Paper Short Abstract:

This paper is a speculative exploration through revisiting ethnographic material from interviews with cryptocurrency traders in Turkey, juxtaposing the participants’ and the ethnographer’s divergent visions of the future.

Paper Abstract:

This paper offers a speculative exploration through revisiting ethnographic material from interviews with cryptocurrency traders in Turkey that explored engaging with the future through questions of “what if?!”. It juxtaposes the participants’ and the ethnographer’s divergent visions of the future, shaped by the instability of the Turkish economy and the volatility of cryptocurrency markets. In passionate discussions predicting the future of the state, the economic crisis, and the evolution of money, the participants in this paper reveal how speculation, gambling, and financial foresight intertwine with their socio-economic realities. As the ethnographer, I also forecast, envisioning futures shaped by the participants’ lived experiences. The participants’ speculative trajectories point to a dual outcome: one of empowerment through financial gains in cryptocurrency markets, creating a class of decentralized entrepreneurs, and another of disillusionment, where the state’s regulatory measures and market volatility erode trust in both the state and decentralized systems. Similarly, I foresee that their collective practices might catalyze broader societal shifts, redefining wealth and economic security within Turkey’s uncertain economic landscape. By reflecting on these speculative dialogues, this paper questions how prediction, both method and subject, can reshape anthropological inquiry and knowledge production.