Economists Tyler Cowen and Alex Tabarrok, the masterminds behind the popular blog Marginal Revolution, recently engaged in a thought-provoking discussion about potential winners of the 2024 Nobel Prize in economics. This intriguing conversation took place during the October 8th episode of their Marginal Revolution podcast.
In an unexpected turn of events, Cowen revealed his “unusual pick” for the prize: Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum and a brilliant computer scientist. Cowen argued that Buterin deserved the award because he had made significant contributions to the field of monetary economics. This sentiment was shared by Tabarrok, who highlighted Buterin’s ongoing efforts in the mechanism design of Ethereum, particularly his transition from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake. Tabarrok metaphorically likened this development to the impressive feat of changing car tires while the vehicle is still in motion, an apt comparison for the innovation achieved by Ethereum.
The duo also praised Buterin’s amiable personality and recognized him as an intellectual figure and a well-liked representative of the cryptocurrency world. However, Tabarrok acknowledged that Buterin’s contributions to cryptocurrency were second only to those of the enigmatic creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto. He expressed his belief that Satoshi should have also been considered for the Nobel Prize, although he humorously pondered whether Satoshi might still be alive.
In a related development, an HBO documentary that aired on October 8th claimed to have uncovered the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto as computer scientist Peter Todd. However, the cryptocurrency community remains skeptical of these allegations, and Todd himself has vehemently denied the filmmaker’s claims.
The winner(s) of the 2024 Nobel Prize in economics will be announced on October 14th, eagerly anticipated by economists and enthusiasts alike.
In a separate but equally fascinating story, Bryan Johnson, a prominent figure in the field of anti-aging research, came close to dedicating his life to the world of cryptocurrencies.