Bitcoin Magazine Podcast

Cross-post from Fed Watch, another Bitcoin Magazine podcast series. Fed Watch airs weekly and features discussion on Bitcoin and the Macroeconomic environment. In this special episode of Bitcoin Magazine’s “Fed Watch” podcast, we are joined by Greg Foss and Aaron Segal, two notable individuals operating in the Bitcoin space. Viewing Bitcoin from a national and global perspective, this conversation focuses on the interplay between centralization and decentralization. Aaron’s latest essay on the topic breaks down the core facets of this hierarchical authority, and in this discussion he highlights the five axioms of centralization vs. decentralization. Expanding on how decentralization is a stabilizing force, and why centralization doesn’t always correlate with fascism or totalitarianism, Aaron shines a light on how Bitcoin can play a role in fluctuating economic environments. Touching on China’s economic shift and what the U.S. can learn from it, the conversation ramps up on Aaron’s fifth axiom: Bitcoin as a decentralizing force. Should we fight the federal reserve? Is the unpredictable nature of the Chinese government deterring passive investors? Join our panel-style discussion as we debate these economic changes and the future of decentralization.

Fiat cash, aka government-issued currency, may be singing its swan song. The good news? Bitcoin and free markets have the potential to help people claim back their sovereignty. Chris Gimmer joins us on the show to talk about why the state of markets is so dismal, how government intervention has played a major role in this demise, and why Bitcoin is the way forward through the mess. Chris is the Co-founder of Snappa, a top-of-the-range design and templating SaaS product, as well as the creator of the bitcoin dashboard, Bitbo.io. In this episode, Chris dives into how we can transition from a fiat frame of mind into a Bitcoin-centered system. Discussing how Snappa is using BTC as their reserve asset, we hear first hand how this has enabled them to weather the economic downtown caused by COVID-19. In an ever-evolving global situation, Chris shares about why he’s moving from Canada to the U.S., and how using a divisible, portable currency allows both brands and individuals to break out of the limitations provided by fiat currency, despite their geographical location. Tune in as we explore why we should be considering a bigger, future-oriented picture by investing in BTC. 

"Long before we had the Bitcoin energy debate, we had the gold resource cost debate. The contours were similar: the costs associated with gold refining and extraction were a waste; they were too great relative to a mere fiat standard in which notes could be printed for virtually nothing." In his first piece written for Bitcoin Magazine, Nic Carter discusses the history of the debate about the gold standard and compares it to the more modern to the debate about Bitcoin and energy costs. Join Guy Swann as he reads Nic Carter's article on Bitcoin, energy, and the gold standard. Find the full article on Bitcoin Magazine: https://bitcoinmagazine.com/culture/bitcoin-and-gold-energy-debate

“This technology goes around blockades and government restrictions, it allows you to move value without trusting anyone, it connects you to the world, and it allows you to empower yourself and do things that are otherwise impossible,” he said. “It has created hope for those who want change.” Today Alex Galdstein takes us on another Bitcoin journey around the world, this time to Cuba. A communist regime where dissent is illegal, where 70% of the value of the currency is stolen by the government in the official conversion, & where the chance to accumulate wealth and engage in trade is a privilege for the few. With Bitcoin and internet finding their way to this lost country, a chance for a better future may be on the horizon. Don't miss another incredible piece from Gladstein & Bitcoin Magazine. Join Guy Swann as he reads Alex Gladstein's article on Bitcoin and Cuba. Find the full article on Bitcoin Magazine:  https://bitcoinmagazine.com/culture/cubas-bitcoin-revolution

Despite the multitude of opinions on Bitcoin and its future, the reality is that we are at a huge inflection point in history. Our guest today, Seb Bunney, explains why the decentralization of the economy presents us with an exceptional opportunity to build equality and escape this economic modern-day slavery perpetuated by banks and the government. Seb is a contributor to Bitcoin Magazine, and today we will be focusing on his most recent article titled, 'The Truth Behind Bitcoin’s Opposition,’ which peels back the curtain to reveal who is at risk of loss in the wake of Bitcoin’s growth, and the efforts being made to try to halt it. Seb brings an infectious passion for Bitcoin into the way he educates the public on this vital topic. In our conversation, we cover the skewed view and approach of the Federal Reserve System, what exactly is broken in the current system, how counterterrorism has been used as an excuse to protect the dollar, and a lot more that you definitely don’t want to miss. Expect to come away with an excellent gateway into why Bitcoin might be a threat to the US dollar, plus some useful avenues for further exploration.

It is often difficult for people to get into Bitcoin without already being primed to align with one of Bitcoin’s strange attributes. Parker Lewis described Bitcoins strangeness as “being counterintuitive, and then hyper-intuitive” after one puts in enough work to understand it.  Like many Bitcoiners, Kit Stanwood needed to hear about Bitcoin a couple of times before it clicked. But once it did click, it became hyper-intuitive and she dove right in! Stanwood is now the social media manager for Bitcoin Magazine and a savage Bitcoiner roaming the U.S. getting paid to blog. Stanwood is bullish on Bitcoin and thinks that it has made her into a more effective, committed and successful person. She is an outside-of-the-box thinker and really relates to the Bitcoin enthusiasts that she has met since beginning her orange pill journey. Stanwood loves the Bitcoin community and how the Bitcoin enthusiasts. known as the “plebs,” speak and fight for the truth.  Please enjoy this wide ranging conversation about bitcoin with Kit Stanwood.  Follow Kit on Twitter @kit_sats

The majority of the plant does not have access to basic financial services. Our current systems are permissioned, gated, antiquated and corrupt. Finance has been the limiting factor for the majority of the world's people. People are unable to save, they are unable to invest, and they are unable to grow. This forces them into wasting time and energy to conserve value and just stay at zero. There is a tremendous amount of room for improvement in finance around the world.  Mauricio thinks that Bitcoin can fix this. Mauricio grew up in Venezuela, a country rocked by hyper inflation, once the top of Latin American society, Venezuela has declined into one of the world's poorest countries. Mauricio discovered Bitcoin because of his brother’s successful mining operation and his amazement into what this asset represented for access to basic finance and sound money. Mauricio quickly realized that Bitcoin needed financial services and that there was an opportunity for Bitcoin to serve as the world's best collateral.  Mauricio co founded Ledn.io with the dream of giving world class financial serves to the world. The site is focused on Bitcoin, offering multiple languages, and the best rates. Di Bartolomeo thinks their international focus gives Ledn and edge because they are focused on a more decentralized cohort of people.  Follow Mauricio on Twitter @cryptonomista

Payments on the internet have always been a weakness. An entire Frankenstein mash up of surveillance, credit card payments, walled garden ecosystems emerged as the way for the internet and internet companies to monetize. Freemium and ad driven models became the way that users were monetized but if you get something for free you are the product and in 2021 this is turning into a problem. Stephan Dodge and Ian Major, the co-founders of BYOD, think bitcoin can fix this.  Host Christian Keroles sits down with these ambitious entrepreneurs to discuss how the emerging Bitcoin ecosystem and tech stack is enabling people to take the power back over their data and to even monetize it. BYOD is a solution built on top of Bitcoin and the Stack 2 blockchain to enable users to create advertising profiles and in a cryptographically secure and distributed manner host and sell access to their data. Dodge and Major believe that BYOD will create a better customer profile and a better experience for both advertisers and customers. Users will get paid out in Bitcoin and have more granular control than ever over how their data is used. Beyond just the application that BYOD is pioneering, Stephan and Ian both are incredibly excited about how well the bitcoin ecosystem and tech stack are developing. A few years ago it would not have been possible for them to build a solution like BYOD using Bitcoin in a way they deemed sufficiently decentralized. Today there are several avenues where this was possible including Stacks.  Learn more about BYOD at BYOD.exchange

Many Bitcoin enthusiasts tend to lean from a significantly libertarian perspective. Many take pride in routing around the government and relish in Bitcoin’s ability to just opt out completely. Unfortunately for the Bitcoiners not interested in participating in politics, last week in the United States Infrastructure Bill emerged an existential crisis for Bitcoin and the more general crypto ecosystem. The bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, that is a hallmark part of the Biden Administration’s first year in office, has a couple last minute pages added to it looking for 38 billion in tax revenue from redefining a broker in the crypto ecosystem. The wording was very wide ranging and unclear, many legal experts interpreted that the language could have put on onerous reporting requirements on any and all participants of the digital value ecosystem.  Amanda Cavaleri, a Bitcoiner and COO of Pearl Snap Capital in Wyoming sits down with Christian to discuss how Bitcoiners can work together to make sure that Washington respects Bitcoin and the financial innovation it brings to the United States. According to Cavaleri, the Bitcoin cohort is larger than AARP and could soon command more wealth than AARP. The Bitcoin Voting Block has the potential to become the most powerful and influential single issue voting block in the country and all we need to do is organize. Cavaleri believes that Bitcoin is the foundation of privacy and property in the digital future and that we must stand up today to defend it.  Amanda recently coauthored an excellent article in Bitcoin Magazine urging and educating Bitcoiner’s on how to effectively communicate and advocate with lawmakers the benefits of Bitcoin.  Follow Amanda on Twitter @Amanda_Cavaleri

Aleks Svetski discussed his “Intelligent Guide To Bitcoin” and the misunderstandings about BTC that are often perpetuated. Many in the traditional financial space, government and academia have long dismissed Bitcoin as a silly toy for criminals and predicted that its price will go to zero. These predictions remain commonplace in the mainstream media to this day, despite the network’s astounding growth and the currency blasting past $30,000 prices and making inroads across the global economy. Upon reading a recent example of these crypto dismissal articles from an Australian professor, titled the “Dummies Guide To Crypto,” Aleks Svetski — CEO of Bitcoin DCA app Amber and Bitcoin Magazine contributor — felt that he needed to respond.  Svetski agrees with the author of the “Dummies Guide” that “crypto” is trash and that there is very little substance to the general “crypto” market. Aleks does however disagree that these assumptions are also true for Bitcoin. The reality is that Bitcoin is a very well thought out solution to a very important problem that has been plaguing humanity. Aleks’ response to the “Dummies Guide” is “The Intelligent Guide To Bitcoin.” In the article, Svetski covered what Bitcoin is, whether people should invest in it, the mining and energy factors and its downsides. “Bitcoin Magazine Podcast” host Christian Keroles sat down with Svetski to discuss the key points in the article and debate how to best articulate them to people that think Bitcoin is just a silly toy.