Bitcoin Audible

Diving into a great piece by Conner Brown exploring the subjectivity of value, and why Bitcoin's lack of "intrinsic value" is a benefit, not a hinderance. Does this aspect of Bitcoin, and the nature of money align with history? Does it challenge great economic thinkers & their theories? Or is it a natural next step in the growing possibilities of the digital world? Don't miss a fun episode startin...

Today we cover all the incredible new developments coming to Lightning and what they will mean for the future the protocol! First we tackle the blog post from @Bitrefill introducing the entire list, from AMPs & submarine swaps to trampoline payments & rendezvous routing. Then I discuss at length further details about each and how these tools together may blur the gap between Bitcoin & Lightning, a...

Today, in preparation of & to understand the significance of the vast array of new features and developments coming to lightning, we cover a full overview of the What, Why, & How of the Lightning Network. What exactly is it, why do we need it, and how exactly does it work? A huge thank you to Aaron Van Wirdum , Pierre Rochard , and Rusty Russell for making this understandable for me, we dive into...

With a really cool and succinct article from Darren Kleine (@_DKleine), today's read is on the "sins" of debt and usury, and how a good or bad monetary system will either encourage its corruption, or protect society from its abuse. Don't miss a great little read and fun discussion all about the nature of debt, money, and a new financial world built on Bitcoin. The Ancient Sin of Debt: How Bitcoin...

Today we cover more specifically the consequences and risks of a divorce between miners & the network of nodes. What could the miners do, are sybil attacks proof that nodes worthless, what exactly are the incentives that keep the different players in this ecosystem working together? Don't miss another fun discussion on what defines Bitcoin, and the role that proof-of-work & validation play in this...

When we dig to the very base elements of Bitcoin, we find it is merely digital points. What make these integers different from identical ones on billions of other computers? It is the rules that restrict the editing of those specific integers we call Bitcoin, in other words, it is the network of validating nodes that define it. In this episode you will hear Part 1 of my argument as to why. Don't f...

Today we take a stroll through a collection of known errors, clarification, and terminology changes from the original whitepaper made available thanks to David A. Harding. The chain of signatures, "one-CPU-one-vote," the distinction between nodes and miners, and much more. This will have some important details we will reference later in the week while exploring validation and nodes on the Bitcoin...

A great piece just full of fun analogies on how to imagine the force of nature that is #Bitcoin. Don't miss our first piece by @dergigi on the show today, exploring Bitcoin as a force of ideological gravity, and how the network codifies a concept into an explicit set of rules to define the game we play. Today's read, Bitcoin's Gravity! Check out the other work by @dergigi on his personal page belo...

The conclusion of the Adamant Capital report from Tuur Demeester & Michiel Lescrauwaet on the current state & sentiment of the Bitcoin markets. What could send the price lower? Where are we in the financialization process of the Bitcoin market? Is there still a possibility that Bitcoin becomes a globally recognized reserve asset? Find out in Adamant Capital report: Bitcoin in Heavy Accumulation Do...

Today & tomorrow we will be going through the Adamant Capital report by Tuur Demeester & Michiel Lescrauwaet on the current state and sentiment of the Bitcoin markets, and the data that backs up their analysis. Is the bear market over? Should we be searching for bull horns breaking the horizon? Find out in Adamant Capital report: Bitcoin in Heavy Accumulation Don't forget to check out the Adamant...

In the follow-up to yesterday's article, we are covering Nicolas Dorier's second article on Neutrino, detailing the systemic risks of widespread SPV, and breaking down the different types and specific consequences of various node setups on the network. With the controversial stance that SPV threatens self-sovereignty more than even custodial wallets, Nicolas cedes no ground. Don't miss another gre...

Today we read an article from developer @nicolasdorier that illustrates why Neutrino might not be the panacea some seem to treat it as. It certainly has its benefits, but its important to look critically at every proposal, to ensure we understand what is, not what we wish to be. Why I Don't Celebrate Neutrino Don't forget to thank Nicolas for letting me cover his work and head over to his Medium p...

Today we bring Tim K ( @bootstrapbandit ) on the show to talk all about the Lightning Network & a new tool he built at Paywall. Link. Don't miss this fun conversation about the positives and negatives of lightning, how easy it is to build for, and what the potential for this network is going forward. Enjoy! Don't forget to follow @BootstrapBandit on Twitter and check out what he is building over a...

Today we grab a section out of one of the many incredible works by Murray N. Rothbard to discuss the idea of marginal utility and why money must be a good, and actually is not a unit of measure. As value can only be measured as relational to another good, money follows the same law of diminishing marginal utility. Find out why with our read & discussion of Rothbard's "Toward a Reconstruction of Ut...

The full audio version of "The Case for Electronic Cash" by Jerry Brito. Abstract Cash is more than a method of payment. It is a fundamental tool for individual privacy and autonomy, and it is necessary for an open society. This paper shows that a cashless economy is a surveillance economy. It also argues that removing the option to freely transact without intermediation greatly limits our economi...

Lightning is complicated, difficult to use, sometimes doesn't work properly, requires a lot of learning and experimentation, and is still a risky place to hold Bitcoin funds. Doesn't this make it a protocol destined to obscurity and disuse? Doesn't it mean that better, simpler options will simply replace it, and Bitcoin is to fail from its extensive limitations? Find out all the ways I find Lightn...

Even with #Bitcoin, are we destined for a future with intermediated payments? Will that give us a different color of the same system we're stuck with today, or will Bitcoin still prove to be a revolution in financial trust? Lets dig deeper into the objections to Bitcoin Banks in Part 2 of @nic__carter's "How to Scale Bitcoin (without changing a thing)." Another huge thank you to Nic for this work...

"I believe that institutional scaling presents an under-appreciated scaling vector, and it is quite possible to employ it without significantly compromising Bitcoin’s assurances." Don't miss today's article, another fantastic read by Nic Carter (@nic__carter), on the Finneyan view of scaling Bitcoin for its highest value proposition; creating a settlement network with the potential of correcting o...

Today we go through a recent blog post by Jameson Lopp and the Casa team that goes into the clever, meticulous design used to ensure the security and recoverability of the mobile key for their Keymaster app. Don't forget to check out the Casa blog to see the other exciting announcements and ongoing developments from the Casa team. https://blog.keys.casa/casa-keymaster-security-mobile-key-overview/...

Today we reach the conclusion of Hoppe's incredible piece on the nature of fractional reserve banking and the contradictions of fiat money. With the final section, "From Deposit & Loan Banking to Fractional Reserve: The Devolution of Credit." Plus a really fun discussion as a follow-up to the entire, 3 part work. "How is Fiat Money Possible." There is no place like Mises.org. Don't forget to check...

Continuing from yesterday's episode with Part 2 of our journey through Hoppe's amazing piece on the nature and origins of the fiat money system. Could such a system ever work in a competitive market, or are there extremely specific conditions and legal restrictions which make the contradiction of irredeemable paper money, temporarily sustainable? Listen to find out. "How is Fiat Money Possible." D...

"Fiat money is the term for a medium of exchange which is neither a commercial commodity, a consumer, or a producer good, nor title to any such commodity: i.e., irredeemable paper money." Another great suggestion by @stephanlivera, we begin our dive into Hans-Hermann Hoppe's extended piece on the Devolution of money and credit, "How is Fiat Money Possible." Don't miss an incredible read and fun di...

Building on the principles discussed in our exploration of the consequences of a society without cash, we apply it to a broader principle of how the power to exit acts as a check on abuse and centralization. And who better to cover this topic with, than Nick Szabo? Today we read and discuss Szabo's blog post from 2007 titled, Exit and Freedom. Don't forget to follow Nick on Twitter and explore the...

The conclusion of The Case for Electronic Cash by Jerry Brito. Today we close out this amazing piece with the moral case for why we should not only refrain from demonizing and restricting digital cash, but we should foster and celebrate it! A huge thank you to Coin Center for this work, and don't forget to check out the incredible work they do. The original work can be downloaded here: https://coi...

Continuing with Part 2 of "The Case for Electronic Cash" from Jerry Brito and CoinCenter.org. The consequences of total dependence upon financial intermediaries and how it is already affecting people today. Don't forget to check out CoinCenter.org for tons of information on all topics around Bitcoin and cryptocurrency technologies. The original work can be downloaded here: https://coincenter.org/f...