16: Vinay Gupta: A Radical Manifesto for Fixing the World

Vinay Gupta joins us to discuss pathways towards a radical restructuring of society.

Vinay Gupta is a leading figure in the blockchain space, having coordinated the release of the blockchain platform Ethereum in 2015. He is the Founder and CEO of Mattereum, a company which uses the blockchain to eliminate transaction risk from on-chain trade of physical assets. Vinay is also a prolific writer, commentator and futurist, building upon decades of research and strategic expertise across energy policy, defence, disaster relief and infrastructure risk, with stints at the Rocky Mountain Institute, US Department of Defense and an associate fellowship at the UCL Institute for Security and Resilience.

A proponent of techno-realism, Vinay argues that technology and engineering can contribute to positive social transformation and help deal with resource scarcity. As we explore in this conversation, a radical realism also pervades his politics – with Vinay’s trademark acuity and provocative ‘breaking the frame’ approach on full display! In a wide-ranging conversation, we discuss why “collapse” is already here and its relationship to income, wealth and power inequality, the historical antecedents to our predicament and why existing governance structures are no longer fit for purpose, as well as what is blocking a credible programme of action on the climate emergency. In a provocative thought experiment, Vinay challenges us to identify the simplest change that can be made to a broken system to get working change. His answer? A radical electoral reform to ensure that the core body politic has a compelling stake in the future. See what you think.

Vinay tweets @leashless. For information on his work in the field of humanitarian design, check out the 'Hope for the World' seminar. Vinay's most recent book is The Future of Stuff, published in association with Tortoise Media.