Can decentralized fintech hold the line?

As geopolitical tensions rise in the Middle East and global markets brace for volatility, Byte-Sized Insight’s latest episode explores how crypto reacts under pressure and whether it can provide more than just price movement.

Moving markets

In the first half of the episode, host Savannah Fortis speaks with Cointelegraph’s Ray Salmond and Marcel Pechman, who offer expert commentary and break down how Bitcoin (BTC) has performed amid growing fears of US involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict.  

“There’s a lot of uncertainty… and we see this reflected in the price action of gold, silver, US Treasurys and Bitcoin,” Salmond explains. 

Pechman warns that while Bitcoin has rallied 25% in recent weeks, it’s still perceived as a risk asset and could fall again if panic spreads. Still, both analysts point to long-term investor conviction and global liquidity trends as reasons Bitcoin continues to attract demand.

The power of blockchain

The episode also highlights how decentralized technologies are being used in the real world, beyond tradeable cryptocurrencies, especially in places where central systems break down. 

Megan Klimen, founding officer of the Filecoin Foundation, discusses the organization’s work with Fasila, a group helping local journalists in conflict zones preserve their reporting on decentralized storage.

Related: Bitcoin becomes less volatile than stocks in the Iran-Israel conflict: Data

“This is journalism that often gets destroyed when there are regime changes… There’s not always a long-term record,” Klimen says. 

“Filecoin can back up all of this critical on-the-ground journalism on the indelible record.”

In the episode, we also hear from Vivek Raman, CEO of Etherealize, who explains how Ethereum and stablecoins are becoming essential infrastructure for financial access. 

“A lot of people want access to dollars, especially in times of conflict,” Raman notes. “Ethereum is the place of safety, of trust, of value.”

In times of crisis, crypto’s real test isn’t only about how fast it moves markets, but about what it enables. Whether preserving truth or providing access, this episode reminds listeners that the utility of decentralized tech may be its most important feature.

Listen to the full episode of Byte-Sized Insight for the complete interview on Cointelegraph’s Podcasts page, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And don’t forget to check out Cointelegraph’s full lineup of other shows! 

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