Brandon Quittem joins me for a discussion to deconstruct the often misunderstood relationship between energy and Bitcoin. This conversation also touches on points from Brandon’s article “Bitcoin is a Pioneer Species” where he uses an ecological framework to map out the abundant future of Bitcoin mining. (apologies: we lost Robert's camera footage on this episode)
Be sure to check out NYDIG, one of the most important companies in Bitcoin: https://nydig.com/
OUTLINE 00:00:00 “What is Money?” Intro 00:00:08 Why Use Biology and Evolution as a Lens for Bitcoin Mining? 00:05:23 Energy Kickstarts Life, Wealth, and Bitcoin 00:10:10 Who is the Scapegoat for Blame in an Unevenly Distributed Economy… 00:15:08 “Bitcoin Mining is Everything You Don’t Understand About Energy” 00:20:01 Disconnecting More Energy as More Pollution 00:24:31 Kearney, Nebraska: A Town Benefiting from Bitcoin Mining 00:28:01 Three Unique Traits of Bitcoin Miners as Attractive First and Last Resort Energy Buyers 00:35:33 How Bitcoin Miners Act as a Pioneer Species to Resurrect Deserted Land 00:38:43 Complex Systems Come From Accumulated Trade and Exchange 00:42:36 Traditional Cities and Network States: Parallels of Succession in Modern Society 00:49:42 Bitcoin Energy Sponge: More Energy is Wasted Than Consumed on an Average Day 00:56:06 The Great Spreading Out and the Concept of Self-Sovereign Network States 01:03:31 NYDIG 01:04:39 The Carrot to Warfare is Smaller in the World of Network States 01:09:23 Bitcoin Incentives and the Moral Equivalent of War 01:13:30 A Fatal Deceit is That Policy is the Only Way to Order 01:18:00 The Mining Synthesis Monetizes Energy for an Abundant Future 01:25:17 “What is Money?” Outro