DIGITAL MAGAZINE

July 2022

DIGITAL MAGAZINE

July 2022

Cover by Thomas Gaulkin

bitcoin surrounded by static on blue background

Introduction: The unintended—and undermanaged—consequences of blockchain and cryptocurrency

With the crash of cryptocurrencies, it may be that policy makers and the public are getting a much-needed opportunity to catch their breath, re-think, re-tool, and re-make the playing field.
bitcoin surrounded by static on blue background

Introduction: The unintended—and undermanaged—consequences of blockchain and cryptocurrency

With the crash of cryptocurrencies, it may be that policy makers and the public are getting a much-needed opportunity to catch their breath, re-think, re-tool, and re-make the playing field.
abstract image of blockchain tech

After the fall: Bitcoin’s true legacy may be Blockchain technology

Bitcoin's value dropped in half in six months. But the underlying technology—the blockchain—that enabled such "cryptocurrency" may prove to be a more enduring legacy.
bitcoin crash on screen of cryptocurrency exchange

Stolen billions from errant mouse clicks: Crypto requires new approaches to attack money-laundering

To stay ahead of the threat posed by virtual currencies, authorities will need to adapt existing rules and regulations about money-laundering, sanctions, and sending funds to rogue states.
Nuclear cooling tower reflection

Blockchain beyond cryptocurrency: A revolution in information management and international security

Public attention on blockchain is currently centered on the erratic fluctuation of cryptocurrency, overshadowing other potential use-cases that can have significant impact on global security, including the tracking, accounting, and securing of sensitive assets such as nuclear material and facilities.

How bitcoin makes burning fossil fuels more profitable than ever

As long as burning fossil fuels to mine bitcoin is economical, people and companies will continue to do it. And as long as mining bitcoin remains profitable, fossil fuel companies will increasingly try to use it to prop up their dying industry. The fossil-fuel-to-bitcoin pipeline is getting shorter and shorter, and associated greenhouse gas emissions are climbing.

A US history of not conducting cyber attacks

On numerous occasions the US military considered conducting cyber attacks but refrained. These incidents reveal much about US strategic thinking, posturing, and assessments about the limits of cyberspace.
Zanskar River, in the Himalayas

Climate change and water scarcity will increase risk of nuclear catastrophe in South Asia

Nowhere is the relation between the climate crisis and the increased threat of nuclear war clearer than in South Asia, where approximately 700 million people in India, Pakistan, China, and Bangladesh depend on the shared waters of the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra river basins. These river systems, fed by Himalayan glaciers, are diminishing markedly due to climate change.
anti-war signs on Russian Embassy in London

Building a nuclear off-ramp following the war in Ukraine

In the aftermath of the war in Ukraine, European security architecture must be rebuilt. This requires improving political relations between Russia and an expanded NATO, establishing stable military-to-military relations at reduced force levels ,and reliably reducing the threat of nuclear war.
silhouettes of sailors waving at India plane fly-by

Nuclear Notebook: How many nuclear weapons does India have in 2022?

This Nuclear Notebooks examines the status of India’s nuclear arsenal, which includes approximately 160 warheads. India continues to modernize its nuclear arsenal, with at least four new weapons systems now under development to complement or replace existing nuclear-capable aircraft, land-based delivery systems, and sea-based systems. Several of these systems are nearing completion and will soon be combat-ready. India is estimated to have produced enough military plutonium for 140 to 210 nuclear warheads but has likely produced only 160. Nonetheless, additional plutonium will be required to produce warheads for missiles now under development, and India is reportedly building several new plutonium production facilities. India’s nuclear strategy, traditionally focused on Pakistan, now appears to place increased emphasis on China, and Beijing is now in range of Indian missiles.
abstract image of blockchain tech

After the fall: Bitcoin’s true legacy may be Blockchain technology

Bitcoin's value dropped in half in six months. But the underlying technology—the blockchain—that enabled such "cryptocurrency" may prove to be a more enduring legacy.
bitcoin crash on screen of cryptocurrency exchange

Stolen billions from errant mouse clicks: Crypto requires new approaches to attack money-laundering

To stay ahead of the threat posed by virtual currencies, authorities will need to adapt existing rules and regulations about money-laundering, sanctions, and sending funds to rogue states.
Nuclear cooling tower reflection

Blockchain beyond cryptocurrency: A revolution in information management and international security

Public attention on blockchain is currently centered on the erratic fluctuation of cryptocurrency, overshadowing other potential use-cases that can have significant impact on global security, including the tracking, accounting, and securing of sensitive assets such as nuclear material and facilities.

How bitcoin makes burning fossil fuels more profitable than ever

As long as burning fossil fuels to mine bitcoin is economical, people and companies will continue to do it. And as long as mining bitcoin remains profitable, fossil fuel companies will increasingly try to use it to prop up their dying industry. The fossil-fuel-to-bitcoin pipeline is getting shorter and shorter, and associated greenhouse gas emissions are climbing.

A US history of not conducting cyber attacks

On numerous occasions the US military considered conducting cyber attacks but refrained. These incidents reveal much about US strategic thinking, posturing, and assessments about the limits of cyberspace.
Zanskar River, in the Himalayas

Climate change and water scarcity will increase risk of nuclear catastrophe in South Asia

Nowhere is the relation between the climate crisis and the increased threat of nuclear war clearer than in South Asia, where approximately 700 million people in India, Pakistan, China, and Bangladesh depend on the shared waters of the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra river basins. These river systems, fed by Himalayan glaciers, are diminishing markedly due to climate change.
anti-war signs on Russian Embassy in London

Building a nuclear off-ramp following the war in Ukraine

In the aftermath of the war in Ukraine, European security architecture must be rebuilt. This requires improving political relations between Russia and an expanded NATO, establishing stable military-to-military relations at reduced force levels ,and reliably reducing the threat of nuclear war.
silhouettes of sailors waving at India plane fly-by

Nuclear Notebook: How many nuclear weapons does India have in 2022?

This Nuclear Notebooks examines the status of India’s nuclear arsenal, which includes approximately 160 warheads. India continues to modernize its nuclear arsenal, with at least four new weapons systems now under development to complement or replace existing nuclear-capable aircraft, land-based delivery systems, and sea-based systems. Several of these systems are nearing completion and will soon be combat-ready. India is estimated to have produced enough military plutonium for 140 to 210 nuclear warheads but has likely produced only 160. Nonetheless, additional plutonium will be required to produce warheads for missiles now under development, and India is reportedly building several new plutonium production facilities. India’s nuclear strategy, traditionally focused on Pakistan, now appears to place increased emphasis on China, and Beijing is now in range of Indian missiles.

Cover by Thomas Gaulkin

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cover image for July 2022 magazine issue on blockchain and cryptocurrency with image of giant bitcoin melting on to the planet Earth
Albert Einstein in Washington, D.C., between 1921 and 1923. Harris & Ewing, photographers. Courtesy of the Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2016885961/

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