Chat #48 – Sovereignty in a Box with Matt Hill
Are we on the verge of a new revolution in personal computing? Matt Hill and the team at Start9Labs believes we are, and are helping to build our path through it to a brighter future. How do we re-decentralize the internet? By what means can we break the censored, centralized, surveilled “cloud” into a thousand encrypted, distributed, and private pieces? That is the mission at the heart of Start9Labs. Don’t miss this awesome discussion to learn more.
If you want to explore what Matt and the team are building, go to Start9Labs.com and/or follow them on Twitter to stay up to date on the project
https://twitter.com/start9labs
https://start9labs.com/
Don’t forget about the discount code “BitcoinAudible” for the 7th Annual Hackers Congress! Visit https://digital-totality.hcpp.cz/ to learn all about the awesome speakers and fascinating workshops and topics covered for a full weekend at the true cypherpunk conference.
A huge thank you to our supporters! Our patrons for being awesome and keeping this project alive, and of course HexaWallet for supporting the show and helping to build excellent tools for our Bitcoin future. Don’t forget to check out the Hexa wallet on the App store or find out more at HexaWallet.io
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Read_445 – A Human Rights Response to Bitcoin Critics [Alex Gladstein]
“Contrary to what the critics would have you believe with all of their scary language about fraud and risk, when I send an on-chain Bitcoin transaction to you, it will get to you, no matter what. There is no point of censorship, seizure, or control.” – Alex Gladstein
A great throw back from Alex Gladstein where he makes a response to the old and tired criticisms of Bitcoin. Is it stupid to think we would want to hold our own passwords to our money, or it is a revolutionary new tool in the global quest for human rights and individual freedom? A great response for the next time you come across and ignorant critic, who needs a dose of truth.
Check out the original below! Drop some applause and see his other articles on Medium:
https://medium.com/@alexgladstein/a-human-rights-activists-response-to-bitcoin-critics-d50e6760ee80
You can always his the book he helped author all about Bitcoin and the impact it could have on the world, available in paperback and in audiobook read by yours truly at the link below:
https://www.amazon.com/Little-Bitcoin-Book-Matters-Finances/dp/1641990503/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=little+Bitcoin+book&qid=1601337759&sr=8-3
And of course a huge thanks to Hexa for supporting the podcast, and our wonderful patrons! Check out Hexa below:
Hexawallet.io
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Read_444 – Things Bitcoiners Don’t Want to Hear [Shinobi]
“I am talking about the inability to confront shortcomings with layers of the system. The inability to confront substantial threats or attack surfaces that are not being worked on in terms of creating solutions and defenses.” – Shinobi
Being bullish is tons of fun, and getting cosmic about the impact & world shattering implications of Bitcoin is even more so… but sometimes we need to take a sober step back, and remember that this is just code at the end of the day. It is a network, with trade offs, limitations, and many problems to overcome. A great piece from Shinobi (@brian_trollz) taking a hard look at Lightning, mining, and Bitcoin’s censorship resistance as it stands today, and reminding us to stay focused on the problems, not get lost in our dreams of the future.
Check out the original and drop some applause at the link below:
https://medium.com/block-digest-mempool/things-bitcoiners-dont-want-to-hear-33823c2e984
A huge thank you to my Patrons, and of course Hexa Wallet for supporting the podcast! This is only possible with your support, and it is massively appreciated. Don’t forget to download and check out Hexa if you haven’t yet. A Bitcoin-only, non-custodial, seedless, mobile wallet with tons of cool features. Find them at Hexawallet.io or on Twitter at @HexaWallet
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Read_443 – On Bitcoin’s User Experience [DerGigi]
“Some concepts are essential, removing them because you want a better UX might turn out to be fatal.” – Gigi
En excellent piece from SwanBitcoin blog today by the one and only Gigi. Thoughts on the trade-offs, the previous leaps that have been made, and the distance still to go on the problem of Bitcoin’s user experience. Plus, Guy talks about what it was like using Bitcoin in the “good ol’ days” before seed phrases and deterministic wallets.
Check out the crazy images of the early internet and links to check out more in the original article below:
https://www.swanbitcoin.com/on-bitcoins-ux
Don’t forget to follow Gigi on social media for more awesome work:
https://twitter.com/dergigi
Check out today’s sponsor! Download the Hexa Wallet at the link below or on the Google or Apple App stores.
Hexawallet.io
Other great tools mentioned in this episode to check out for the tinkerers out there!
Hexa Wallet
Casa Multisig wallet
Green Wallet
Strike
Breez Lightning
Pheonix Lightning
Caravan Multisig by Unchained
Lily Wallet
Umbrel
Lunanode
Cobo Vault
Foundation Passport
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Read_442 – DLCs are on Bitcoin! New Functionality & Potential [Ben Carman]
“DLCs are uniquely positioned to bring smart contracting to Bitcoin using oracle contracts that are much more private and scalable than previously thought possible.” – Ben Carman
Ben Carman, a developer with the awesome team at SuredBits, drops a BitcoinMagazine article today laying out Discreet Log Contracts and how they can be an exciting new addition to the functionality and power of the Bitcoin system. Privacy, cost savings, and non participating oracles to real world events; DLCs bring a new layer to both decentralizing markets on Bitcoin & the Lightning network. Listen to today’s episode to find out more!
Check out the SuredBits blog for tons of awesome work about DLCs and so many other great technologies being built on Bitcoin:
https://suredbits.com/category/discreet-log-contracts/
Find the original article and tons of other great works at BitcoinMagazine below. Stay up on new events and learn tons about Bitcoin!
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/dlcs-are-on-bitcoin-bringing-new-functionality-and-major-potential
A thanks to today’s sponsor Hexa Wallet and the killer wallet they are building! Seedless backups, built in batching, multisig savings, & more! Hit me up if you want to be one of my contacts!
http://hexawallet.io/
Lastly a big thanks to the LTBNetwork for sharing this out with their amazing audience! Check out the other awesome shows at LetsTalkBitcoin.com
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Chat #47 – Magic Gold with Michael Saylor
Today we bring on Michael Saylor, CEO of MicroStrategy after they have announced a $425 million investment into Bitcoin. With a move to making Bitcoin their dominant treasury reserve asset, we talk all about fundamental shifts in technology, the innovation of Bitcoin as a monetary asset, the dematerialization of money, and the impact it will have on the future.
Don’t forget to follow Michael on social media and check out his excellent book “The Mobile Wave” for some interesting thoughts on past technological shifts:
https://twitter.com/michael_saylor
https://www.amazon.com/Mobile-Wave-Intelligence-Change-Everything/dp/1593157207/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+mobile+wave&qid=1600459046&sr=8-1
Check out our sponsor for today’s show and their awesome, new, feature-rich Bitcoin wallet
Website: Hexawallet.io
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hexa-simple-bitcoin-wallet/id1490205837
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.hexawallet.hexa
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Read_441 – Bitcoin, A Novel Economic Institution by ARKinvest [Part 2]
“Instead of relying on accountants, regulators, and the government, Bitcoin relies on a global network of peers to enforce rules, shifting enforcement from manual, local, and inconsistent to automated, global, and predictable.” – Yassine Elmandjra
Finishing out the great investment thesis on Bitcoin by Yassine from ARKinvest. Now the we have broken down the 4 critical economic assurances for prosperity and how the trust-based model has failed to deliver them… how does Bitcoin compare as a financial institution? Does it truly provide these assurances in a unique way, and how strong are they?
Today’s read is the second half of Bitcoin: A Novel Economic Institution:
Link to the full paper – https://ark-invest.com/white-papers/bitcoin-part-one/
Get a head start on Part 2 by going to the ARKinvest site below:
https://ark-invest.com/white-papers/
Another great piece by Yassine covered on the show,
Winner Takes All, or Winner Takes Most? – https://anchor.fm/thecryptoconomy/episodes/CryptoQuikRead_204—Winner-Takes-All–or-Winner-Takes-Most–Misir-Mahmudov–Yassine-Elmandjra-e30vht
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Read_440 – Bitcoin, A Novel Economic Institution by ARKinvest [Part 1]
“If one transaction can be censored and controlled, can’t all transactions be censored and controlled? Can’t the powers-that-be deprive participants of the ability to exchange value globally and freely?” – Yassine Elmandjra
Starting into the first half of a great investment thesis on Bitcoin by Yassine from ARKinvest. Digging into the core economic assurances of the financial system and how the legacy, trust based model of financial authority has failed in providing them. Where have they broken down, and what has fundamentally caused it? And how does it compare to the unique economic tool of Bitcoin?
Today’s read, Bitcoin: A Novel Economic Institution [Part 1]
Link to the full paper – https://ark-invest.com/white-papers/bitcoin-part-one/
Another great piece by Yassine covered on the show,
Winner Takes All, or Winner Takes Most? – https://anchor.fm/thecryptoconomy/episodes/CryptoQuikRead_204—Winner-Takes-All–or-Winner-Takes-Most–Misir-Mahmudov–Yassine-Elmandjra-e30vht
And Hasu’s excellent piece,
Promise of Independent Property Rights – https://anchor.fm/thecryptoconomy/episodes/CryptoQuikRead_225—Bitcoin–the-Promise-of-Independent-Property-Rights-Hasu–Su-Zhu-e3j6b8
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Read_439 – Genesis Files: Hal’s Quest for Digital Cash [Aaron van Wirdum]
“Most Cypherpunk veterans on the Cryptography mailing list had by then seen one too many electronic cash experiments come and go, without any real successes to account for…”
“But Hal Finney, ever the optimist, wasn’t ready to give up.” – Aaron Van Wirdum
Another in the amazing “Genesis Files” series from Bitcoin Magazine, Aaron walks us through the history and the legacy of Hal Finney. From the introduction to the cypherpunks list, to the implementation of RPOW, all the way to Hal “running Bitcoin.” Another excellent installment. If you want to learn more about the history of the cypherpunks and the forefathers of the Bitcoin system, the Genesis files is not to be missed.
Link to the original, with the other installments linked below:
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/the-genesis-files-how-hal-finneys-quest-for-digital-cash-led-to-rpow-and-more
Genesis Files: Chaum’s eCash
https://anchor.fm/thecryptoconomy/episodes/CryptoQuikRead_058—The-Genesis-Files-How-David-Chaum-Spawned-a-Cypherpunk-Dream-e2ndsp
Genesis Files: Wei Dai’s B-Money
https://anchor.fm/thecryptoconomy/episodes/CryptoQuikRead_107—If-Bitcoin-Had-a-First-Draft–Wei-Dais-B-Money-Was-It-Aaron-Van-Wirdum-e2ndra
Genesis Files: Adam Back’s Hashcash
https://anchor.fm/thecryptoconomy/episodes/CryptoQuikRead_095—The-Genesis-Files-Hashcash-or-How-Adam-Back-Designed-Bitcoins-Motor-Block-e2ndrl
Genesis Files: Szabo’s BitGold
https://anchor.fm/thecryptoconomy/episodes/CryptoQuikRead_111—Genesis-Files—With-Bit-Gold–Nick-Szabo-Was-Inches-From-BTC–Aaron-Van-Wirdum-e2ndr5
Hal’s Bitcoin & Me:
https://anchor.fm/thecryptoconomy/episodes/Hals-Day—Bitcoin–Me-reboot-eiq0gl
A huge thanks to Bitcoin Magazine and the Let’s Talk Bitcoin Network!
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Guy’s Take – Open Source Society in a Patented World [#31]
In a world drowning in patent trolls, insane intellectual property restrictions, and a reality where someone who neither can build a product, nor came up with the idea, could make millions by suing those who wish to use it… how can we protect an open source ethos in the Bitcoin and cryptocurrency space? How do we defend an alternative financial system from the intellectual prisons of the legacy system it is replacing?
Another major initiative is bringing us one step closer to that future thanks to Square, the owner of Cash App. Behind major donations to developers, even those who are anonymous, a new move to protect individual developers, projects, and even major companies from the turbulent environment of patent aggressors has been launched. We dig into COPA and the need for continuing the open source ethos of Bitcoin in today’s Guy’s Take episode!
What are the morality & ethics of Intellectual Property? Check out my recent conversation with the one and only Stephan Kinsella:
https://anchor.fm/thecryptoconomy/episodes/Chat-46—Stephan-Kinsella-on-Intellectual-Property-in-the-age-of-Bitcoin-ej9fto
An old, but great article from Bitcoin Magazine about previous troubles in the patent arena & Blockstream’s previous work in defending the market:
https://anchor.fm/thecryptoconomy/episodes/CryptoQuikRead_020—There-is-a-Bitcoin-Patent-War-Going-On-e2ndu8
And of course learn about or join the “Crypto Open Patent Alliance” if you are building a project or want to know more at the link below:
open-patent.org
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Read_438 – Blockchain Proof of Work is a Decentralized Clock [grisha]
“This explanation rests on illustrating a few interesting properties of how Proof-of-Work is used in the blockchain that are not immediately obvious and sometimes are rather counter-intuitive, for example how participants collectively solve a problem without ever communicating.” – grisha
While we incessantly focus on the side-effects of the proof-of-work system in Bitcoin, the security it attributes to the Bitcoin history, the incentive structure it enables, etc, we can often forget the reason Satoshi himself stated for its use: to enable a distributed timestamp server. i.e. a decentralized clock.
An epic piece from @humblehack posted back in January 2018 on his blog at grisha.org. Check out the original and many other works at the link below:
https://grisha.org/blog/2018/01/23/explaining-proof-of-work/
Other great reads to dig further into the concepts:
The Drunkard’s Walk: https://amzn.to/2Mzzr2K
Fooled By Randomness: https://www.amazon.com/Fooled-Randomness-Hidden-Markets-Incerto/dp/0812975219/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=fooled+by+randomness&qid=1599781258&s=books&sr=1-1
Bitcoin Astronomy: https://anchor.fm/thecryptoconomy/episodes/CryptoQuikRead_303—Bitcoin-Astronomy-Part-1—Dhruv-Bansal-e6eqo5
Thanks to Marty & Chris from TFTC for bringing this to my attention again:
Episode 188: https://anchor.fm/tales-from-the-crypt/episodes/188-Chris-Bendiksen-ein7nj
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Read_437 – A Monetary Layer for the Internet [Thibaud Marechal]
“The project was initially understood as yet another doomed attempt to construct a digital currency by the disillusioned cypherpunk community. And without anyone’s permission, Bitcoin slowly emerged and diligently grew to become adopted by a small group of computer researchers, cryptographers and engineers curious to decipher the technology.” – Thibaud Marechal
Another great article at Bitcoin Magazine on the history of the internet, and how Bitcoin finally fulfills the ultimate vision of a monetary protocol native to the world wide web. After decades of failed attempts, we finally have an independent, decentralized, native language for communicating, verifying, and exchanging value in cyberspace. A new world is born.
The original article and a bunch of other great piece can be found at Bitcoin Magazine below:
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/a-monetary-layer-for-the-internet
Links to other episodes and works mentioned in today’s show:
Guy’s Take – The Internet is Too Complex to Work
https://anchor.fm/thecryptoconomy/episodes/GuysTake_008—The-Lightning-of-my-TCP–or-How-the-Internet-is-Too-Complex-to-Work-e32omd
The Bitcoin Survivor’s Book List:
https://thecryptoconomy.com/bitcoin-survivors-book-list/
Stack sats automatically in your DCA Bitcoin savings plan at SwanBitcoin.com/Guy and get $10 for FREE to start off!
Much love to the Let’s Talk Bitcoin Network for sharing this show out with their audience, and the other excellent shows they produce for the Bitcoin space!
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