

The Bitcoin Standard Podcast
Dr. Saifedean Ammous
Saifedean's The Bitcoin Standard Podcast is the place to discuss Bitcoin and economics from the Austrian school's perspective. Listen to the weekly saifedean.com discussion seminar, where a group of learners from all over the world discuss the website's online courses, as well as a wide variety of economic, political, and social issues, and occasionally host special guests for the discussion. The podcast also includes the most interesting interviews conducted with Saifedean on other shows.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 23, 2022 • 2h
100: Explaining Bitcoin with Parker Lewis
In this episode Saifedean talks to writer and head of business development at Unchained Capital Parker Lewis about his Gradually, Then Suddenly series. They start by discussing Parker’s career in traditional finance during the 2008 financial crisis, and how discovering Austrian economics and bitcoin helped him to truly understand the workings of global finance. They then talk about the arguments of some of Parker’s well-known articles on topics ranging from why bitcoin can’t be copied to why bitcoin isn’t too volatile to why bitcoin can’t be banned. In the Q&A Parker discusses rumours that he will run for mayor of Austin and whether hyperbitcoinization will lead to US dollar inflation.Resources· A full list of Parker’s articles on the Nakamoto Institute website.· Bitcoin can’t be copied· Bitcoin is Not Too Volatile· Bitcoin Cannot be Banned· Vijay Boyapati’s article The Bullish Case For Bitcoin for discussion of bitcoin’s volatility.· Saifedean’s first book, The Bitcoin Standard· Saifedean’s second book, The Fiat Standard· Parker on Twitter. Enjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s courses and read chapters of his forthcoming books by becoming a Saifedean.com member. Find out more here.

Jan 8, 2022 • 1h 13min
99. How Fiat Money Works with Preston Pysh
In this episode investor Preston Pysh and Saifedean do a deep dive in Saifedean’s new book The Fiat Standard. They discuss why analysing the fiat monetary system through the lens of bitcoin can help readers understand the advantages, and numerous disadvantages, of the fiat system. They talk about how fiat partially solved the age-old problem of gold’s lack of saleability across space, and how this eventually led to gold’s capture by governments and its ultimate demonetization. They explain how the fiat monetary system we live under today was created, and how it is controlled by the US and US-controlled institutions such as the IMF: to the detriment of the rest of the world. They talk through the disastrous consequences of the fiat system including its destruction of wealth through inflation, its disruption of economic calculation, the unprecedented power it has provided to governments, and its propensity to lead to conflict. They then move on to discuss the broader societal consequences on areas of life ranging from academia to medicine to diet. Finally, they discuss how a bitcoinized world, absent of inflation, would solve the problems fiat has created.

Dec 30, 2021 • 1h 44min
98. Sound economics in an age of hysteria with Tom Woods
In this episode Saifedean talks to author and Mises Institute fellow Tom Woods about the importance of sound economics in an age of Covid hysteria. They discuss their experiences studying at Columbia University, and the different paths they took to discovering Austrian Economics. They then move on to discussing how they became independent academics, operating outside of traditional institutions and how this gave them more of freedom of speech and allowed them to reach a larger audience. They also talk about Tom’s work promoting rational thinking on masks and coronavirus lockdowns, the influence of “fiat” academics like Dr Fauci, and the censorship Tom has had to overcome on popular social media platforms.

8 snips
Dec 16, 2021 • 3h 1min
97. Bitcoin Strategy with Michael Saylor
This seminar hosts Microstrategy CEO and bitcoin mega-bull Michael Saylor to discuss the correct strategies for buying, holding, and promoting bitcoin. Michael explains what he sees as increasing regulatory clarity around bitcoin and increasing risk around altcoins, which it is becoming clear are digital securities, while bitcoin is digital property. We discuss his views on the adoption of bitcoin as legal tender in El Salvador, and whether it presents bitcoin as more of a currency than a property, and what the global ramifications of this move are. Michael then explains the correct strategy and execution for acquiring bitcoin on debt without getting ruined; he also explains the correct bitcoin strategy for small businesses, and whether individual investors are better off buying bitcoin or mining it. Michael also discusses his views on whether we should think of bitcoin as digital property, digital gold, digital money, or digital energy. We also try to convince Michael to write a book with his ideas!Do not miss this fantastic, hugely informative, and wide-ranging discussion!

Dec 10, 2021 • 1h 35min
96. Sound Economics in a Confused World with Jeff Deist
In this episode Saifedean talks to Jeff Deist, president of the Mises Institute: the leading think tank dedicated to spreading the ideas of the Austrian School of Economics. They discuss the mission of the Mises Institute, its origins, and how its approach to economics differs from other think tanks such as the Cato Institute. They also talk about the problems of modern empirical economics and how most mainstream economists have failed to articulate the “unseen” costs of government interventions such as Covid lockdowns and climate change mitigation policies. Jeff also talks about some timeless books and essays that accurately explain economic phenomena, and makes the case that it is more important than ever to read the originals.

Dec 3, 2021 • 1h 54min
95. Q&A: is money debt? Can monopolists control bitcoin? How time preference fixes you
In this episode, Saifedean invites his newsletter subscribers to join a Q&A seminar normally only available to Saifedean.com members. He answers questions on whether money and debt are the same, whether bitcoin whales or “monopolists” will gain too much power on the free market, the impact of energy trends on bitcoin mining, and the risks of holding bitcoin on an exchange. Participants also share their personal stories about how reading The Bitcoin Standard changed their life by lowering their time preference and allowing them to save for the future.ResourcesThe Myth of the Myth of Barter by George SelginHave Anthropologists Overturned Menger? By Bob MurphyThe Moral Case for Fossil Fuels by Alex Epstein for discussion of our inability to run society with unreliable energyThe Sovereign Individual by James Dale Davidson and William Rees-MoggMises Institute article about The Myth of Natural MonopolyAgainst Intellectual Property by Stephan KinsellaSaifedean’s first book, The Bitcoin StandardSaifedean’s second book, The Fiat StandardEnjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s courses and read chapters of his forthcoming books by becoming a Saifedean.com member. Find out more here.THE BITCOIN STANDARD TOOLKIT/SPONSORSNYDIG - https://nydig.comCyphersafe - https://cyphersafe.io/ OKCoin - https://okcoin.com/Nodl - https://www.nodl.it/Coldcard - https://coldcardwallet.com/CoinBits App - https://coinbitsapp.com/

Nov 25, 2021 • 1h 28min
94. Plan B Passports with Katie The Russian
In this episode, Saifedean talks to Katie The Russian (Katie Ananina) about Plan B passports and how to navigate a world of Covid hysteria. Saifedean and Katie talk about “Flag Theory” and how obtaining multiple passports and residences can help sovereign individuals respond to restrictive government policies. They also talk about the arguments laid out in the book The Sovereign Individual and whether the rise of the microprocessor has led to a strengthening or weakening of government power. In the Q&A, Katie answers questions about tax strategies, asylum seekers and obtaining residences for dependents. ResourcesKatie on TwitterKatie on YouTubeKatie’s Website: www.PlanBpassport.comThe Sovereign Individual by James Dale Davidson and William Rees-MoggSaifedean’s tweet on Bill Gates Oreo cake clip.Saifedean’s Twitter thread on Coronavirus policies in Belarus.Saifedean’s first book, The Bitcoin StandardSaifedean’s second book, The Fiat StandardEnjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s courses and read chapters of his forthcoming books by becoming a Saifedean.com member. Find out more here.THE BITCOIN STANDARD TOOLKIT/SPONSORSNYDIG - https://nydig.comCyphersafe - https://cyphersafe.io/ OKCoin - https://okcoin.com/Nodl - https://www.nodl.it/Coldcard - https://coldcardwallet.com/CoinBits App - https://coinbitsapp.com/

Nov 20, 2021 • 2h
93. The resilience of stock-to-flow with PlanB
In this episode, Saifedean invites back PlanB to back discuss the resilience of his stock-to-flow bitcoin pricing model in the face of global economic changes. They talk about the range of events that have impacted the bitcoin price since the model’s inception – Covid lockdowns, MicroStrategy, Elon Musk, China mining ban, El Salvador – and why the price has largely stayed within one standard deviation of the model’s baseline throughout. They also discuss institutional interest in bitcoin, which countries might follow El Salvador in adopting bitcoin as legal tender, and how QE and lockdown-created supply chain issues are causing global price inflation. In the Q&A, PlanB answers questions about money printing, whether S2F should be used to trade, and bitcoin’s short-term price outlook.ResourcesPlanB on Twitter.Bitstein’s S2F multiple account on Twitter.March 2019 Medium post marking launch of the S2F model.April 2020 Medium post marking launch of the S2Fx model.PlanB’s article Efficient Market Hypothesis and Bitcoin Stock-to-Flow Model.Saifedean’s first book, The Bitcoin StandardSaifedean’s second book, The Fiat StandardEnjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s courses and read chapters of his forthcoming books by becoming a Saifedean.com member. Find out more here.THE BITCOIN STANDARD TOOLKIT/SPONSORSNYDIG - https://nydig.comCyphersafe - https://cyphersafe.io/ OKCoin - https://okcoin.com/Nodl - https://www.nodl.it/Coldcard - https://coldcardwallet.com/CoinBits App - https://coinbitsapp.com/

Nov 18, 2021 • 2h 13min
92. The Fiat Standard book launch
In this Twitter Spaces discussion, Saifedean introduces his new book The Fiat Standard. Working through the chapters of the book, he discusses how the fiat monetary system works, why the Federal Reserve constitutes its “single node”, and how fiat is “mined” into existence through bank lending. He also talks about how the fiat monetary system impacts society in areas ranging from diet to energy to education. Saifedean then takes questions from Twitter users on The Sovereign Individual thesis, CBDCs and whether bitcoin miners are the “central banks” of bitcoin.ResourcesBitcoin Maximalist Giacomo Zucco makes the case for altcoinsRobert Kiyosaki’s book Rich Dad, Poor Dad.The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz, for a discussion of the flawed dietary studies of Ancel KeysThe Moral Case for Fossil Fuels by Alex EpsteinThe Sovereign Individual by James Dale Davidson and William Rees-MoggSaifedean’s first book, The Bitcoin StandardSaifedean’s second book, The Fiat Standard Enjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s courses and read chapters of his forthcoming books by becoming a Saifedean.com member. Find out more here.THE BITCOIN STANDARD TOOLKIT/SPONSORSNYDIG - https://nydig.comCyphersafe - https://cyphersafe.io/ OKCoin - https://okcoin.com/Nodl - https://www.nodl.it/Coldcard - https://coldcardwallet.com/CoinBits App - https://coinbitsapp.com/

Nov 17, 2021 • 2h 2min
91. The Immaculate Conception: Bitcoin vs The Fiat Standard
In this episode, Saifedean talks to author and public intellectual Jordan Peterson about how bitcoin solves the problems of The Fiat Standard. Saifedean starts by introducing the Austrian School of Economics, its key concepts such as “opportunity cost”, and how it differs from alternative schools. Saifedean and Jordan then move on to a discussion of the civilizing impact of hard money, why bitcoin is different from other cryptocurrencies, and why bitcoin mining changes the dynamics of the global energy market. Finally, they discuss their experiences working in fiat academia and why online learning is making the traditional university obsolete. ResourcesPrinciples of Economics by Carl Menger, the foundational text of the Austrian School of EconomicsLudwig von Mises’ magnum opus Human ActionThe Use of Knowledge in Society by F.A. Hayek for a discussion of economic calculation within an Austrian frameworkBitcoin Does Not Waste Energy by Parker Lewis for a discussion of the energy used by bitcoin miningSaifedean’s first book, The Bitcoin StandardSaifedean’s second book, The Fiat StandardEnjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s courses and read chapters of his forthcoming books by becoming a Saifedean.com member. Find out more here.THE BITCOIN STANDARD TOOLKIT/SPONSORSNYDIG - https://nydig.comCyphersafe - https://cyphersafe.io/ OKCoin - https://okcoin.com/Nodl - https://www.nodl.it/Coldcard - https://coldcardwallet.com/CoinBits App - https://coinbitsapp.com/


