Are 'Cryptokitties' the Next Bitcoin?

December 05, 2017

WRITER

One bitcoin now equals $11,245 in U.S. dollars. Will the cryptocurrency market continue to rise, or is it a bubble? Glenn and Stu debated this question on today’s show while talking about an adorable new trend in digital currency: collectible “CrypoKitties.”

Huh?

A CryptoKitty is a digital collectible that’s basically the online version of a valuable trading card. People are spending real money on these virtual kitties — $1.3 million has been transacted by the game so far.

How does it work?

Based on the Ethereum blockchain technology that fuels the world’s second largest digital currency, CryptoKitties works with the digital wallet MetaMask and accepts the digital payment ether. If you want more details, the website has a handy FAQ section.

Bitcoin Is a Gamble – but It’s Also Paving the Way for Future Currency

Will I lose my CryptoKitty when the game isn’t trendy anymore?

According to the creators, no. “Each cat is one-of-a-kind and 100% owned by you; it cannot be replicated, taken away, or destroyed,” the website says. Because the game is decentralized, CryptoKitties can live forever on the Ethereum blockchain, unlike other web games that are stored on a database and depend on the company continuing to host them.

This article provided courtesy of TheBlaze.

GLENN: Interesting weekend for bitcoin. It went from 12,000 to a low of 10,6. Do you know why?

This is actually something you should watch. Do you know why it had such a big blip? It lost 1,000 bucks, that fast. You know why?

STU: I don't know why, no.

GLENN: Telegraph reported, right about the time of the big drop, in the UK, that they are now -- the UK is going to launch a crackdown on the virtual currency bitcoin, amid growing concern it's being used to launder money and dodge tax.

So now you have England saying, we're going to look into this. We might start regulation. So it went down. Almost 2,000 points. And then by the end of the day, it had bounced back up. What is it at now?

STU: 11,300.

GLENN: 11,300.

STU: What a disappointment. From 800 in January.

GLENN: A lot of people say that bitcoin is in a bubble. And you could make the case. And a pretty strong case that it's in a bubble. One that I haven't really been willing to look at.

STU: This time it's different. It's never going to stop. It's always --

GLENN: Right. It's never different.

However, I think I have the evidence that makes me say, we are definitely in a bubble. Here it is: Launched just a few days ago, crypto kitties -- crypto kitties, essentially like a digital version of Pokémon cards, but based on the Ethereum block chain, is becoming one of the biggest viral sensations to catch on in the tech world.

Design studio. People are spending a crazy amount of really money on the game. So far, about $1.3 million has been transacted with multiple kittens, selling for 50 Ethereum coins. And the genius kitten being sold for a record of 246. That's $113,000.

So here's what it is: I think -- I think there are only a certain number of virtual kitties that are born.

STU: And when you say -- you mean like cats. Little cats? Digital cats?

GLENN: Little digital cat. Okay? Just a digital cat. And they're born through the block chain.

STU: So stupid.

GLENN: So you buy a cat that is a digital block chain cat.

STU: Uh-huh.

GLENN: And then you can interact with the digital cat. Let's see what it says that you do, I know the idea is to trade. It's like Beanie Babies. To trade and to buy a better cat, that doesn't exist.

STU: Okay. So it's a bubble. We can now clarify.

GLENN: Yeah, it's definitely a bubble. What you do is you collect cats. Here are the cats right here. How to play. There are are the cats.

STU: They all look pretty much the same.

GLENN: They're very different.

STU: They're very different?

GLENN: No, they're very different. Game was ceded with 100 founder kitties. This -- there's also a new gen HEP zero cat, released every 15 minutes, which are listed for the average price of the last five sold, plus 50 percent. But the sale price declines over 24 hours, until somebody actually buys the cat. Anyone can sell their kittens via an auction, where they pick a starting price and an ending price. And the price declines over time, until someone buys the cat.

So, for example, I could put a kitten up for sale for a one-day auction at one Ethereum coin.

STU: Ether or Ethereum.

GLENN: Yeah, Ethereum coin. Starting at one and an ending price of zero.

And if somebody buys it 12 hours after the auction starts, they pay me .5 Ethereum points.

STU: Which is like a couple hundred bucks.

GLENN: You can also create new kittens by breeding them.

STU: Okay. So block chain sex is basically what's happening?

GLENN: No. Block chain cartoon kitty sex.

STU: That's much more --

GLENN: So you are taking money that has no real value, because it doesn't actually exist. You're buying that bogus money, and you're trading that bogus money for a bogus cat.

(chuckling)

GLENN: That doesn't exist. And your hope is that you're going to sell that fake cat. Or breed a better fake cat. And sell it for more of the fake coins than anybody else.

STU: Obviously -- did you feel the need to explain that to the audience?

GLENN: No, I was just talked down to a couple of the slow people that don't really understand that, yes, indeed, perhaps this is a bubble.

(music)

STU: It's funny. You brought up Beanie Babies. People talk about in this bubble way. That's such a fascinating story. I did an interview with a guy who wrote a book about it. And I think it's called the great Beanie Baby bubble.

And you think, it's kind of a silly topic. It's a fascinating story, though. This guy was going around trying -- he was a real big entrepreneur. And decided to try to do this -- create these little animals that he would sell and make money off of.

And really, the big -- the reason why the Beanie Baby thing was so big for that time, was that he decided to call these things -- instead of just discontinuing them, he started calling them retired.

GLENN: Ah.

STU: And when he said retired, as soon as he said, we're going to retire this stupid Beanie Baby, people would rush to stores and bid the price high.

So the whole time, the entire process was people trying to figure out who would next be retired. Because as soon as they got retired, the price would go up. And the people buying the new ones were basically on the idea that eventually there would be a retirement and they would be able to cash in.

And what -- the guy who wound up doing it, was obsessed with these things. Meticulous, to the point of he would spend hours looking over samples of the eyes. Took it super seriously. And designed like every one of these things. And he wound up making like $2 billion off of this.

It's -- kind of came and went.

GLENN: So how many people have parents who collected the Beanie Babies?

STU: Oh, yeah.

GLENN: And they have a closet full of the Beanie Babies. And you know at the time, Beanie Babies, it's not going to work. You're not going to retire on the Beanie Baby money. And they saved them. And they have them. Now is the time where you -- where you -- where the -- where boys are boys and men arrive. The men say, the hell my Beanie Baby collection isn't going to be worth something. I'm keeping it.

(chuckling)

Because everybody is looking at their Beanie Baby collection now going, this is so stupid. Get rid of it. Once everybody gets rid of it, those who save those Beanie Babies.

STU: And you carry that dream to your grave, don't you?

GLENN: Yeah, I'm going to lock them all in my coffin with me.

STU: It's funny. Who knows there's more technology involved in it than Beanie Babies. So you think it may have a little bit more --

GLENN: The kitties?

STU: Yeah, well...

GLENN: No. Dear God -- Stu, don't try to talk yourself into the kitties have value.

STU: I'm talking this technology.

GLENN: Oh, the block chain. The block chain has -- yeah, the block chain kitties don't have any value. But block chain.

STU: Well, everything has what the market assigns to it, right?

GLENN: That is crazy.

STU: You just got to wait for the right buyer. And it's usually a moron.

GLENN: So I you think. For instance, tell me the tulip story, that you know.

STU: The tulip story is there became this sort irrational exuberance, is the phrase they often use in these terms.

GLENN: Yeah, yeah.

STU: And they started trading them as currency.

GLENN: So why did it -- what was the spark for it? What happened? How is that possible?

STU: It's been a while. I don't remember. Right?

GLENN: Okay. So I never heard it -- here's the thing: This was at the time when people were just starting to keep gardens and starting to have lawns and everything else. And the really, really, really rich people were starting to do that. The bulb, I don't know where the tulip bulb came from. I'm not deep in the book. I'm kind of scanning it.

But the -- the idea that all of a sudden a thing of beauty, it's looked at as art, this one bulb, is -- is art. Okay? So you could put this in your house. Or you could put this in front of your house or whatever, and it's a thing of beauty and a thing of art. So it's like the art craze, it doesn't even look like anything. That's just a blue canvas. No, it's worth $121 million. Okay. Good for you.

Same thing. They thought this was a thing of beauty and a thing of art. And they thought there was only one of them. And so they thought, this is going to catch on. Because all the rich people are going to want them all in their gardens, all over the world. Which they did. It just didn't work out as well as they thought because you can make more of them.

STU: You can make more tulips?

GLENN: Yes, you can. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

STU: There's inflation in the tulip market?

GLENN: Yeah.

STU: It does seem that way.

GLENN: But you can see -- you can see how people like bitcoin wait a minute. Hang on. There weren't a lot of tulips. We think now, tulips, they're everywhere. Not a lot of tulips. And they're making new tulips. I don't know how you breed tulips. But they're making new ones. People are going to have these things called lawns. And they're going to want a flower box. It was at the beginning of flower boxes and bringing flowers in.

STU: Right.

GLENN: You don't really even think of it like that, you know.

STU: It's a bit of a stretch.

GLENN: It's why it was a bubble in disaster.

STU: Okay. Okay.

GLENN: But, again, you can kind of -- like, I can't make a case for the kitty cats. Can't. No. Can't.

STU: This is a pet rock, right?

GLENN: No. No. The pet rock cost, what? Two dollars? People are spending $150 on --

STU: The same thing with Beanie Babies. Every one of these trends, you can always say, a Cabbage Patch what level of entertainment, enjoyment, it gives the individual. That's why things happen on the market. There's a lot of stuff that -- I see purses that my wife buys, and I think that looks like it's worth $12. And it's not.

GLENN: Again, not at all.

STU: No.

GLENN: And, again, that is a thing that is tangible.

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: That is a thing that goes with style.

STU: But that is something -- that's a weird. That's an old timey observation. Right? We used to say the same thing. That company, they don't even produce anything. That's what we used to say when the, quote, unquote, internet bubble happened. And now I'm pretty sure that one wound up being big. That internet thing.

GLENN: All right.

STU: I already have 12. They're on sale.

GLENN: Yes, but I have the genius kitty.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is Gen Z’s anger over housing driving them toward socialism?

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A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

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