Is Decentralization a Core Ethos of Bitcoin?

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I think there are two main headwinds against decentralization for most of these other protocols compared to Bitcoin. The more you try to do in terms of throughput or complexity on the base layer, the harder it is to run a node. And if a node is getting bigger, faster than technology is improving, like for storage and bandwidth, then you're going to get more and more centralized. But when you look at a global scale and long term, I think that's where you're likely to see some alternative payment rails be developed.

In this week's episode of 0xResearch, Lyn Alden explains macro markets and DeFi's shortcomings. Lyn is an absolute force in macro market analysis and is one of the few macro investors who understands crypto. In this conversation, we discuss if the Fed can manage a soft landing, if DeFi is only a closed loop of speculation, why smart contract protocols naturally centralize over time, the future of Bitcoin and more!

And as usual, we start the episode with our analyst Hot Seat/Cool Throne segment, where we debate Blur's airdrop, Curve's future, the market rally and more!

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:43) Hot Seat/Cool Throne

(29:12) Blockworks Research

(30:11) Interview Start: Lyn Alden

(30:29) The State of Macro Markets

(43:02) GBTC: a Good or Bad Product for BTC Exposure?

(45:19) DeFi’s Speculative Closed Loop

(50:57) The Promise of Stablecoins

(57:39) Tokenization of RWAs

(1:01:20) Bitcoin vs Smart Contract Platforms

(1:05:21) Bitcoin’s Longevity

(1:10:05) Ordinals and Bitcoin’s Blockspace

(1:14:47) Decentralized Social

(1:17:41) Using BTC to Buy a Cup of Coffee

(1:23:18) Headwinds Against Decentralization

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Resources:

Westie's protocol-specific stablecoin report

https://www.blockworksresearch.com/research/protocol-specific-stablecoins

Lyn Alden's website

https://www.lynalden.com/

The Problems with DeFi & Crypto (by Lyn Alden)

https://www.lynalden.com/defi-problems/

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Disclaimer: Nothing said on 0xResearch is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Dan, Sam, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.