Author Jame DiBiasio discusses his career and COVID-19

Jame DiBiasio is an author, editor, journalist, and publisher. He is the author of “Cowries to Crypto: The History of Money, Currency and Wealth”. I spoke with Jamie about his background and career.

We firstly discussed his past and how it plays into his latest projects:

“In 2017 I set up my own media brand, DigFin, focused on digital finance, fintech, and digital assets. I’ve called Hong Kong home since 1997. Being a financial journalist in Asia turned out to be an excellent background for writing about the history of money.

China was the first civilization to issue coins and then paper banknotes, and it’s about to hit the fintech trifecta with the world’s first digital currency”.

Jame Dibiasio-

Jame then spoke to me about his last year and what he would consider his biggest successes.

“Getting “Cowries to Crypto” across the finish line was certainly the big one. Mostly, though, this is a year to be grateful for what you’ve got. Covid-19 has hurt a lot of people”.

In terms of his most relevant projects, Jame detailed his activity, and how he managed during the lockdown:

“Early this year when Covid-19 began shutting down conferences, I helped several firms shift their conversation online, via webinars and other digital content. That’s been the business pivot. My wife is a superb cook, so I’ve enjoyed a somewhat gilded lockdown”.

We spoke of James life as a writer, and what was the inspiration behind his book:

“OANDA is one of the original fintechs, having taken foreign exchange trading to retail investors using digital technology.

They were interested in a booklet about the history of currency, and I was lucky to get the commission. But as I got into the material I wanted to broaden it and they let me transform it into a proper book.

Many people in finance and fintech don’t really know the history of their industry, so they will enjoy “Cowries to Crypto”. It’s especially useful for students or professionals new to the industry.

When I was at university I was too intimidated by finance to take the classes and then I ended up a finance reporter in New York. Totally out of my depth. History is a fun and easy way to learn about why the world is the way it is, and I’d like to send the book back via the TARDIS express to my young self”.

Jame shared his opinion on the potential for companies to move towards digital-based systems.

“China is piloting this now and I expect the world will really find out about it at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Central banks around the world are researching this furiously”.

We went through what Jame considers to be the main barriers to innovation such as this being made.

“China’s big internet companies like Alibaba are super advanced when it comes to electronic payments and fintech. But a central-bank issued digital currency, programmable money, is a whole other level. There are real questions about adoption. The outcome will depend on how central banks design their currencies. It won’t be one size fits all”.

To learn more about James work visit www.digfingroup.com, which is aimed at industry professionals.

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