About

What is this?

Trading Places is a newsletter about the intersection of technology and trade, and the role it plays in human progress.

As the pace of digitization advances, globalization is evolving. Increasingly, the exchange of goods, money and ideas is taking place entirely within virtual spaces, enabled through new, quickly developing technologies under the “Web3” and “metaverse” umbrellas. This in turn is transforming how people understand the trade of physical goods that underpin our digital lives.

The transformative effects of these technological shifts have broad implications on economic well-being and the ethics of trade. Trading Places offers regular updates on these forces behind our changing relationship with the world.

What can I expect?

This newsletter offers regular essays on current affairs, drawing from recent news events as they relate to trade and technology.

Each issue will typically focus on a single topic that has dominated recent headlines. Peppered throughout will be links to recent news, along with references to relevant literature on history, philosophy, and geopolitics.

Why subscribe?

It’s free! If you care about the changing face of globalization, this newsletter will offer a unique perspective for understanding the shifting tides.