China and Blockchain - Why China sees blockchain as a strategic pillar for the next decade of growth

Matthew Graham is the CEO of Sino Global Capital, a team of Beijing-based investment bankers. China sees blockchain as a key strategic technology pillar critical to the next decade of growth. As it prepares to deploy a state-issued digital currency or DCEP (Digital Currency / Electronic Payment) China has a unique opportunity to take control of its monetary system and get a jump on other nation states. What are the implications for China and its citizens? Why you should listen: China’s leaders are engineering-minded and technologically bold. China has a large influence on the crypto space. The majority of bitcoin mining is based in China, and China’s changing stance towards crypto assets has tended to have an exaggerated effect on the volatile crypto markets. China sees blockchain very differently from the west and appears uniquely positioned to be the first large nation state to deploy a state-issued digital currency. Plus Andy and Matthew discuss Tokenization, Star Wars, sneaker trading. Key takeaway: A state-issued digital currency is a powerful idea. However, if combined with other technologies such as facial recognition, a social credit score, digital identity, and phone tracking, it would be an authoritarian method of control. State issued digital currency puts into stark relief the potential of an open, borderless, decentralized non-state issued digital currency such as Bitcoin.  Supporting links: Sino Global Capital Matthew on Twitter Andy on Twitter Brave New Coin on Twitter Brave New Coin