Roundup: Crypto lawsuits and more Tesla revelations

It’s a big one this week! Instead of explaining the Binance and Coinbase lawsuits, I decided to break down what I’ve been reading to get a good handle on the cases and what it means for crypto industry (not good!). Plus, there are some damning new revelations about the Cybertruck and Autopilot crash stats, so we need to dig into those too. On top of all that are the recommended reads, labor updates, and other news you can always expect. I’d especially recommend the piece by Dan McQuillan on the real threats posed by AI.

To get everything in the roundup, make sure to become a paying subscriber and support the work that goes into writing Disconnect! You’ll also be thumbing your nose at Silicon Valley and its billionaires.

Before we get into the issue though, just a couple quick updates. I spoke at re:publica in Berlin earlier this week about what Silicon Valley gets wrong about the future of transportation. (You know, that topic I wrote a book about!) You can watch it on the day’s livestream, starting at 6:05:58.

Another really cool thing that happened this week: the New York Times recommended my podcast Tech Won’t Save Us for anyone trying to understand AI and the hype around it. They called it an “incisive weekly show” that “takes a highly skeptical view of Silicon Valley.” I can’t say I ever thought the show would get a shoutout in such a major publication!

Have a great week, and enjoy this roundup!

— Paris

What I’m reading about Binance and Coinbase

As you’ve likely heard, this week’s been a rough one for what remains of the crypto industry in the United States. On Monday and Tuesday, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed charges against Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, then Coinbase, the largest US crypto exchange. I’m not going to pretend to have all the details on this, so instead I want to recommend some insightful pieces I’ve been reading that will help to fill you in.