IORADIO #17 – A conversation with investigative journalist and author Zeke Faux

Investigative journalist Zeke Faux didn’t think very much of crypto, but when his friend Jay bragged about a Dogecoin ‘investment’ paying for a family vacation to Disneyland, he was determined to prove that Jay was not, in fact, Nostradamus. So when Zeke’s editor asked him to look into stablecoins, he yanked at the threads connected to crypto’s greatest mystery… What’s the deal with Tether?

Those threads dragged Zeke down a rabbit hole into a ripoff wonderland filled with colourful con-artists and the horror of human misery. From token luxury superyachts in the Bahamas to crypto’s forced labour camps in Cambodia, the first time author has chronicled the recent history of blockchain’s billionaires and the suffering of the victims on which their wealth depends.

One part detective novel, one part historical non-fiction, one part absurdist comedy. Faux has crafted an immutable ledger of the dark shadow that cryptocurrency has cast across our lives, a portrait that’s exciting, bleak, and funny in equal measure.

We sit down for a conversation with Zeke Faux, author of ‘Number Go Up: Inside Crypto’s Wild Rise and Staggering Fall’.

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Watch Here:

You can find Zeke’s new book here.

IORADIO #14 – Jauwn plays crappy crypto/NFT games so you don’t have to – An interview with this YouTube game reviewer.

Jauwn is a gamer and youtuber who has a hobby that no one else wants. He plays and reviews crypto games. Eight months ago he started a channel devoted to meticulous reviews of play to earn cryto projects that are often held up as examples of Web3 success.


Instead of thriving player driven free market paradise, he’s discovered a desolate wasteland of scams and barely functional software. His videos take the crypto claims about web3 at face value and put them to the test, often discovering that there’s little utility, or fun, to be had.

From Axie to ARGs and Decentraland to Dr. Disrespect, the public owes Jauwn a debt of gratitude for his masochistic commitment to playing the worst, and best, games that blockchain has to offer. His dry delivery, sense of fun, and appreciation for the absurdity of crypto make his videos a pleasure to watch. We look forward to talking to Jauwn about his work, his thoughts on gaming, and what hes been working on.

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Audio version here:

IORADIO #12 – Social Media Meltdown – Grab Your Popcorn!

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Adam and I have a casual conversation about what’s been happening in the world of social media. A lot has been going on and major social media sites are unraveling before our eyes.

From Elon Musk’s rabid attempt to progressively make Twitter more “functional”, to Reddit sacrificing the golden goose of loyal moderators and content creating users upon the alter of corporate profits, no platform seems safe from the greedy embrace of silicon valley’s techno parasites.

What’s going on? And where are for profit platform refugees going? In IO Radio #12 we talk social media meltdown, part of an ongoing discussion about the evolution, and devolution, of social media in the 21st century.

IORADIO # 11 – RFK Jr: Covid Restrictions Bring Totalitarianism & Bitcoin Fixes This?

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AmericanScream and I react to RFK Jr.’s Bitcoin 2023 keynote rantings in Miami. Kennedy equates public health measures during COVID to totalitarian oppression and argues that Bitcoin is important because it protects civil liberties from governmental repression.

In IO Radio #11 we discuss the democratic presidential candidate’s COVID obsession and anti-vaxxer status. Were the Canadian truckers freedom loving patriots, or whiny entitled far right anti-science nut jobs? Join us, and let us know if ‘Bitcoin solves this’™.

P.S. I want to drown Bitcoin in a bathtub.

IORADIO #10 – Reddit Censors Its Largest Crypto-Critical Community

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American Scream and I discuss the latest happenings on Reddit, including censorship of /r/buttcoin (gasp!), Reddit’s love of crypto, and the eternal sunshine that private for profit corporations bestow upon the world.

By the way, did you know the SEC is going after Binance? Join us for IO Radio #10 and listen to two grown men cry about how Admins have taken away their favourite toys because they’re big meanies who don’t want us making fun of subreddits whose most helpful posts are links to suicide prevention hotlines.

P.S. I suddenly want pizza.

IORADIO #9 – Reaction to Adam Back & Co. “Biggest Bitcoin Ballers” Panel at Bitcoin 2023 + bonus

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American Scream and I react to the “Biggest Bitcoin Ballers” panel discussion at Bitcoin 2023 in Miami.

Watch Saint Adam Back, joined by fellow cultists Jack Mallers & Matt Odell, preach the gospel of FOMO and evangelize the sacred tenant of HODL. How much fiat are you donating to the church of crypto? It might be time to sell your worldly possessions and become a Bitcoin monk, while some might pray, the truly devout DCA.

In IO Radio #9 we provide colour commentary while three of the world’s biggest con-artists try to take every last dollar you have and stuff it into their already overflowing pockets. The only thing on stage scarcer that the panellist’s sense of empathy is a real world use case.

To finish, we share a sneak peak of highlights from day 1 of Bitcoin 2023. Enjoy!

IORADIO #8: Bitcoin 2023 Miami Reaction Video – Bitcoin Economics, Flow States, & Right Wing Dog Whistles

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One of the largest Bitcoin conferences has started in Miami this weekend and we’re peeking into the livestream presentations and commenting — adding a bit of FACT CHECKING and logic, reason and evidence into the constant stream of marketing propaganda about crypto and bitcoin.

Tune in to IO Radio #8 and see just how insulated this bubble really is. Coolly observe or recoil with horror as you witness how both presenters and attendees are detached from reality, with no semblance of actual understanding of money, finance or how government works. The liberal sprinkling of right wing dog whistles are an added bonus.

IORADIO #7 – “Why do you hate crypto?” – Our Motivation for Being Critical of Crypto

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This is a leading question often asked of crypto skeptics. The implication is that our dislike of the technology is based on emotion rather than on facts and evidence.

In IO Radio #7 American Scream and I discuss the motivations behind our crypto criticism.

Let us know what your reasons are for being skeptical of the future of finance. Did you or someone you know get scammed? Or are you crypto critical for more philosophical reasons?

IORADIO #6 – Is Texas a Crypto Welfare State? – Interview with Jackie Sawicky of the Texas Coalition Against Crypto Mining

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Is Texas a crypto welfare state? We often hear that the crypto mining industry is good for the economy and the energy business. In IO Radio #5 we reacted to a propaganda video claiming that Riot and other crypto miners were good for Texas, but what do local citizens think?

American Scream and I talk to Jackie Sawicky – founder of the Texas Coalition Against Crypto Mining – her organization has boots on the ground in Navarro county and is trying to educate people about the lies and misinformation being spread about mining facilities being built and operated in Texas.

What’s at stake when a mining operation moves next door? According to Jackie it’s much more than you think. Communities are being exploited and people’s lives are are put at risk while municipalities give away electricity to private corporations who sell it back to the public at a huge profit.

Listen to the shocking story of what’s happened to the small rural Texas communities who’ve had bitcoin mining come to their front door, and ask yourself if government should be in the business of subsidizing the crypto industry.

IORADIO #5 – We React To “Dear Elizabeth Warren” – A Bitcoin Propaganda Film

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There appears to be a sizable amount of resources being pumped into producing these pro-Bitcoin propaganda films. This one was released recently, making some serious claims about Senator Elizabeth Warren and whether Bitcoin is in fact good for energy production instead of being criminally wasteful.

Now you can see both sides as we react to this new video. My apologies if the audio levels are a bit wonky on this – I made some mistakes during the recording and hopefully fixed them as best I could (and will do better for future episodes).

Additional details:

Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index – https://ccaf.io/cbnsi/cbeci

Petition opposing Bitcoin Mining by the Concerned Citizens of Navarro County – https://www.change.org/p/no-to-riot-bitcoin-mine-in-navarro-county.