What Really Happened to The Argentine Peso | The Defiant's Camila Russo

What happens when the country that taught the world inflation becomes the testing ground for the future of money?In this episode of Endgame, Amanda sits down with Camila Russo, author of The Infinite Machine and founder of The Defiant, to trace how growing up in Latin America shaped her understanding of money, power, and why crypto matters long before the West noticed. Before becoming one of crypto’s most influential journalists, Camila was a Bloomberg reporter living in Buenos Aires during the peso’s collapse, covering Argentina’s economy as her own salary evaporated under currency controls.Camila explains how living through Argentina’s currency controls made Bitcoin feel inevitable, why DeFi was the first time crypto felt real, and why stablecoins have become the economic backbone of everyday life across the region. She breaks down why LATAM became a proving ground for UX-driven financial apps, how its developers are quietly building one of crypto’s most important talent hubs, and why countries like Argentina and Brazil may define the next phase of mainstream adoption.This is a look at crypto through the eyes of someone who’s lived the problem before meeting the technology.Timestamps0:00 – How We Met & Crypto Beginnings1:37 – Working in Argentina & Bloomberg5:07 – Living Through Hyperinflation6:07 – Discovering Bitcoin11:43 – Crypto in Argentina vs US12:25 – Back to New York & Crypto Coverage14:41 – Choosing Ethereum for a Book16:37 – Early DeFi & Starting The Defiant21:19 – Crypto Media Landscape23:15 – Conflicts of Interest in Crypto Media26:53 – Global Media Insights31:54 – Broken Media Business Model36:36 – Incentivizing Investigative Journalism38:16 – Argentina Today & Crypto Use Case44:48 – Innovation in LatAm CryptoRESOURCES:Follow Cami: https://x.com/CamiRussoFollow The Defiant: https://x.com/DefiantNewsCheck out The Defiant: https://thedefiant.io/Subscribe to Endgame: https://www.youtube.com/@endgamepodcast  Amanda on X:  https://x.com/amandacassatt  Serotonin on X: https://x.com/serotonin  Endgame on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6iSvbKOJWoEPiAoGmiulkd   Endgame on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/endgame-with-amanda-cassatt/id1801809440  Substack: https://substack.com/@UCInZsV3L1nDGoFjxoNUnPQQ

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