The Crypto Conversation

Bittrex Global on Twitter

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Bittrex Global - Building a regulated altcoin exchange May 14, 2020

Show notes

Stephen Stonberg is the COO/CFO at Bittrex Global, a digital asset exchange based in Liechtenstein. Bittrex Global is a spin-off from one of the OG crypto exchanges, the original Bittrex, based in the U.S. Bittrex Global serves all Bittrex users based outside of the U.S.

Why you should listen:

Stephen Stonberg is a graduate of Harvard who spent time at Goldman Sachs. Working in the finance industry in London, Stephen became interested in the potential of the crypto asset class in 2017. After a short stint working in business development in the early days of Binance, Stephen moved to Bittrex where he is now as COO/CFO at Bittrex Global.

Key takeaway:

Bittrex Global moved from Malta to Liechtenstein. The Liechtenstein Blockchain Act that was passed in January is a good piece of legislation that best supports their exchange activities.

Liechtenstein is a professional financial services hub and is a much better fit than Malta for Bittrex Global. Bittrex Global aims for the highest possible standards of regulation, security, and compliance to protect itself and its users. A new Bittrex Global exchange token is coming soon.

Supporting links:

Bittrex Global

Stephen On Twitter

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NEM 2.0 - Launch the Catapult, Symbol is coming May 07, 2020

Show notes

Jeff McDonald is the co-founder of the NEM Foundation. Jeff was one of the first members of the NEM community and has helped build the NEM project to where it is today. NEM is preparing for the launch of Symbol (codename Catapult), the second generation of the NEM blockchain.

Why you should listen:

Jeff McDonald shares recollections of the NEM journey to date. NEM was one of the earliest enterprise blockchains and began life as a thread on the BitcoinTalk forums before growing into a top 5 market cap asset with NEM communities all over the globe. Symbol (codename Catapult) represents a full rewrite of the NEM protocol. NEM core dev Jaguar recently published an update that unifies the governance plans for all NEM ecosystem entities to support one goal - the launch of Symbol later in 2020.

Key takeaway:

In building Symbol, Jeff says NEM has applied all the learning that comes from running version 1 of their blockchain in production for four years. Symbol is a more performant, scalable, and feature-rich protocol as a result. It will become the core NEM engine, powering both private and public blockchains. Jeff says the 3 other blockchain projects that he sees as the most formidable competitors are Libra, Hyperledger, and Ethereum.

Supporting links:

Symbol Roadmap

Nem Ecosystem Updates

Safe Havens - How gold and bitcoin can adapt to a new paradigm

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Safe Havens - How gold and Bitcoin can adapt to the new paradigm Apr 30, 2020

Show notes

Chris Brookins is the founder of Valiendero Digital Assets, a quantitative cryptocurrency investment fund. Chris is the co-author of a new report titled Safe Havens - How gold and bitcoin can adapt to a new paradigm. In the current global crisis - the world is trending towards negative interest rates, money printing, and a decline in cash - traditional safe-haven assets are being turned on their head. The report explores what the function of a 21st-century safe haven should be.

Why you should listen:

Bitcoin is on the path to becoming a store of value. The narrative of bitcoin being uncorrelated with any other asset class, and being a safe haven store of value took a hit on March 12, black Thursday when it crashed along with other global markets. However, Bitcoin has since recovered, proving itself surprisingly resilient, and its recovery didn't require central bank intervention or a government bailout.

Key takeaway:

The COVID-19 pandemic is a black swan event that will impact all industries. It will affect the economy, supply chains, and political and social systems. Bitcoin is antifragile and may benefit from the current global uncertainty. However, as a risk asset, due to rising unemployment retail investors will likely have less income to buy Bitcoin.

Expectations of risk to the global economy based on historical events are underestimated because events are inherently fat-tailed and because the tail has become fatter with increased connectivity. In other words high impact, low probability events are becoming more probable.

Supporting links:

Valiendero Digital Assets

Chris on Twitter

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Sound Money - A hip-hop story about Bitcoin Apr 23, 2020

Show notes

DJ J-SCRILLA is a critically acclaimed hip-hop producer and illustrator from Washington DC. His discography includes hall of fame rappers Killer Mike, Raekwon, and Smif N Wessun. DJ J-SCRILLA has released a new hip-hop album called Sound Money that tells the story of Bitcoin, and samples John Mcafee, Hotep Jesus, and Andreas Antonopoulos. Why you should listen:

Sound Money by DJ-SCRILLA is a body of Bitcoin art combining audio clips, samples, dirty drums, and some of the hip-hop underground's best rappers. The album serves as a soundtrack for Bitcoiners and serves up audio inspiration for no-coiners interested in the future of decentralized money. This podcast features music highlights from the album including the new crypto anthem 'Faith In My Money (Money Printer Go Brrr)'.

Key takeaway:

On the hip-hop edition of the Crypto Conversation podcast, we discuss the lockdown trend that has seen top rappers engage in Instagram battles, such as the recent soundclash between DJ Premier and RZA.

DJ J-SCRILLA says "the album is not a foolishly positive take on Bitcoin. It's a rational angle that condemns the abuses of central banking and portrays Satoshi Nakamoto's currency as an alternative."

Following the Crypto Conversation hot take round, DJ J-SCRILLA shares his top 5 hip-hop albums. Sound Money is available on major streaming services.

Supporting links:

Rarescrilla.com

Money Printer Go Brrr

DJ J-Scrilla on Twitter

Sound Money on Spotify

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Capital Markets 2.0 - Fixing the Bitcoin Market's fragile infrastructure Apr 17, 2020

Show notes

Hugo Renaudin is the CEO and co-founder of LGO Group, a digital asset exchange for institutions. Hugo says that Bitcoin has a fascinating market infrastructure. It is both revolutionary, but imperfect. Hugo says the Black Thursday crash revealed underlying problems with Bitcoin's market infrastructure. The crash triggered a wave of liquidations that could have sent BTC to zero. What can be done to avoid this risk?

Why you should listen:

The Bitcoin and crypto markets have a fascinating market infrastructure that is potentially revolutionary, and a vital part of the capital markets 2.0. However, there are serious problems with Bitcoin's market infrastructure due to the centralization of existing trading platforms. These problems surfaced on Black Thursday, March 12, when the global markets crash triggered a wave of liquidations that could have sent BTC to zero on Bitmex.

Key takeaway:

Volatility is a natural part of markets but the potential for volatility remains extreme in the crypto markets. The current financial crisis means that the months and years ahead are a make or break time for Bitcoin and the digital asset space. Bitcoin emerged out of the 2008 financial crisis and it now has the potential to establish itself in the current COVID-19 economic crisis. Bitcoin is not controlled by governments, it has a fixed supply, limited inflation, and it is decentralized. That makes Bitcoin uniquely positioned as a hedge when central banks are forced to inject new fiat into the system.

Supporting links:

LGOGroup on Twitter

Hugo on Twitter

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Connecting the Unconnected - How REN is solving DeFi interoperability Apr 10, 2020

Show notes

Loong Wang is the CTO and co-founder of Ren, a DeFi protocol that enables the private, permissionless transfer of value between any blockchain. Ren is solving the blockchain interoperability problem.

Why you should listen:

Loong studied computer science and distributed systems and then became increasingly interested in the potential of blockchain and decentralized finance. The goal of Ren is generic interoperability to enable the trustless, permissionless transfer of value between blockchain. Ren is part of the DeFi ecosystem but Loong sees Ren as helping to build out the decentralized future internet.

Key takeaway:

Ren will make it possible to exchange value between different blockchains. The launch of the Ren mainnet is one month away. The goal of interoperability is to make it possible for users to exchange value on any chain, without even knowing that they are interacting with a blockchain. Everything should happen seamlessly in the background. Blade Runner is Loong's favorite sci-fi movie, a masterpiece of patient world-building and story-telling.

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Supporting links:

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Game of Attrition - Bitcoin Mining & the Bitcoin Halving during the pandemic Apr 03, 2020

Show notes

Marco Streng is the CEO of Genesis Mining, one of the largest Bitcoin cloud-mining companies. Genesis has mining locations in Iceland, Greenland, Norway, and Europe. Marco studied mathematics at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. He set up a Bitcoin mining operation in his dorm room that ended when the electricity bill arrived.

Why you should listen:

Bitcoin mining is a contest for cheap energy and efficient mining rigs. Miners who are able to operate for long time frames at low costs are in the best position. All other miners are at risk of being buffeted by external market forces.

Key takeaway:

Any professional miner is well prepared for the Bitcoin halving in May. It is a known event therefore competent miners are able to prepare for all scenarios well in advance.

Marcos says that worries about Bitcoin's energy footprint are overblown due to Bitcoin mining's increasing use of cheap renewable energy.

The Crypto Conversation is proudly sponsored by DeFi leaders NEXO

Click here to earn daily interest on your idle assets

Supporting links:

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Continuous Custody - Speed and stability in uncertain times Mar 26, 2020

Show notes

Diogo Monica is the president and co-founder of Anchorage, the leading crypto custodian for institutional investors. Anchorage was selected as a founding member of the Libra Association and recently completed a $40m Series B fundraise, led by Visa.

Why you should listen:

Diogo says that custody needs have evolved beyond simple cold storage. With proof-of-stake assets allowing on-chain governance and 24/7 trading opportunities, there's a need for a custody solution that allows institutional-grade security as well as near-instant access to assets. Anchorage aims to be the leading provider of that solution.

Key takeaway:

Anchorage uses multiple types of biometric signals and behavioral analytics about the client and device to verify their identity. This is the cutting edge of crypto custody.

Digo thinks that Facebook's Libra stablecoin will launch in some form in 2020. Anchorage is a founding member of the Libra Association.

The Crypto Conversation is proudly sponsored by DeFi leaders NEXO

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Supporting links:

Click here to borrow instantly in 45+ fiat currencies

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Snow Crash - Why Blockstack is the inverse of the world computer Mar 19, 2020

Show notes

Muneeb Ali is the co-founder and CEO of Blockstack, a decentralized computing network that gives users control of their data. Muneeb talks about the limits of Web 2.0 and how that led to an intrusive ad model, and how web 3.0 changes this model by giving individuals control of their digital sovereignty.

Why you should listen:

Muneeb explains that over a dinner with Balaji S. Srinivasan in February, Balaji convinced him that COVID-19 was about to crash the world and all precautions should be taken. Balaji was right.

The simple but robust protocol design for the Internet Protocol (IP) took the internet to 15B connected devices through the period of the fastest technological change in history. Muneeb says Bitcoin's protocol has the same properties - it is simple and robust - that's why Bitcoin is the ideal narrow waist for Web 3.

Key takeaway:

Blockstack completed its capital raise six months ago and rebalanced its portfolio in February - leaving them in a strong position to keep building in these turbulent times.

Blockstack aims to be simple and powerful - like Bitcoin. Blockstack can be thought of as the inverse of the world computer - or platform blockchains such as Ethereum and EOS.

Muneeb says that in trying and uncertain times - it is important for individuals to have a sense of purpose to help them keep pushing forward.

Snow Crash is Mnueeb's fav sci-fi novel and it informs his thinking about Web3 and Web4.

The Crypto Conversation is proudly sponsored by DeFi leaders NEXO

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Supporting links:

Blockstack

Blocktack Blog

Bitcoin as the narrow waist for Web3

Fireside chat with Balaji S. Srinivasan

Snow Crash

Simulation Theory

Why Decentralization Matters

Google creepily records you

Muneeb on Twitter