The Week Unwrapped: Crypto risk, stealth wealth and the end of Vice

Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Guy Anker, Sorcha Bradley and Mariana Vieira.

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In this week’s episode, we discuss:

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Gambling with cryptocurrencies

A parliamentary committee said this week that cryptocurrencies should be regulated as a form of gambling rather than investment products, given the wild swings in their value and the lack of any underlying asset to justify their prices. Large numbers of inexpert investors, many of them young men, have put money into cryptocurrencies and some have sustained significant losses. How would regulation work, and would it protect the right people?

The downfall of Vice

When Vice media went into bankruptcy on Monday it was the latest in a series of bad news stories for digital publishers – many of which had once been hailed as the future for media. In the case of Vice, its unique and youthful approach to politics and international news has had an influence on many more established media organisations. What does its demise mean for future trends in coverage, particularly for younger audiences?

Stealth wealth

From the Loro Piana baseball caps sported in “Succession” by fictional wannabe media mogul Kendall Roy, to Gwyneth Paltrow’s much lauded sartorial choices during a courtroom appearance in March, social media and the fashion world seems to be captivated by the idea of “stealth wealth” and “quiet luxury”. What is behind the resurgence of this trend in the popular imagination, and what does it reveal about society as we move into the post-pandemic era?