Empowering Human Rights Through Cryptocurrency

This chapter explores the mission of the Human Rights Foundation and the challenges faced by individuals in oppressive regimes lacking basic freedoms. It highlights the interconnectedness of human rights, democracy, and global issues while discussing how Bitcoin can empower activists by facilitating secure funding in authoritarian environments. The conversation also examines the use of financial systems as a means of control and how cryptocurrencies can offer a counterbalance to oppressive economic measures.

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Episode notes

In recent years, the Human Rights Foundation and Alex Gladstein, its chief strategy officer, have become forces in the Bitcoin and cryptocurrency community. In this episode, he discusses why Bitcoin is important for human rights, its three most important characteristics, and why Facebook's Libra project should be helpful to the adoption of the technology, at least in the short-term. He also describes how Bitcoin is just part of other movements that have become more open, such as governments shifting toward democracies and information becoming freer via the internet. He talks about how he thinks the technology can get wider adoption, why HRF supports the Open Money Initiative, and whether or not Bitcoin can help the North Korean people, rather than enriching its government, which has been the case so far.

Read the full show notes on Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2019/06/25/how-bitcoin-can-help-in-the-fight-for-human-rights/

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Episode links:

The Human Rights Foundation: https://hrf.org/

Alex Gladstein: https://twitter.com/gladstein

Last year's Unconfirmed episode with Alex: https://unchainedpodcast.com/alex-gladstein-of-the-human-rights-foundation-on-the-first-crypto-war-ep-021/

This year's panel discussion on finances and freedom from the Oslo Freedom Forum: https://unchainedpodcast.com/oslo-freedom-forum-2019-protecting-financial-freedoms-in-the-digital-age/

Alex's essay for Time on why Bitcoin matters for freedom: https://time.com/5486673/bitcoin-venezuela-authoritarian/

Alex's response to Bitcoin critics: https://medium.com/@alexgladstein/a-human-rights-activists-response-to-bitcoin-critics-d50e6760ee80

The Open Money Initiative: https://www.openmoneyinitiative.org/

https://www.coindesk.com/whats-holding-back-bitcoin-in-venezuela-this-group-is-investigating