On behalf of the Stanford Economic Review Editorial Board, I am pleased to present the eleventh volume, winter issue, of Stanford University’s undergraduate economics journal. Building on our momentum from last year, our publication has continued expanding its global reach over the course of the 2022-2023 academic year. As our readership climbs to new heights,… Continue reading Our Winter 2023 Issue
COMMENTARY: Unicorns in Zoos: The Rise of Billion Dollar Companies
Aidan Cullen, Stanford University -- What makes a unicorn magical? While one could argue it's the horn protruding from their head that grants unicorns their magic, perhaps it is their rarity that makes them so special.
COMMENTARY: The Digital African Giant
Chidera Ejueyitchie, University of Southern California -- With talk of self-driving cars, artificial intelligence, and metaverses dominating the headlines, it is hard not to fantasize about the exciting technological innovations the future holds in store. But somehow, despite all the buzz, the prevailing vision of a futuristic new world still has a missing piece—a blank spot the size of a continent. This isn’t the first time Africa has been forgotten: The continent has lagged behind through each industrial revolution. Today, the African tech industry is ready to finally put an end to this game of catch up.
BLOG: Is Finance Making Geography Increasingly Insignificant?
By Yuxiang Hou, College of William and Mary
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This paper attempts to revisit “the end of geography” debate by incorporating both established theoretical frameworks and the latest empirical evidence. It argues that for five reasons finance is not making geography increasingly insignificant. However, in the long run, things may be different.