It’s my great pleasure to announce that Michael Casey will be joining the MIT Media Lab as Senior Advisor to the Digital Currency Initiative on September 1, 2015. Michael’s move closes the curtain on a distinguished 23-year career in journalism–most recently as a senior columnist at The Wall Street Journal covering global finance and economics.

In the digital currency community, Michael is best known as the co-author, with Paul Vigna, of the popular book The Age of Cryptocurrency: How Bitcoin and Digital Money are Challenging the Global Economic Order, and The Wall Street Journal BitBeat column, a regular update on developments in the digital currency space.

“Leaving The Wall Street Journal after 18 years is not a decision I took lightly. What it does reflect is my belief that digital currency is on the cusp of becoming a major transformative force in society and I can’t think of a better place to help make that happen than the MIT Media Lab’s Digital Currency Initiative.”

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— Michael Casey

Senior Advisor, MIT Media Lab Digital Currency Initiative

At the Media Lab, Michael will work with students and professors on social impact projects and improving digital currency communication and awareness.

As I’ve mentioned before, the blockchain’s disruptive potential is amplified in the developing world, where peer-to-peer transaction systems and a transparent, distributed digital ledger for registering assets could help bring billions of people into the global financial system and unlock trillions of dollars in what Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto has called “dead capital.”

“I’m excited to know that Michael Casey, someone I’ve worked closely with for many years, will be headed to the MIT Digital Currency Initiative. His vast global experience reporting on important social issues in the developing world gives him unique insight into the critical issues that can be addressed with the blockchain.”

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— Hernando de Soto

Peruvian economist & author of The Mystery of Capital

While digital currencies have tremendous potential for impact, communicating the value of this emerging technology is hard but important. Michael will work with the digital currency community, students and professors to produce blog posts and videos that help more people better understand how digital currency works and it’s potential impact.

“Few people have done as much as Michael to help raise the public’s understanding of Bitcoin, its many applications, and its potential to increase social and economic welfare, especially in the developing world. I look forward to working with him in his new position at MIT to continue to educate the public about the impact of digital currency.” (click to tweet) — Jerry Brito

Executive Director of Coin Center

Please join me in welcoming Michael to the Digital Currency Initiative!