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Comment and Technology

2021 was the year cryptocurrencies went completely off the rails

By Annalee Newitz

15 December 2021

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Michelle D’urbano

IN THE waning days of this year, a meme has been making its way across Twitter that goes something like this: “If cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin were actually a reliable form of money, the porn industry would already be using them.”

Pornography may not be your cup of tea, but adult content has, time and again, been a bellwether for tech upheavals. The industry spearheaded the VHS revolution of the 1980s and the web revolution of the early 2000s. Yet despite being known for its brash approach to everything, it has shied away from cryptocurrencies.

Maybe that is because they have…

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