My guest today is Charlie Shrem. Charlie was a founding member of the Bitcoin Foundation and BitInstant - one of the earliest Bitcoin exchanges. In this episode, he takes us through his incredible life story-starting with how an Orthodox Jew from Brooklyn got into the wild world of Bitcoin. He then talks about how Bitcoin went from a toy to a real store of value, the wild success of BitInstant, his time in prison, and how he met Justin Trudeau through a robot. The story of Charlie’s adult life is in many ways mirrors the story of Bitcoin, and I hope you enjoy this episode with Charlie Shrem.
For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page HERE.
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Show Notes
(00:00:00) Welcome to Making Markets
(00:01:51) Charlie's Early Life and Bitcoin Discovery
(00:05:23) The Rise of BitInstant and Legal Troubles
(00:08:12) Life After Arrest and Bitcoin's Early Community
(00:13:59) Bitcoin's Value and Early Transactions
(00:18:20) Libertarian Influence and Political Connections
(00:24:38) Gavin Andresen and the CIA Meeting
(00:25:53) The Birth of the Bitcoin Foundation
(00:26:19) Early Bitcoin Community Gathering in Austria
(00:27:03) Forming the Bitcoin Foundation
(00:28:09) Libertarian Movement and Porkfest
(00:29:19) Bitcoin's Early Adoption and Challenges
(00:31:06) BitInstant and the Rise of Bitcoin Transactions
(00:37:47) Legal Troubles and the Silk Road Connection
(00:44:18) Life After Prison and Bitcoin's Evolution
(00:47:25) Reflections on Bitcoin's Impact and Future
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