Rachel O'Dwyer

Rachel O'Dwyer is a theorist of digital money and platforms whose work examines the infrastructure and ideology shaping contemporary finance. As a Lecturer in Digital Cultures at NCAD Dublin, she brings critical analysis to the systems that increasingly mediate our economic lives.

O'Dwyer's research and writing demonstrate a rigorous engagement with how digital technologies transform money itself. Her book Tokens: The Future of Money in the Age of the Platform (Verso, 2023) was longlisted for the Financial Times Book of the Year, establishing her as a significant voice in debates around cryptocurrency, blockchain, and platform economics. The work moves beyond hype to examine what tokens reveal about power, value, and control in digital systems. Her forthcoming book Ether (Verso) continues this critical investigation into the material and conceptual dimensions of digital finance.

O'Dwyer speaks to audiences seeking to understand digital money and platforms beyond promotional narratives. Her work is grounded in theory and concrete analysis of how these technologies function economically and socially. Whether exploring the mechanics of tokens, the role of platforms in financial systems, or the cultural assumptions embedded in digital money, she offers frameworks for thinking critically about the infrastructure we increasingly depend on.