The Peter McCormack Show

Location: Zoom Date: Wednesday 5th July Project: The Yaron Brook Show Role: Host Ayn Rand was a Russian-American philosopher and author who developed a philosophical system known as Objectivism. Objectivism has many similarities with Libertarianism, both believe in non-aggression as well as capitalism via a genuinely free market; however, the critical area they differ on is the role of a central government. While many libertarians believe anarchy is the only way of overcoming government overreach, objectivists believe in a limited government. In this interview, I talk to Yaron Brook, host of the Yaron Brook Show and Chairman of the Ayn Rand Institute. We discuss the differences between libertarianism and objectivism, how an Objectivist society would work and Bitcoin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Location: Zoom Date: Monday 27th July Company: Start9 Labs Role: CEO/Co-Founder & Co-Founder/Head of Engineering The birth of the internet caused one of the most significant cultural shifts in human history. Global communication and information sharing has allowed for considerable advancements in society, and it is integral to the world we live in today. However, it is not all positive; the internet sucks up vast amounts of personal data which is then sold and exploited. There are many ways your data is used against you from targeted advertising to voter manipulation, and Tim Berners Lee, the creator of the internet, cited the loss of control of our personal data as one of his biggest concerns regarding the current state of the internet. By utilising encryption tools and browsers like Tor, you can still retain your privacy while using the internet, but it is not straight forward. Start9 are changing this. In this interview, I talk to Matt and Aaron from Start9. We discuss the growing demand for a private internet, retaining control of personal data, encryption and why bitcoin is fundamental to all of this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Location: Zoom Date: Sunday 2nd August Company: The Pomp Podcast Role: Host The benefits of holding a scarce asset have never been more apparent. All over the world, central banks have been printing money at an unprecedented rate to attempt to stimulate faltering economies. With the outbreak of coronavirus and subsequent lockdowns in March, the majority of markets crashed. Bitcoin was no different, hitting local lows of ~$4,000. Since then Bitcoin has rallied and is currently sitting at ~$11,000. The price action and current economic conditions have led many to believe we are at the beginning of a bull market like the one we saw in 2016/2017. In this interview, I talk to Anthony Pompliano, founder and partner at Morgan Creek Capital and the host of the Pomp podcast. We discuss his recent interview with Roger Ver, the economic impact of the coronavirus & the Bitcoin bull market. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Location: Zoom Date: Wednesday 29th July Company: Stony Brook University Role: Professor of Economics and Public Policy With the abandonment of the gold standard in the early 20th century, there has been nothing to limit the amount of money a central bank can print, leading to a rapid rise in national debts. In the US debt alone, the national debt stands at $26.5 trillion, and the growth is accelerating. While conventional economic theory would suggest this ever-growing debt is dangerous as it can lead to uncontrollable rises in inflation and a devaluing of the dollar, there is a newer school of thought; Modern Monetary Theory which makes a different argument. MMT suggests that governments should not be concerned with increasing debt, arguing the only risk is inflation, which is controllable. MMT is the antithesis to the Austrian school of thought that aligns with Bitcoin's monetary policy of fixed supply and deflationary issuance. In this interview, I talk to Stephanie Kelton, professor of economics and public policy at Stony Brook University. We discuss the benefits of modern monetary theory, why increased spending may not lead to inflation, national debt and money printing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Location: Zoom Date: Tuesday 21st July Company: hardmoneyfilm.com Role: Film Maker Some of the earliest forms of money included seashells and glass beads before people discovered precious metals and began trading using silver and gold. Anything can be a medium of exchange, but the forms of money that have stood the test of time are scarce. We are now in the era of fiat money; government-controlled, paper money, with no intrinsic value or backing. Fiat money is easy to produce, and with that, there is a huge incentive for governments to keep printing more of it. They do this for several reasons from bailing out business to providing economic stimulus when their policies have failed. Throughout history, gold has been the hardest form of money, until 2009, when Satoshi Nakamoto created Bitcoin. With a fixed supply of 21 million and a controlled issuance, Bitcoin is the hardest money we have ever seen. In this interview, I talk to Richard James, the creator of Hard Money, a film looking at how money has been corrupted and co-opted. We discuss Austrian economics, the similarities between gold and Bitcoin, Hard Money and modern art. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Location: Zoom Date: Thursday 23rd July Company: Coinbase Role: Co-Founder & CEO Coinbase is amongst the largest and most established Bitcoin companies in the world, and it has secured itself as one of the most accessible places to buy and sell Bitcoin. Its latest round of funding valued Coinbase at $8.1 billion, and there are rumours that the company plans to be listed on a U.S stock exchange later this year. Forbes recently called Coinbase 'Bitcoin's Guardian Angel' and claimed it would make 'crypto safe for all'; however, the view within the Bitcoin community is quite different. Coinbase has come under heavy scrutiny in recent years, most notably for their $13.5 million acquisition of blockchain intelligence company Neutrino. Following this acquisition, it was revealed that the Neutrino founders were involved in the Hacking Team, a team of people who reportedly sold surveillance tools to governments, including authoritarian regimes. With this news, #deletecoinbase was trending on bitcoin twitter, putting CEO Brian Armstrong under considerable pressure to fire the team. More recently, Coinbase again sparked controversy when The Block reported that the company agreed to sell blockchain analysis software to The Secret Service and the IRS, and was planning a similar deal with the DEA. In this interview, I talk to Brian Armstrong, CEO and Co-Founder of Coinbase. We discuss the difficulties in running a large startup, regulations, the Neutrino acquisition & providing analytics to government agencies with Coinbase Analytics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Location: Zoom Date: Monday 13th July Bitcoin is the most significant disruption to money the world has seen in hundreds of years. It takes power away from centralised parties, and it allows any individual to be entirely self-sovereign and operate in an open system uncontrollable and uncensorable by anyone. Bitcoin is punk rock! Punk was not just about music; it was a movement that fought for personal freedom and individualism while remaining staunchly anti-establishment. Keith Levene is a punk legend and was a founding member of iconic band The Clash and co-founded Public Image Ltd alongside former Sex Pistol, John Lydon. With the alignment of punk and Bitcoin, it is not surprising that Keith Levene is a Bitcoiner, and a couple of months ago Keith reached out to me and told me he was a regular listener of the show. In this interview, we discuss the early days of punk rock, the similarities between punk and Bitcoin and why he cares about Bitcoin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Location: Zoom Date: Wednesday 15th July Role: CEO and Chief Global Strategist The reasons to hold either gold or Bitcoin are similar, yet the two assets possess different tradeoffs and risks. Bitcoiners often refer to Bitcoin as digital gold or gold 2.0, as they consider it a store of wealth like gold. Whether you prefer one asset or are a proponent of both, these assets help protect individuals against the broken fiat monetary system, inflation and a debt-based economy. While the assets have many similarities, for some, it isn't gold and Bitcoin; instead, it is gold vs Bitcoin. Peter Schiff is a stockbroker, financial commentator, economist and gold bug who is hugely sceptical about Bitcoin. Schiff regularly derides Bitcoin on twitter and has done so since 2012 claiming that Bitcoin has no intrinsic value. In this interview, I speak to Peter Schiff, and we discuss what he doesn't like about Bitcoin, if he sees the alignment between Bitcoin and gold, the properties of sound money and if Bitcoin should be considered a store of value. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Knut Svanholm, an author passionate about the intersection of Bitcoin and libertarianism, discusses the transformative potential of Bitcoin as a catalyst for a peaceful revolution. He dives into the tension between individualism and collectivism, questioning whether an anarchist society can be both civil and moral. The conversation covers how hyperbitcoinization could empower self-sovereignty and reduce state power. Svanholm also explores the implications of Bitcoin on societal structures and the moral dilemmas posed by government interventions during crises.

Location: Zoom Date:Tuesday 30th June Company/project: Castle Island Ventures, Adamant Capital, Parallax Digital & River Financial Role: Partner, Founding Partner, Founder & Founder The global economy is in a precarious position. With the coronavirus enforced lockdowns closing down businesses around the world, central banks have been printing money at unprecedented levels to prevent economies from collapsing. While this has eased the pressure in Western nations, some smaller countries are starting to experience the impact. The currency in Lebanon has all but collapsed, and inflation in Zimbabwe has nearly reached 800%. Could high inflation be coming to the UK, Europe and the US? While the implication of a global economic meltdown may not be known for years, it is precisely this sort of situation that many Bitcoiners have highlighted as the perfect environment for Bitcoin to thrive. So, what comes next for Bitcoin? This interview is from a panel I recently hosted for Real Vision's The Crypto Gathering event, with Nic Carter, Tuur Demeester, Robert Breedlove & Alex Leishman. We discuss the current state of the economy, Bitcoin as a peaceful protest and what comes next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.