Kavanagh, DonnchaDonnchaKavanaghMiscione, GianlucaGianlucaMiscione2019-10-012019-10-012019 the A2019-08-12The Information Society: An International Society0197-2243http://hdl.handle.net/10197/11095Infrastructures are typically seen as boring and serious, and are routinely depicted using metaphors from transportation. We argue that the carnival is a fruitful metaphor for understanding emerging information infrastructures, as the information age is also the age of the carnival. We distinguish between the ubiquitous or distal carnival and its particular manifestations – the proximate carnival – both of which are characterized by play, anarchy, dissimulation, vulgar language, and excessive consumption. The article focuses on Bitcoin, which we see as a nascent information infrastructure and an exemplary instance of a proximate carnival. It also considers how the carnival metaphor might help us reimagine our study of the information age.enThis is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in The Information Society on 12 August 2019, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/01972243.2019.1647321Information infrastructureBitcoinCryptocurrenciesCarnivalBakhtinGamesCarnivalesqueJournal Article35529931310.1080/01972243.2019.16473212019-09-03https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ie/