After launching in 2014 and spending close to a decade coined by many as the go-to podcast about the internet, Gimlet’s popular show Reply All came to an abrupt end leaving listeners intrigued about what PJ Vogt, the co-host, would do next. 

Finally, the long-awaited return has arrived, with Vogt’s solo venture Crypto Island making waves in the podcasting scene. 

This podcast is ideal if you’re wanting to learn more about cryptocurrency. Pj Vogt’s tone is captivating throughout, and his years of co-hosting experience are on full display.

In this article, we’ll be taking a look at PJ Vogt, the Crypto Island podcast, and much more. So stay tuned to find out everything you need to know about this all-star show. 

Who is PJ Vogt?

Vogt shot to fame thanks to the much-beloved Reply All podcast, which he co-hosted alongside Alex Goldman, with who he’d also co-hosted a previous show called TLDR.

The Reply All podcast focused on topics such as technology and the internet, and since its launch in 2014 addressed discussions such as time-traveling, internet shaming, pop-up ads invention, and hitmen. No topic was ever off-limits. 

Vogt’s work has been featured in many outlets, such as NPR’s All Things Considered, and This American Life. 

The show that helped Vogt make a name for himself was originally produced by Gimlet Media, a podcasting network headquartered in New York that’s run by Alex Blumberg.

The podcast helped pave the way for new forms of storytelling in audio format. 

Nowadays, Vogt is focused on his solo ventures with the most recent being the Crypto Island podcast. 

Topics and Themes of the Podcast 

Now that we have a better idea of how Vogt’s podcasting career started it’s time to take a look at Crypto Island. 

After launching, the Crypto Island podcast received rave reviews, with listeners stating that it was unmistakably good and delivered Reply All vibes with an emphasis on the obscurities surrounding cryptocurrencies. 

The wave of mass adoption of cryptocurrencies over the last couple of years is captured perfectly in the show. The overarching confusion paired with curiosity that’s embedded in crypto, a phenomenon that most users experience at some point or another, is reflected seamlessly throughout the podcast.

The first episode is a perfect representation of just how chaotic the crypto scene is. The show kicks off by discussing an NFT scam where founders tried to sell plots of land on a real island to cryptocurrency influencers. 

Followed by a segment by ConstitutionDAO who recount their failed attempt to leverage web3 tools and blockchain technology to buy a digital copy of the U.S. Constitution. This story showcases the fine balance between the immature nature of the space and much-needed enthusiasm that can oftentimes lead to revolutionary advancements. 

In another episode, an interview takes place with an individual who’s come out the other side of the chaotic cryptocurrency world. The guest recounts his experience in the space and provides a healthy layer of skepticism.  

The podcast does a great job of highlighting the fact that behind each “project” or “experience” there are real humans that are oftentimes lost within the sea of internet personas. The distortion between online and real life seems to become blurred, which isn’t surprising considering most accounts are using random usernames paired with PFPs of their most recent NFT find. 

It makes perfect sense that Vogt would choose crypto as the focal point for his first solo-venture podcast. After all, crypto is still considered underground by many, and it continues to be obscure, confusing, and messy – with the whole space seemingly still trying to find its feet. 

During the pandemic, crypto culture popularized meme stocks, non-fungible tokens, and decentralized organizations, opening the space up to a wave of new users who learned through their own experience the meaning of DYOR.  

The fine line between evolutionary ideas and outright scams is what makes the crypto space so appealing, and Vogt does a wonderful job of pointing this out. 

Vogt’s New Podcasting Ventures

Vogt made an announcement via his personal Twitter account in January 2023 about the launch of a new podcast – Weekly. 

Weekly will be a show focused on answering questions about everything. And according to the trailer, will consist of Vogt finding experts that will help answer his obscure curiosities and intrigues about the world. 

He’s reached out to his audience asking them to email him with any topics or questions they’d want covering or answered in this new show. 

You can find the trailer for Weekly here. 

Platforms for listening and reach

We we’re unable to establish the exact reach of Vogt’s Crypto Island podcast, but it’s probably safe to say that with a following of 128 thousand on Twitter alone, the audience is in the tens of thousands, if not more. 

Vogt also has over 9 thousand subscribers on Substack, with many fans who’ve followed his broadcasting career since his rise to fame in 2014. 

The Crypto Island podcast came to an end in December, after a total of 10 episodes. The series can only be found on Spotify.  

Conclusion

Even though the show has come to an abrupt end, it’s definitely worth checking out all of the episodes if you’re someone who’s intrigued by the crypto space and all it has to offer. 

Vogt’s storytelling is what makes this podcast so captivating. His ability to remain unbiased is also an added benefit to the show, as he enters each episode with skepticism and a lot of questions. 

If you find the obscurity of crypto enticing then Crypto Island is perfect for you. The series offers 10 episodes, each averaging approximately an hour – meaning that there’s a lot of content for you to recap and enjoy. 

You can check out the Crypto Island Podcast on the following platform:

• Spotify