Stephan Livera Podcast

We’re all bullish on bitcoin, but will transactions take place on Lightning Network or other layers and tech? Udi and Eric join me on the show to discuss. Monetary demand for bitcoin How much payment demand is there? Privacy, custody and other trade offs Stablecoin payment demand Platform risks of ETH Links: Udi Wertheimer: HaveFunStayingPoor.com Eric Wall: @ercwl Sponsors: Swan Bitcoin Knox Custo...

John Newbery joins me to talk about his new bitcoin research and development center, Brink. John is a regular Bitcoin Core contributor, works on Bitcoin Optech, started PR Review Club, and mentors new bitcoin core developers. In this show we talk: Why Brink Priorities for development Mentoring new developers Bitcoin development culture John Newbery links: Twitter: @Jfnewbery Site: Brink.dev Other...

Hong Fang, CEO of OKCoin joins me to talk about: Her pathway to learning about Bitcoin Bitcoin’s current status in the market Funding Bitcoin development Focus and priorities for development Identifying talent Links: Hong Fang: @hfangca Developer grants: https://developergrant.okcoin.com/ Relevant episodes: SLP214 Pierre Rochard & Fabian Jahr – Where Are All The Bitcoins? Sponsors: Swan Bitcoi...

Will Bitcoin enable the Sovereign Individual thesis to play out? Or will the state successfully find some counter to retain the level of taxation, surveillance and control that they currently enjoy? Robert Breedlove and Jesse Lawler join me on the show to debate. Links: Twitter: @breedlove22 Parallax Digital: Parallax Digital Twitter: @lawlerpalooza Sponsors: Swan Bitcoin Knox Custody Bitcoin Blac...

What is DeFi? Should it be a thing in Bitcoin or is that just an altcoin gambling thing? Max Keidun, CEO of Hodl Hodl joins me to talk about Bitcoin DeFi and Hodl Hodl’s new product, Lend. We talk: Bitcoin DeFi Hodl Hodl Lend Opening up a whole new lending market Risks Costs How it might develop Max Keidun links: Twitter: @keidunm Hodl Hodl Prior episodes: SLP56 Max Keidun & Roman Snitko of Ho...

You’re probably familiar with Bitcoin node packages, so what’s different here with Embassy and EmbassyOS? Matt Hill & Aiden McClelland of Start9 Labs join me to talk about shifting to a more personally sovereign paradigm, and what kinds of technology and hardware can take us there. We talk about: What EmbassyOS is What’s different vs bitcoin node packages Integrating Lightning into EmbassyOS P...

What are some common errors that people make when learning how to self custody? Should you use multi signature? Where does NVK agree / disagree with Michael Flaxman? NVK, CEO of CoinKite rejoins me on the show to discuss this and more. Bitcoin multi signature Bitcoin backups and walletsrecovery.org Bitcoin security Blockclock Mini BitcoinTreasuries.org Nvk's Links: Twitter: @NVK Site: coinkite.com...

Preston Pysh of We Study Billionaires joins me on the show to talk about what Bitcoin’s final cycle might look like. How would we know if we’re going through the final cycle? How likely is it? Will corporates buying bitcoin be weak hands or strong hands? What about governments trying to shut Bitcoin down? Preston Pysh‘s Links: Twitter: @PrestonPysh We Study Billionaires Prior episodes: SLP109 Pres...

Confused about what MuSig2 is? As Bitcoin’s Schnorr Taproot soft fork has now been merged into Bitcoin Core (but not yet activated), it’s worthwhile understanding what some of the new multisignature schemes are for using Taproot. Jonas Nick and Tim Ruffing, cryptographers working at Blockstream join me on the show to talk about their latest, MuSig2. Jonas Nick ‘s Links: Twitter: @n1ckler Tim Ruffi...

What are the considerations for your business in holding bitcoin? Should you self custody with multi signature for improved security and control? Joe Kelly and Dhruv Bansal, CEO and CSO of Unchained Capital join me to chat. We talk: What business owners have to consider How to custody bitcoin Unchained Capital’s solution Coldcard Financialisation of computer networks Challenges of being a bitcoin...

Is Bitcoin a democracy? Or is it more like a natural order? What about democracy in general, does that protect human rights and enable human flourishing? Saifedean and Alex Gladstein debate the question of whether democracy promotes human flourishing. This was moderated by Stephan Livera, initially on Saifedean’s online seminar. Saifedean 's Links: Twitter: @saifedean Saifedean.com Alex Gladstein...

What are Discreet Log Contracts? Are they just for degenerate gamblers or is there a business use here? Nadav Kohen of Suredbits joins me to talk about what they are, why they’re useful and how they work. Why Use DLCs over multisig? Trust and Privacy Funding and Contract Execution Transactions Oracles and associated problems Lightning DLCs DLC Spec Nadav ‘s Links: Twitter:  @ nadav_kohen Sure...

Philip Haslam and Russ Lamberti join me to talk about their book on Zimbabwe and hyperinflation, When Money Destroys Nations. We chat about: Where hyperinflation has happened before The culture of debt & entitlement Print and spend vs loan and spend The stages or ‘gorge moments’ Financial repression Liquidity obfuscation How might future hyperinflation episodes play out Links: Website: whenmon...

Godfrey Bloom, Austrian economist, former politician, and libertarian author joins me to talk. Godfrey is a self proclaimed goldbug, and in this conversation we explore Bitcoin and his recent discussion on it. We chat about: Bitcoin’s use as reserve asset Some similarities and differences between Bitcoin and Gold Central Banking Welfare Statism Links: Twitter: @Goddersbloom Website: godfreybloom.u...

Why is Bitcoin so exciting? How does Silicon Valley culture influence it? Gloria Zhao, bitcoin core contributor joins me to talk: Silicon Valley culture influences Teaching blockchain, then getting more into Bitcoin Being mentored by Bitcoin core developers Bitcoin PR Review club Map of the Bitcoin Network Gloria 's Links: Twitter: @glozow Github: Glozow Article: Map of the Bitcoin network Relevan...

After terrifying everyone with his prior SLP appearance re: hardware wallet security, Michael Flaxman rejoins me on the show to talk about his new multisig guide to help users secure their coins without any single point of failure. We cover: What’s improved in the space since last year Why you need to eliminate SPOFs (Single Points of Failure) Comparison of current hardware wallets Multi sig servi...

Why does auditing Bitcoin matter? Why won’t the supply ever actually reach 21 million? Pierre Rochard of Kraken and Fabian Jahr (Bitcoin Core contributor) join me on the show to talk. Bitcoin supply Auditing Gettxoutset Bitcoin Core coin stats index More in depth bitcoin accounting Links: Fabian Jahr github: @fjahr Fabian Jahr: @fjahr Article: https://fjahr.com/posts/where-are-the-coins/ Pierre Ro...

Why did MicroStrategy buy $425 million of Bitcoin and adopt it as Primary Treasury Reserve Asset? How did the team learn about Bitcoin? What is driving people to learn about Bitcoin in this high inflation environment? Michael Saylor, CEO of MicroStrategy joins me to discuss. Links: Twitter: @michael_saylor Sponsors: Swan Bitcoin Unchained Capital (code LIVERA) Knox Custody Stephan Livera links: Sh...

Bitcoin custody insurance has been hotly debated in the industry, with concerns around the volatility, its feasibility, and whether it makes sense. What's Knox doing differently? Alex Daskalov, CEO of Knox Custody joins me to discuss these questions. Alex links: Alex Twitter: @daskalov Knox Custody: @knoxcustody Sponsors: Swan Bitcoin Unchained Capital (code LIVERA) Knox Custody Stephan Livera lin...

What grants have Square Crypto given? How can Bitcoin design be improved? How can Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Patents be protected for the community and permissionless innovation to continue apace? Steve Lee of Square Crypto joins me to talk about some of the latest. Links: Steve twitter: @moneyball COPA Thread: https://twitter.com/sqcrypto/status/1304087270736236544 Bitcoin Design: https://medium....

How do you watch Bitcoin’s mempool? What tools should we use? What are the implications longer term for a blockspace market? Sergej Kotliar, CEO of Bitrefill joins me to talk about this and more: Mempool watching and what tools are needed Blockspace market longer term Lightning adoption Bitcoin Privacy and ‘bad actors’ COVID and Bitcoiners Sergej links: Twitter: @ziggamon Bitrefill: Bitrefill.com...

Is Bitcoin user culture going the wrong way? Or are these general cultural things? What should be the approach around avoiding KYC? What new features are coming to Samourai Wallet? Samourai Wallet joins me to discuss. Samourai Wallet links: Site: samouraiwallet.com Twitter: @samouraiwallet Prior episodes: SLP150 Samourai Wallet – Make Every Bitcoin Spend a Coinjoin Sponsors: Swan Bitcoin Unchained...

Does money need a non-monetary use? Will the government return to a gold standard? Are we doomed to repeat the same cycle of fiat money? Peter Schiff, CEO Euro Pacific Capital, chairman of Schiff Gold, and host of Schiff Radio joins me to discuss. Peter links: Twitter: @PeterSchiff Schiff Radio: schiffradio.com Euro Pac: europac.com Sponsors: Swan Bitcoin Unchained Capital (code LIVERA) Knox Custo...

What’s the latest with the Lightning Network? What will it mean when channels go large sized with wumbo? How is the network and ecosystem growing? Laolu (roasbeef) CTO of Lightning Labs joins me to talk. Links: Twitter: @roasbeef Lnd 0.11 post Lightning labs: Lightning.engineering Lightning Labs twitter: @lightning Prior episode: SLP39 Olaoluwa Osuntokun (Roasbeef), CTO of Lightning Labs Sponsors:...

Have you wondered how to recover bitcoins from a seed? Maybe your friend doesn’t remember which wallet they used? In this episode with Luke Childs, we talk about how to recover them into Electrum with his newly written tool. We also talk about Umbrel, a new node package promising very easy set up. We also chat about security, development and bitcoin coding. Links: Twitter: @lukechilds Github: http...