63 - The Crypto Renaissance | Josh Rosenthal

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May 3, 2021

Josh Rosenthal, a partner at 6ixth Event Cataclysmic Capital and former historian, draws captivating parallels between the European Renaissance and the rise of cryptocurrency. He discusses how the internet and blockchain signify a modern cultural revolution, potentially marking our era as the Crypto Renaissance. The conversation explores the shift from centralization to decentralization, similar to historical shifts, and highlights figures like Martin Luther and Satoshi Nakamoto who challenged existing power structures. This dialogue urges listeners to reflect on history's cyclical nature in shaping today's financial landscape.

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INSIGHT

Medieval Aggregation

The Middle Ages can be characterized by aggregated value and centralized information.
Wealth and power were consolidated, and culture flowed top-down from the Church and nobility.

INSIGHT

Church Control

The Church's power in the Middle Ages stemmed from controlling wealth (primarily land) and information (what was considered true).
Bottom-up cultural expressions were permitted only insofar as the Church allowed.

ANECDOTE

Modern Permissioning

Josh Rosenthal attempted to buy a Bitcoin conference pass but was denied by American Express due to the subject matter.
This anecdote highlights how institutions still exert control over individual financial decisions.

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Josh Rosenthal is a former historian and is now a partner at 6ixth Event Cataclysmic Capital. In today's episode, we take a wide lens and examine the similarities between the European Renaissance and what is happening in today's society with both the internet and blockchain technology.

Will future historians call this the Crypto Renaissance?

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------ Bankless Podcast #63 - The Crypto Renaissance Guest: Josh Rosenthal

Josh Rosenthal holds a Ph.D. in Late Medieval / Early Modern European History, and received a Fulbright Scholarship to the Sorbonne’s Institute for Advanced Studies, think tank mixing culture, history, and technology. Josh is no longer a practicing historian and is instead a partner at ‘6ixth Event Cataclysmic Capital’, which supports early-stage founders targeting cataclysmic impact.

Here on Bankless, we do not necessarily view history as repetitive, but certainly as cyclical. If you're haven't already, check out Strauss & Howe's book 'The Fourth Turning' for a sober and salient account of what modern historiography is missing when it comes to interpreting societal ebbs and flows. Historical patterns are difficult to objectively pin down and create uniform laws that apply across the life cycle of a civilization. However, there are key concepts that are sticky and are often found in pivotal moments in history.

In this episode with Josh, we explore the sticky concepts of value and information.What does it mean for society when there are massive infrastructural changes to these things? The progress of civilization, on a macro scale, inevitably boils down to how we view, understand, create, and distribute communication and commerce. The European Renaissance, beginning in the 15th Century, is a fascinating example of a society undergoing fundamental changes in its relationship with value and information.

Two pieces of technology, the Printing Press and Double-Entry Bookkeeping, laid the foundation for a massive societal revolution that launched Europe into modernity. The late Middle Ages were increasingly hierarchical, in which value & information were held by an oligarchic feudal system. The Printing Press was a communication technology that decentralized access to information, such that Martin Luther was able to use it to spark the Protestant Reformation. Double-Entry Bookkeeping was an ancient practice rediscovered in Italy in around 1300, and this financial technology catapulted the Medici family into a flourishing age of art, culture, and redistribution.

The pendulum of history, according to Josh, swings between aggregation and distribution. Are we experiencing a pendulum swing now? Is the Internet the Printing Press of the information age? Will Blockchain Technology be the revolutionary piece of fintech that Double-Entry Bookkeeping was? Are we at the start of the next Renaissance – a Crypto Renaissance?

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Topics Covered:

0:00 Intro 4:40 Josh Rosenthal, PhD 6:43 The Later Middle Ages 11:23 Value and Information 14:35 Physical Power 16:20 A Permissioned Life 22:25 The Disillusionment Bubble 25:15 The Renaissance & Value 32:48 The Renaissance & Information 41:40 Technology, the Catalyst 47:05 Fulfillment of the Internet 53:45 Demons Pooping & Early Memes 1:02:11 Money Printer Go BRR 1:07:30 Satoshi & Martin Luther 1:11:25 A Digital Renaissance 1:20:10 A Genie and a Bottle 1:25:03 Get Involved in Crypto Art 1:29:33 Prep with Crypto 1:31:52 Working for Crypto 1:36:20 Change over Time 1:38:36 Closing & Disclaimers

------ Resources:

6ixth Event https://www.go6ixthevent.com/

Josh on Twitter https://twitter.com/JoshuaRosenthal?s=20

----- Not financial or tax advice. This channel is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. This video is not tax advice. Talk to your accountant. Do your own research.

Disclosure. From time-to-time I may add links in this newsletter to products I use. I may receive commission if you make a purchase through one of these links. Additionally, the Bankless writers hold crypto assets. See our investment disclosures here: https://newsletter.banklesshq.com/p/bankless-disclosures