Stephan Livera Podcast

Latest Episodes:

How Many People Can Use Lightning? LSP Specs with Severin Buhler (SLP531) Dec 05, 2023

Show notes

How many people can use Bitcoin and Lightning today? Severin Buhler from Synonym joins me to talk about the LSP spec as well as lightning development. We talk about how the new LSP spec will enable more wallet builders, and more user choice, as well as smoothing the process for LSPs to compete:

What is an LSP
A marketplace of LSPs
Competition between jurisdictions
Wallet of Satoshi news
How many people can use lightning?
LSP business models
LSPS1 and 2
JIT Channels
Asynchronous payments
Blocktank

Links:

Sponsors:

Swan.com (code LIVERA)
CoinKite.com (code LIVERA)
Mempool.space

Stephan Livera links:

Follow me on X @stephanlivera
Subscribe to the podcast

Growing a Bitcoin Circular Economy with Fernando Motolese (Bitcoin Beach Brazil & Bitcoinize POS) (SLP530) Dec 03, 2023

Show notes

There are various Bitcoin ‘circular economies’ but we talk with Fernando Motolese about how he started Bitcoin Beach Brazil, as well as his efforts in creating a new merchant POS terminal device, Bitcoinize. We discuss:

How Bitcoin Beach Brazil started
Onboarding merchants
Bolt card
Tech stack
Tourists and Locals experience
Bitcoinize device
HODL vs Spend
Fundraising

Links:

Fernando Motolese X: @MotoleseOficial
Bitcoinize site: bitcoinize.com
Bitcoinize POS on X: @BitcoinizePOS
Bitcoin Beach BR fundraiser: https://donate.praiabitcoin.org/
X: @BitcoinBeachBR

Sponsors:

Swan.com (code LIVERA)
CoinKite.com (code LIVERA)
Mempool.space

Stephan Livera links:

Follow me on X @stephanlivera
Subscribe to the podcast

Ciudad Morazán with Massimo Mazzone (SLP529) Dec 01, 2023

Show notes

Free Private Cities are an exciting attempt at a new model for private governance. I’ve previously spoken with leaders in this movement such as Titus Gebel and Peter Young. Today I’m speaking with the founder of Ciudad Morazan, another free private city in Honduras. This one is a little different to the others you may have heard of, as this one is more focused on ‘blue collar’ workers, families, and businesses. We talk about the free private cities model and how it is being applied differently here with Massimo Mazzone, founder. Topics:

Free Private City Model
Taxes
How many live in Morazan
ZEDE law
Comparison with Prospera
Morazan’s 4 advantages
Scaling up
Amenities available
Growth
No legal tender law

Links:

X: @MassimoMazzone4
Site: morazan.city

Sponsors:

Swan.com (code LIVERA)
CoinKite.com (code LIVERA)
Mempool.space

Stephan Livera links:

Follow me on X @stephanlivera
Subscribe to the podcast

Bitcoin Mining Decentralisation with Ocean - Bitcoin Mechanic (SLP528) Nov 29, 2023

Show notes

Has Bitcoin’s Mining ecosystem become centralised? What can be done about it? Bitcoin Mechanic from Ocean joins me to talk:

Hashers vs Miners
Different pool payout methods
Stratum v2
Block withholding attacks
What Ocean is doing about it
Fees
Lightning payouts

Links:

X: @GrassFedBitcoin
Site: ocean.xyz/event
X: @ocean_mining
Article: Are Mining Pools Becoming a Problem?

Sponsors:

Swan.com (code LIVERA)
CoinKite.com (code LIVERA)
Mempool.space

Stephan Livera links:

Follow me on X @stephanlivera
Subscribe to the podcast

Has Business Been Exploiting Labour since 1971? with Gene Epstein (SLP527) Nov 20, 2023

Show notes

Many Bitcoiners have seen or shared around the images that show Labour Compensation (wages and other benefits) diverging from Labour Productivity since 1971, particularly from sites such as wtfhappenedin1971.com. Rejoining me today is Gene Epstein to break down why this chart is flawed! We also talk about broader issues around CPI, whether inflation is over or undercounted, and cost of living pressures that so many people are facing today. The conclusions will surprise you!We talk:

Labour Compensation and Productivity
Nominal dollars and issues with price indexes
Is CPI overstated?
Are we poorer than we used to be?
Cost of living crisis
Can you make it on a single income these days?
The real problems

Links:

X: @GeneSohoForum
WTFhappenedin1971 site spoken about: https://wtfhappenedin1971.com/
Gene’s Soho Forum Website: https://www.thesohoforum.org/
Book: Econospinning: How to Read Between the Lines When the Media Manipulate the Numbers
Gene’s Mises Institute Lecture cited: https://youtu.be/h9BE1YIrqyE?si=J5ia_Q18OjGcdB6-

Sponsors:

Swan.com (code LIVERA)
CoinKite.com (code LIVERA)
Mempool.space

Stephan Livera links:

Follow me on X @stephanlivera
Subscribe to the podcast

Don’t Lose Your Coins with NVK (SLP526) Nov 19, 2023

Show notes

How do you prevent loss of your coins? What are some critical steps that are commonly missed? NVK and I discuss a recent case of a HODLer losing 25 BTC, as well as talk about updates in Bitcoin security.

Links:

X: @NVK
Nostr: npub1az9xj85cmxv8e9j9y80lvqp97crsqdu2fpu3srwthd99qfu9qsgstam8y8
Site: Coinkite.com

Sponsors:

Swan.com (code LIVERA)
CoinKite.com (code LIVERA)
Mempool.space

Stephan Livera links:

Follow me on X @stephanlivera
Subscribe to the podcast

Bitcoin’s Blocksize Scarcity with Bob Burnett of Barefoot Mining (SLP525) Nov 14, 2023

Show notes

When you need to send a Bitcoin transaction, you need Bitcoin blockspace. But blockspace is scarce! CEO of Barefoot Mining, Bob Burnett and I chat about this, and what you can do about it.

Blockspace scarcity and explanation
What you can do about it
UTXO management
Different types of miner
Miner’s Trilemma
Arguments against public company mining
Mining NOT being a leverage play on Bitcoin
Public vs private miners
Gateway going public
Core Scientific bankruptcy
Mining decentralisation

Links:

X: @boomer_btc
Site: Barefoot Mining
Old Man Yells: @OldManYells-btc
Satoshi’s Heel article mentioned: SATOSHI’S HEEL: IS MINING INFRASTRUCTURE A VULNERABILITY THAT COULD TAKE DOWN BITCOIN?

Sponsors:

Swan.com (code LIVERA)
CoinKite.com (code LIVERA)
Mempool.space

Stephan Livera links:

Follow me on X @stephanlivera
Subscribe to the podcast

Natalism and Bitcoiners with Malcolm Collins (SLP524) Nov 09, 2023

Show notes

Is there a demographic collapse coming? What could or should be done about it? Is there any connection with Bitcoiner culture? Malcolm Collins has a background in VC and Private Equity, and he is a co-founder of The Pronatalist Foundation. He has spent a lot of time speaking about this problem and has some great insights to share: