The Vergecast Ben McKenzie vs. crypto
143 snips
Apr 14, 2026 
Ben McKenzie, actor and filmmaker behind Gotham and The O.C., talks about his documentary and long-running fight with crypto. He gets into Bitcoin’s limits, gambling culture, crime, and why the hype survives. Victoria Song, a Verge reviewer covering wearables and health tech, explores continuous glucose monitors, influencer wellness trends, scary readings, and how health data can spiral into obsession.
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Crypto Fits The Age Of Casino Capitalism
- Ben McKenzie links crypto to a broader era where gambling logic spreads into finance, tech, and everyday life.
- He contrasts stocks as positive-sum investment with crypto as negative-sum gambling and says its main use cases are speculation and crime.
Why Bitcoin Keeps Surviving Scandal
- Ben McKenzie says Bitcoin kept rising after scandals because political backing, whales, and market psychology can prop up manias for years.
- He says Trump's 2024 embrace reignited prices, showing a supposedly anti-state asset now depends on presidential favor.
How CGMs Jumped From Clinics To Wellness
- Victoria Song says CGMs jumped from diabetes tech to mainstream wellness after FDA over-the-counter clearance in 2024.
- She ties the boom to metabolism optimization culture and RFK Jr.'s push for wearables as a pillar of "MAHA."
