Leader to Watch: Elena Giralt Talks Zcash and Feminism

CoinDesk reporter Leigh Cuen is joined by Elena Giralt, the Electric Coin Company’s product marketing associate known for her research on cryptocurrency usage in Latin America, to talk about how digital assets can subvert power dynamics.

According to the Brookings Institute, roughly 4.6 million Venezuelans have fled the country so far, which the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees called the largest exodus in the region’s recent history. Many such refugees and diaspora Venezuelans use cryptocurrency for remittances or to earn freelance income. But, as Giralt pointed out, the industry at large has a long way to go to improve ethical marketing in the region. 

“Adoption has been overstated by companies that have a vested interest,” she said. “If you’re going to promote a certain solution or initiative in a vulnerable population, there’s really a higher bar for disclosures and informed consent.” 

Consent is, from Giralt’s perspective, the underlying principle of cypherpunk technology. Later, we’ll discuss how financial privacy is crucial to women’s rights and free, easy ways for people to empower women in their local communities.

Want more? Read my article about Venezuelans using cryptocurrency.