What Bitcoin Did From Wall Street to Bitcoin & The Separation of Money & State | Vijay Selvam
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Sep 5, 2025 Vijay Selvam, an attorney and former Goldman Sachs employee, discusses the groundbreaking principles of Bitcoin and its potential to reshape governance. He delves into the concept of digital scarcity and how Bitcoin serves as a tool against authoritarianism. Vijay contrasts the separation of money from the state with historical separations like church and state. He warns of internal threats to Bitcoin and emphasizes its role as a mirror for self-reflection and a catalyst for freedom, transcending mere financial implications.
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From Wall Street To Bitcoin
- Vijay describes his path from Harvard/Goldman to becoming a Bitcoin advocate after firsthand experience in 2008.
- He initially dismissed Bitcoin in 2013 but changed view after studying digital scarcity and incentives.
Money Is Marketability, Not State Monopoly
- Money is any commodity chosen for marketability across space and time, not only a state creation.
- Separation of money and state matters like church-state separation and Bitcoin enables it.
Digital Bearer Asset Is The Core Innovation
- Bitcoin's core invention is a digital bearer asset enabling peer-to-peer transfers without trusted intermediaries.
- Satoshi solved the double-spend problem so digital value moves like a physical gold bar.