In 2019 Ethan Lou, a young Canadian journalist and cryptocurrency investor, found himself on a Thai island, lounging beside a pool that he had just realized was shaped like a penis. Thanks to the cocktail of party drugs he had ingested, it had taken him several days to do this. Such touches are typical at cryptocurrency incubators, days-long conference-cum-parties where coding wizards with start-up ideas try to charm big bucks out of investors while imbibing psychedelics and bobbing about on ironic inflatables.
Alas for Lou, this particular event’s headiest days were already behind it — another attendee said that, in previous years, that pool had hosted orgies while those who were not joining in talked shop on the sun loungers. Still, several days in, Lou realized that he could not think of a single business-related reason to be there and instead committed himself to enjoying the sunrises and marveling at his good fortune.
