TRM Talks: Ancient Coins to a $3.6 Billion Laptop: The Evolution of Money with the Smithsonian’s Dr. Ellen Feingold and former IRS-CI Special Agent Chris Janczewski

Dr. Ellen Feingold curates the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History — over 1,000,000 pieces of financial history going back 4000 years. This month she adds the laptop that former IRS-CI Agent Chris Janczewski used to investigate the Bitfinex Hack which led to the largest monetary seizure in US history. In this TRM Talks, Ari sits down with Dr. Feingold and Mr. Janczewski, now TRM’s Head of Global Investigations, to discuss the history of money and why a 2019 MacBook Pro belongs in the Smithsonian.

Click here to listen to the entire TRM Talks: Ancient Coins to a $3.6 Billion Laptop: The Evolution of Money. Follow TRM Talks on Spotify to be the first to know about new episodes.

About Ellen Feingold

Ellen Feingold is the curator of the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. She received her DPhil in History from the University of Oxford and began her career as a Project Curator in the British Museum’s Money and Medals Department. Her research interests include the history of money and monetary objects, counterfeiting and forgery, and legal institutions and the administration of justice. Her recent exhibitions include The Value of Money, Really BIG Money, Women on Money, and Ukraine's Distinct History. Feingold is passionate about making the history of money relevant and accessible to everyone. You can find her recent work featured in Smithsonian Magazine, Politico, PBS’s NOVA, Sidedoor, and NPR's Marketplace. Listen to Bitcoin Bank Heist on the the Smithsonian's Sidedoor podcast here.