Understanding the cryptocurrency crash - podcast

This year has been a disaster for many investors in cryptocurrencies. Alex Hern, Guardian UK technology editor, draws the parallels of the spreading panic in the new digital economy with the 2008 financial crisis

This episode was originally published on the Guardian's global news podcast, Today in Focus.

When the global financial system went into meltdown in 2008, banks collapsed and governments around the world were forced to step in to protect the financial system. It cost billions of dollars and also proved a pivotal moment: it profoundly shook the confidence that many had in their governments.