Abstract
Blockchain is often presented as a technological development; however, clearly it is not only that: the ‘Blockchain buzz’ exists in the context of current social and political developments. In this essay, we analyse blockchain technology and its social and political context from a perspective of Marxist economic theory. Since arguably the last great inflection point in society and technology was analysed by Marx in terms of labour and capital and since we seem to be experiencing a shift in the balance between these forces today, it makes sense to revisit the Marxist ideas and apply them to the current situation, to see how well they still apply and if necessary to update them for current events.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Media, Technology and Education in a Post-Truth Society |
| Subtitle of host publication | From Fake News, Datafication and Mass Surveillance to the Death of Trust |
| Editors | Alex Grech |
| Publisher | Emerald Publishing Limited |
| Pages | 225-241 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-1-80043-906-1 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-1-80043-907-8 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 8 Jul 2021 |