The Peter McCormack Show

Location: Zoom Date: Wednesday, 1st April Project: aantonop.com Role: Speaker, Author & Educator The coronavirus COVID-19 is an unprecedented global health crisis. There are now more than one million reported cases, the death toll continues to rise, and across the world, economies have been left decimated. The crisis is bringing to fore many questions regarding the role of the state, challenging political identity. Conservatives are considering socialist policies; Libertarians are considering state responses and socialists are considering free markets. While government responses vary, different approaches to lockdowns, surveillance and contact tracing are providing live case studies on how to handle the crisis. All these approaches question the role and the reach of the state, especially as some have seized this opportunity to implement new draconian laws. With stock markets posting their worst quarterly results in decades, central banks have slashed interest rates, offering bailouts and implementing unprecedented stimulus packages. Did Coronavirus cause these problems or highlight hidden issues? What does a post-coronavirus world look like? And what will the role of the state be? In this interview, I talk to Andreas M. Antonopoulos, speaker, best selling author and Bitcoin evangelist. We discuss whether Coronavirus is a challenge to political identity, the largest monetary experiment in history, bailouts and money printing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Location: Skype Date: Friday, 27th March Project: Libertarian Institute Role: Founder & Director With the rapid spread of coronavirus COVID-19, governments around the world are taking drastic action to try and flatten the curve, slow the infection rate and take the strain off already struggling healthcare systems. China's authoritarian government quickly implemented strict controls, sealing people into apartments and increasing surveillance. All of which were reported as very useful, at least temporarily in slowing the spread. But, under democratic rule, how far can and should, the state go to save lives? Many governments have issued lockdowns forbidding people from leaving their homes for all but essential tasks and businesses order to close. Many of the measures are designed as temporary, but some fear that governments will be reluctant to revoke these new controls once the pandemic is over There is a direct trade-off between the encroachment on our civil liberties and saving lives, so are the strict measures worth it? And where do you draw the line? In this interview, I talk to Scott Horton, the Founder and Director of the Libertarian Institute. We discuss the ongoing coronavirus crisis, if a state is beneficial in this extreme public health crisis and how an anarchist society would deal with a pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Location: Skype Date: Thursday, 26th March Project: Real Vision Role: Co-Founder & CEO The coronavirus pandemic has led to a global economic crisis. With the movement of people heavily restricted, businesses forced to close and supply chains disrupted. Stock markets around the world have crashed, leading many to question if the restrictive measures to limit the spread of the virus are worth the economic impact. Donald Trump has stated that the "cure" cannot be worse than the "problem". To fight the recession and help those in need, most major economies, including the US, UK, Canada and Germany, have announced unprecedented economic stimulus packages to support the economy and those out of work. The severity and duration of the impact coronavirus will have on the economy is almost impossible to predict; however, this event will likely alter the world forever. In this interview, I talk to Raoul Pal co-founder & CEO of Real Vision and macroeconomist. We discuss the political and economic impact of coronavirus, the role of the state and the societal change that will occur. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Location: Skype Date: Monday, 16th March Project: CoinTracker Role: COO Nothing is certain but death and taxes, and for most people, their largest expense is not their rent, mortgage or car, it is their taxes. Most see taxes as an unavoidable fact of life, however, many Bitcoiners are also libertarians who believe taxation is theft and an infringement on their property rights. So, when I introduced a new What Bitcoin Did sponsor, Cointracker, who helps you prepare cryptocurrency tax returns, I received a few direct messages for supporting "the man". I understand that tax and Bitcoin do not necessarily go hand in hand, with tax being somewhat antithetical to Bitcoin. Bitcoin was created to separate money and state and with that taxation. Tax is not something I support or want to pay; however, I do so to avoid fines and legal retribution. In this bonus episode of What Bitcoin Did, I talk to Chandan Lodha, the COO of Cointracker. We discuss the ramifications of not filing crypto taxes, techniques to save money on your tax return and major exchanges getting subpoenaed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Location: Skype Date: Monday, 23rd March Project: Amber Role: CEO In late January, when the Chinese City of Wuhan was placed into a government-enforced lockdown to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. All non-essential businesses were closed, travel restricted, and people could only leave their home to buy food. While the measures put in place appeared extreme, they helped to 'flatten the curve' and reduce the spread of the virus. Since then, the disease has spread rapidly throughout the rest of the world. Some governments have chosen to follow China, opting for widespread lockdowns. Italy implemented a nationwide quarantine in early March, Spain followed suit shortly after and the UK announced yesterday it was placing the country into lockdown. There are now 17 countries with lockdown measures in place. The hope is that by reducing the number of people infected, it will, in turn, lessen the strain on local healthcare systems and reduce the number of people dying from the disease. What is the cost of these draconian measures? Is it worth the impact on the economy and the erosion of civil liberties? Many Bitcoiners align themselves closely with Libertarianism and are against state intervention and therefore disagree with the restrictive measures put in place across the globe. We do though live in a democracy; if the will of the people supports these measures, then should they be supported? In this interview, I talk to Aleks Svetski, CEO at Amber and a passionate Bitcoiner. We discuss the COVID-19 coronavirus, state response to the pandemic, the economic impact and the threat to our civil liberties. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Location: Bedford Date: Tuesday, 17th March Project: Myjam Role: CEO In 2011, growing levels of unrest over lack of employment, political freedom and high levels of corruption in Syria led to a small number of pro-democracy demonstrations. Inspired by the ongoing Arab Spring revolution in nearby countries, the movement began gaining traction within Syria. The Syrian government retaliated with deadly force, leading to widespread calls for the president Bashar al-Assad to resign. Disdain for the government grew, and with it, the government's attempts at suppression intensified, escalating into a civil war that has now gripped the country for over nine years. It is no longer a case of for/against Assad as numerous groups and nations have been dragged into the conflict. The Syrian civil war is the second most deadly in the 21st century and has displaced millions. The total number of Syrian refugees is predicted to be over nine million with many heading to Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt, with many migrating through Europe. For the people of Syria, Bitcoin offers enormous advantages over cash. Within Syria, a large percentage of the population does not have access to banking services, and the Syrian Lira suffers from high inflation. For refugees, there is a risk of theft and confiscation as they make their way to new countries. Once settled, Bitcoin is also a perfect tool for remittances to their families back in Syria. In this interview, I talk to Moe Ghashim, a Syrian Bitcoiner now living in the UK. We discuss the ongoing civil war in Syria, the devastating physical and economic damage to the country, and how Bitcoin is a perfect tool to help refugees. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Location: Skype Date: Friday, 13th March Project: BHB Network Role: Director COVID-19 continues to spread around the world. 169,717 people are now infected, and the death toll stands at 6,518. The virus is highly contagious, making containment incredibly tricky. As the seriousness of the situation escalates, countries around the world are implementing strict controls on movement and contact. The COVID-19 coronavirus originated in China, where the number of cases has now risen to over 80,000. As the virus has taken hold, the Chinese Communist Party has implemented draconian measures. Despite criticism, the aggressive use of quarantine appears to have been effective in reducing the spread of infections. The number of reported daily new cases in China has dropped from almost 2,000 per day a few weeks ago, to less than 20 at the time of writing. Italy now has the highest number of cases outside of China, with over 25,000 testing positive. A nationwide lockdown is in effect, with police and soldiers enforcing the quarantine conditions, and on the 15th of March, the EU recorded the highest number of deaths in a single day so far. Giacomo Zucco is a Bitcoiner who is currently under lockdown in Italy. In this interview, he explains what life is like on lockdown, the measures that have been put in place, how he thinks the governments around the world have dealt with this pandemic and why he believes centralised planning is poorly suited for dealing with the crisis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Location: Skype Date: Friday, 6th March Project: New project coming soon… Role: N/A Welcome to the Beginner's Guide to Bitcoin. Bitcoin can be intimidating for beginners. The protocol is complicated, the community can be aggressive and unforgiving, silly mistakes can lose you money, and it is easy to succumb to altcoin marketing. Bitcoin does though, offer you the opportunity to hold a new type of monetary asset, one which can't be seized by the government and is censorship resistance and It has the potential to change the way the world. The goal of What Bitcoin Did has always been about making things simple; there are no stupid questions, and the show is here to help beginners navigate this new world. To kick off 2020, we are launching a special series to help beginners understand Bitcoin. We will be looking at the basics from breaking down the protocol to explaining the economics and discussing the potential societal shift. Beginner's Guide Part 17- Fuck You, Bitcoin! with John Carvalho Bitcoin is not only the best version of decentralised money the world has seen; it is the best money the world has seen. It takes power away from centralised authorities and allows individuals to transact with whomever they want. With Bitcoin, nobody can confiscate your money, and the protocol has a clear set of rules that everyone on the network can see and follow. The Bitcoin protocol is robust, secure and self-governing, and with that, Bitcoin is 'fuck you' money. If a centralised powers want to seize your Bitcoin or stop payment, Bitcoin empowers individuals to say fuck you in a way that has never been seen before. Regardless of politics, economic uncertainty or almost any event imaginable, every 10 minutes Bitcoin continues to produce blocks, giving individuals the freedom to use it how they choose. In Part 17 of the Beginner's Guide to Bitcoin, I talk to John Carvalho. We discuss removing power from governments, why altcoins are a poor investment, and why Bitcoin is 'fuck you' money. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Location: Skype Date: Friday, 6th March Welcome to the Beginner's Guide to Bitcoin. Bitcoin can be intimidating for beginners. The protocol is complicated, the community can be aggressive and unforgiving, silly mistakes can lose you money, and it is easy to succumb to altcoin marketing. Bitcoin does though, offer you the opportunity to hold a new type of monetary asset, one which can't be seized by the government and is censorship resistance and It has the potential to change the way the world. The goal of What Bitcoin Did has always been about making things simple; there are no stupid questions, and the show is here to help beginners navigate this new world. To kick off 2020, we are launching a special series to help beginners understand Bitcoin. We will be looking at the basics from breaking down the protocol to explaining the economics and discussing the potential societal shift. Beginner's Guide Part 16 - The Future of Bitcoin with Jeremy Welch In just 11 years, Bitcoin has already achieved so much: The price has grown from $1 equal to 1,309.03 BTC in 2009 to $7,950 per Bitcoin (at time of writing), having peaked at $20k in 2017. Market capitalisation is nearly $150 billion, and Bitcoin is now on the radar of investors globally. A phenomenal ~ 110Exahash secures the network. Transactions are regularly well over 300k per day. Bitcoin is the most decentralised and censorship-resistant currency in the world. A lot has happened in a short space of time, but what will the future hold for Bitcoin? There are still many challenges for Bitcoin, whether that is scaling, enhancing privacy or UX and ease of use. At the moment, Bitcoin is still for the relatively tech-savvy. While Bitcoin has been met with either scepticism or fear by governments, in general, there has been little action taken to disincentive people from owning using it. If adoption continues to grow, will the world powers enforce stricter regulations? In Part 16 of the Beginner's Guide to Bitcoin I talk to Jeremy Welch to discuss the future of Bitcoin. We get into how governments and central banks will react as Bitcoin poses more of a threat, and if we will see hyperbitcoinisation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Location: Skype Date: Saturday, 29th February Project: Castle Island Ventures Role: Partner Welcome to the Beginner's Guide to Bitcoin. Bitcoin can be intimidating for beginners. The protocol is complicated, the community can be aggressive and unforgiving, silly mistakes can lose you money, and it is easy to succumb to altcoin marketing. Bitcoin does though, offer you the opportunity to hold a new type of monetary asset, one which can't be seized by the government and is censorship resistance and It has the potential to change the way the world. The goal of What Bitcoin Did has always been about making things simple; there are no stupid questions, and the show is here to help beginners navigate this new world. To kick off 2020, we are launching a special series to help beginners understand Bitcoin. We will be looking at the basics from breaking down the protocol to explaining the economics and discussing the potential societal shift. Beginner's Guide Part 15 - Bitcoin FUD with Nic Carter Bitcoin is a peculiar beast, and as with any new technology, it takes some time to understand it and its potential impact on the world. While Bitcoin media reporting is improving, there are still lots of untruths and myths that are perpetuated by mainstream media. Further, competing projects, anti-Bitcoin proponents and the uneducated add to the confusion by repeating false accusations. Blanket statements such as "Bitcoin is only used by terrorists, criminals and money launderers" or "proof of work is wasteful and uses as much energy as X country", continue to cast a shadow over the technology. Bitcoin is still a relatively new form of digital money, the likes of which the world has never seen, as such, it is easy to be misled by outdated or poorly formed arguments. "Bitcoin isn't backed by anything" is another commonly used argument, which fails to recognise that neither is fiat currency and is printed at will, whereas Bitcoin has a fixed supply. In this interview, I am joined by Nic Carter, a partner at Castle Island Ventures, and we discuss and dispel the myths, untruths and FUD that Bitcoin faces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.