Easy Money

Who would've thought that Ben McKenzie, star of the hit TV show The O.C., would delve into the world of crypto and successfully argue that the entire world this digital tech is in is a straight up fraud? It's a surprising decision for McKenzie but crypto being a complete scam is not at all surprising to me going into this book. What was surprising were how these massive crypto companies rose to fame and their levels of insanity, hilarity, and stupidity that would ensue and eventually claim their downfall. This is a very interesting read since I didn't know too much about crypto, especially the details of it but it is also entertaining the way Ben would implement his perspective, interest, and personality into this book. This is very insightful and Ben and co. do a fantastic job at explaining in a way that is easy to follow and understand. Not only is this book and its subject matter massively important but it perfectly covers the way the murky poisonous greed of late stage capitalism would seep into our politics, our society, our world, with countless innocent lives being destroyed as a result.

Crypto-currency - it's just like traditional finance! But you're not investing in anything that has actual value, there are zero regulations, and if you lose your life savings it's your own fault because you didn't DYOR (Do Your Own Research). Former The O.C. heartthrob Ben McKenzie has co-written an incisive expose of the latest “if it looks too good to be true, it probably is” Ponzi scheme that reached its peak at the 2022 Super Bowl, with celebrities like LeBron James, Matt Damon, and Larry David singing its praises. McKenzie more or less made me understand blockchains, key encryption, DeFi, ICO, USDT, FTX, WAGMI.....okay, so my eyes started glazing over by the end of the book, but McKenzie is a strong enough storyteller that my feeble little brain comprehended most of it. His ego does shine through a few times, and his attempts to be more literary are laughable, but when he sticks to explaining terms and profiling the vile scumbuckets at the top, he hits the sweet spot.

The crypto bubble has burst for now, with an estimated $700 billion lost, but there will always be another scam that screws the regular guy, while rewarding the rich and corrupt. It made me sad as a lifelong Democrat to learn that the notorious crypto-bro Sam Bankman-Fried was Biden's second biggest donor in the 2020 presidential campaign. Say it ain't so, Joe!