The Tech Download

CNBC

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CNBC’s “The Tech Download,” hosted by Senior Technology Correspondent Arjun Kharpal, cuts through the noise to unpack the technology stories that matter most, exploring what they mean for your portfolio, your business and the global economy. With access to industry leaders and years of experience covering technology around the world, the series delivers sharp analysis and compelling narratives on the trends, risks and innovations shaping the future of tech.

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120 episodes
Updated Tuesday

Episodes120

Newest first

Jan 25, 2023 · 23 min
Bitcoin at $10,000 or $250,000? Investors are sharply divided on 2023
2022 was a rollercoaster year for cryptocurrency, with nearly $1.4 trillion wiped off the market. We look back at crypto’s wild ride and what might be to come in 2023. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Oct 28, 2022 · 20 min
Telcos and Big Tech clash over who should pay for the internet
European telecommunications companies want tech giants, mainly American, to pay for the mobile network infrastructure that they use. But Big Tech is hitting back. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sep 20, 2022 · 31 min
Chip-making countries team up vs. China
Semiconductors are one of the most critical technologies of our time and a matter of national security. The U.S. along with South Korea, Japan and others have looked to form alliances around chips, in part to fend off a threat from the technological rise of China. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Aug 5, 2022 · 23 min
Behind the nearly $2 trillion crypto wipeout
A collapsed stablecoin, risky bets and bankruptcies. We get inside the series of events that sent shockwaves through the cryptocurrency industry and led to the “crypto winter” of 2022. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jul 8, 2022 · 20 min
How stablecoins became the backbone of crypto
Stablecoins have become the backbone of the cryptocurrency industry. But not all stablecoins are created equal: The failure of a high-profile digital coin has sent shockwaves through the industry. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
May 30, 2022 · 33 min
What's next for the 'Metaverse'?
In the future, we could be spending more time in virtual worlds. That’s what the world's tech giants are betting on anyway, as they push forward the Metaverse. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Apr 25, 2022 · 50 min
What is Web3? We ask the man who invented the word
Gavin Wood coined the term Web3 in 2014 to describe the future of the internet. If it becomes a reality, Web3 could change the internet as we know it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Nov 12, 2021 · 35 min
How ethereum is different from bitcoin
Once upon a time, when bitcoin went up, ethereum went up. When bitcoin went down, ethereum went down. That has changed, for good reason. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Oct 8, 2021 · 22 min
The global chip shortage will hit your everyday life
There are semiconductors in everything from washing machines to cars to smartphones. There's also not nearly enough of them. CNBC explores how the global chip shortage started, and what it will take to end it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Aug 30, 2021 · 34 min
Why China's cracking down on tech—and what's next
Beijing's regulatory blitz has shocked outsiders and befuddled investors. Here's why it's happening, and what it could mean for China and beyond. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jul 26, 2021 · 18 min
El Salvador made bitcoin a legal currency. Now what?
El Salvador is the first country to declare bitcoin legal tender. But the experiment raises big questions about what will happen next — for bitcoin and the country itself. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jun 2, 2021 · 31 min
The EV boom is real — but the road won’t be easy
Electric car sales may start spiking in 2024 as more models compete with the likes of Tesla. But big challenges — from tech to infrastructure — remain. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Feb 17, 2021 · 30 min
Why bitcoin is back, and what its future holds
After a record high in 2017 and subsequent crash, bitcoin has seen a resurgence. Bigger investors have helped drive the price higher with comparisons being made between bitcoin and gold. But what lies ahead for the cryptocurrency? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jan 11, 2021 · 27 min
Big Tech gets smacked by big governments
China, the United States and the European Union all want to rein in Big Tech to one degree or another, each for its own reasons. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Nov 20, 2020 · 27 min
What's next for the $45 billion games console industry
Nearly 50 years after the debut of the first games console, the industry has changed dramatically. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are battling it out for supremacy, with all 3 making forays into subscription models and cloud gaming. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Oct 20, 2020 · 30 min
The 'splinternet': Is the internet fracturing?
Beijing has blocked a lot of foreign content within Chinese cyberspace for years. But tensions between the U.S. and China now threaten to split the internet into separate technological systems — one Chinese, and one Western. The ramifications could shape the future of politics around the world. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sep 14, 2020 · 18 min
China wants to rival the US in semiconductors
The U.S.-China tech war has made Beijing realize it needs a strong chip industry. But catching the United States will be a stiff challenge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Aug 20, 2020 · 31 min
Central bank cryptocurrencies may remake money
Raghuram Rajan, former India central banker and ex-IMF chief economist, explains to "Beyond the Valley" what central bank digital currencies could look like — and what they would mean for commerce. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jul 17, 2020 · 24 min
Sorry, China and America — Europe wants to take back its data
Caught between the tech giants of the United States and China, an initiative from Germany and France hopes to keep European data under European control. Enter Gaia X. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jun 22, 2020 · 24 min
China’s 15-year plan to shape the future of tech
Beijing is gearing up to launch an ambitious 15-year blueprint called "China Standards 2035." Its aim: to influence global standards which underpin many key technologies. But is it all just hype? Or can they achieve their goal? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Tech Download

Bitcoin at $10,000 or $250,000? Investors are sharply divided on 2023

Telcos and Big Tech clash over who should pay for the internet

Chip-making countries team up vs. China

Behind the nearly $2 trillion crypto wipeout

How stablecoins became the backbone of crypto

What's next for the 'Metaverse'?

What is Web3? We ask the man who invented the word

How ethereum is different from bitcoin

The global chip shortage will hit your everyday life

Why China's cracking down on tech—and what's next

El Salvador made bitcoin a legal currency. Now what?

The EV boom is real — but the road won’t be easy

Why bitcoin is back, and what its future holds

Big Tech gets smacked by big governments

What's next for the $45 billion games console industry

The 'splinternet': Is the internet fracturing?

China wants to rival the US in semiconductors

Central bank cryptocurrencies may remake money

Sorry, China and America — Europe wants to take back its data

China’s 15-year plan to shape the future of tech