The Crypto Conversation What Bitcoin Did - How Peter McCormack turned his hobby into the world's biggest Bitcoin podcast
Peter McCormack is the host of the popular What Bitcoin Did podcast and the new Defiance podcast. After starting the podcast in late 2017, What Bitcoin Did has grown steadily and recently achieved an impressive 5 million downloads.
Why you should listen:Before the pandemic, Peter traveled regularly preferring to do his interviews in-person. With global travel now on hold, Peter is based out of his home in Bedford, UK. Peter says that he has used the time to focus on his craft and keep refining his content production. He has also given up booze and redone his garden.
Peter says the Libertarian argument against lockdowns is stronger now and as countries get hit by a second wave it will likely be more difficult to enforce new lockdowns without social unrest. Peter is impressed by the leadership of New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern.
Key takeaway:Peter started podcasting almost by accident after spending time at a retreat in Italy with podcaster Rich Roll. After telling Roll about his growing interest in Bitcoin, Roll encouraged McCormack to start a Bitcoin podcast. In the three years since McCormack has traveled to 30 countries and interviewed hundreds of people. The success of the podcast means McCormack now has the freedom to pursue topics that he is genuinely interested in.
What Bitcoin Did will continue to focus on the Bitcoin ecosystem. Peter says, "If you're into lots of different coins you get called a shitcoiner and if you're into Bitcoin only, you get called a maximalist. So at one point I took a step back and thought 'what is it I want to do?' I looked at my portfolio and I only hold Bitcoin. Why? Because I believe in it and because I understand it, and because I think it can be a useful tool for a lot of people. I'm also interested in the human rights angle, so if I focus on Bitcoin - it allows me to cover other topics such as Ross Ulbricht of Silk Road and Venezuela."
In some circumstances, Peter will cover other blockchains if it is of interest to bitcoiners. For example, his recent episodes on Ethereum were relevant because there are people who are wrapping Bitcoin on Ethereum so it's important for people to understand what Ethereum is. "Does that mean I'll cover Tron? No. Does it mean I'll cover Binance Chain? No. I will cover Ethereum because there is a significant amount of Bitcoin that is wrapped on it and people need to understand the risks."
Asked about his favorite piece of sci-fi, Peter picks Alien 3 directed by David Fincher.
Supporting links:If you enjoyed the show please subscribe to the Crypto Conversation and give us a 5-star rating and a positive review in whatever podcast app you are using.