In 2022, cryptocurrency went mainstream. Millions of people — including disproportionate numbers of Black consumers — purchased cryptocurrencies for the first time. The scale and swiftness of this development in so many Americans’ financial lives prompted us at the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program to set out to learn more, and to begin to seek answers to key questions that might ultimately shape our point of view on what is required to ensure that the cryptocurrency and blockchain ecosystem is both safe and structurally inclusive. Ultimately, we seek to answer a fundamental question: What do crypto and the blockchain mean for the financial security of people in America?
Our own learning journey continues as the crypto and blockchain space continue to evolve at lightning speed. We offer this introductory guide as a learning “short-cut” for other social sector leaders who may benefit from:
- An overview of the basics of this new ecosystem
- Key use cases that illustrate how the blockchain might shape households’ financial lives
- A set of key questions and considerations for how we shape and regulate this ecosystem in service of financial security
Funder Acknowledgement
This project was supported by Humanity Forward.
