Digital Currency Initiative

Our mission: Create a future in which moving value across the Internet is as intuitive and efficient as moving information, @ MIT Media Lab

[Digital Currency Initiative @mitDCI]

Join the first DCI Global Community Call on May 27!

Learn about DCI Global’s mission, meet the planning committee, hear updates on core projects, & discover ways to get involved through research, education, & community around Bitcoin & digital currencies.
https://t.co/DBcQKpPGOs

[Marieke @mariekeflament]

New podcast on @CurrenPower: we sat down with @neha for an in-depth conversation on CBDCs, Stablecoins, Privacy, Quantum and Geopolitics outlook.

Neha has a unique ability to explain very clearly complex concepts - a must listen!

https://t.co/g8T3ATwJZZ

[Isabel Foxen Duke⚡️ @isabelfoxenduke]

BITCOIN RAILS #62: BITCOIN'S 3 BIGGEST CHALLENGES | with @neha Director of Digital Currency Initiative (DCI) @MIT

🔗 YOUTUBE: https://t.co/nswGm6QUQc
🌱 SPOTIFY: https://t.co/sVca75jLgt

Neha Narula is the Director of the MIT Digital Currency Initiative, where she focuses on Bitcoin research and the broader design tradeoffs of decentralized money systems.

Her work often centers on what Bitcoin gets right—and where it runs into hard limits—especially around scaling, decentralization, and how systems behave as global demand increases.

In this interview, Neha and I explore longer-term risks to Bitcoin—including advancements in quantum computing and the implications of a diminishing block subsidy—as well as the ongoing challenge of scaling Bitcoin without losing access to self-custody.

A thoughtful conversation on how Bitcoin may change in the coming years, we also explore its social and governance dynamics—including tensions within the development community over protocol changes, scaling philosophies, and the future direction of the system.

This episode of Bitcoin Rails is brought to you by:

LayerTwo Labs @LayerTwoLabs — developing research, software, and technologies for scaling Bitcoin via the integration of Drivechains (BIP 300/301)

Hashi on @SuiNetwork — a primitive for executing Bitcoin Defi transactions, without having to trust a federated bridge or other centralized entity

BitBox @BitBoxSwiss— an open-source Bitcoin-only hardware wallet, with smooth UX and no compromises on security. Check out Bitbox [dot] swiss and use code BITCOINRAILS to get a discount

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Intro
00:17 Neha’s Origins
02:26 Bitcoin to MIT
04:40 Media Lab Culture and Mission
11:34 CBDCs as Digital Cash Debate
24:42 Funding Model and Bitcoin Security Budget
29:55 Reorg Risk and Quantum Computing
32:14 Bitcoin Dev Funding Map
42:49 Governance and Corporate Stakes
50:23 Quantum Tradeoffs Framework
56:02 Post Quantum Proposals
58:59 Prioritize PQ Transactions
01:00:54 Satoshi Coins Debate
01:02:12 Mining Incentives And Price
01:08:08 Corporate Funding And Governance
01:10:54 Scaling Self Custody And L2s
01:20:30 Bitcoin Kernel And Wrap Up

[Isabel Foxen Duke⚡️ @isabelfoxenduke]

"I don't believe everyone in the world will self-custody... but I think it's super important that everyone who wants to self-custody should be able to—and that is a very different thing," says Director of @mitDCI @neha

[Digital Currency Initiative @mitDCI]

There’s still time to register for tomorrow’s first DCI Global Community Call

Join us for updates & discussions on DCI Global, plus explore ways to get involved through research, education, & community building around Bitcoin & digital currencies.
https://t.co/DBcQKpPGOs

[Digital Currency Initiative @mitDCI]

We are pleased to announce a joint publication with @AIRinnovate, @CGAP, & @GlobalDigitalFi. Stablecoins are already active across African markets. This paper explores how global regulatory principles can translate into local practice.

Learn more: https://t.co/kkfz3YX83d

[Alliance for Innovative Regulation (AIR) @AIRinnovate]

How are regulators approaching stablecoins across African markets?

Hear from leaders at @AIRinnovate, @GlobalDigitalFi, @mitDCI, @CGAP, @thebankofghana, @NIFCAfrica and more at this virtual event.

📅 April 28 • 14:00 BST | 9:00 AM ET (1hr)
🔗 Register: https://t.co/FZNGb3bl1s

[Digital Currency Initiative @mitDCI]

Join the DCI at the @MITBitcoinClub's 2026 Bitcoin Expo (April 11-12) for @neha's keynote, Cory Fields' Bitcoin Core panel, a DCI Global workshop, and @Arminsdev's Boston Bitdevs side event. Learn more and buy tickets at https://t.co/UTkMMbpTsO

[MIT Bitcoin Club @MITBitcoinClub]

One of the leading voices shaping the future of digital money!

@neha is joining #MITBitcoinExpo2026 #FreedomforAll
🔥🔥🔥

Director of @mitDCI at @medialab.
Board member at Block.
Advisor to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Get your tickets 🎟️ now! https://t.co/lJbEV11e5T

[Digital Currency Initiative @mitDCI]

📷 Watch here: https://t.co/1oebpVqsl4

At DCI, our research focuses on rigorous evaluation of digital currency infrastructure to inform sound policy and resilient systems — this conversation is part of that ongoing mission.

[Digital Currency Initiative @mitDCI]

Our Director @neha joined Bloomberg @crypto to discuss stablecoins and the risks they may face under stress from financial, technological, and regulatory angles. She highlights why not all blockchains are created equal and why stability at scale matters as stablecoins grow in use

[Digital Currency Initiative @mitDCI]

10/ Full paper from the MIT DCI below: looking forward to hearing feedback and thoughts from regulators, builders, and market practitioners
https://t.co/4cYHooQ4PT

[Digital Currency Initiative @mitDCI]

🧵1/ Even if stablecoins have 1:1 backing with high-quality, liquid assets, that doesn’t mean they are completely insulated from risk.

The latest paper from the MIT DCI shows other risks stablecoins may be exposed to

[Digital Currency Initiative @mitDCI]

9/ Stablecoins are dynamic systems that span markets, intermediaries and software

And as stablecoins scale across our financial system, these risks stop being nominal. The entirety of the stablecoin stack will need to be safeguarded