Stephan Livera Podcast

Not everybody understands that blockchains themselves don’t scale. And this may create some tricky implications if we want to onboard large numbers of people to Bitcoin. This is why some of the discussion nowadays is about soft forks and covenants. Brandon Black rejoins me to talk about some of his ideas on how many people can use Bitcoin with current tech, and how covenants such as CTV (Check Template Verify) could help improve this. We discuss: How many people can use Bitcoin Why not build L3?  Thoughts on block size “Rush to the exits” Different kinds of forks Covenant proposals explained in english Concrete proposals Commercial demand Unforeseen risks Value density Links: X: @reardencode Timeout Trees explanation article by Shinobi Prior Episodes: SLP505 MuSig2 in Practice, APO, CTV & Bitcoin Soft Forks Sponsors: Swan.com (code LIVERA) CoinKite.com (code LIVERA) Mempool.space Stephan Livera links: Follow me on X: @stephanlivera Subscribe to the podcast

Pierre Rochard, VP of Research at Riot Platforms, joins to discuss Elizabeth Warren's anti-Bitcoin bill, policy objectives, 'unhosted wallets,' FATF, transaction fees, and the third school of thought on long-term fees.

Michael Saylor, Executive Chairman and Founder of MicroStrategy, discusses Bitcoin protocols, principles, dynamics, politics, and philosophy. They explore constructive dialogue on Bitcoin philosophy, the power of protocols, Bitcoin's role in the market economy, and its foundation in the future digital economy. They stress the importance of defending core protocols, natural frequency in mining dynamics, unique proof of work, and network security. They analyze Bitcoin's longevity, the difference between money and speculation, and the welcoming of different actors into the Bitcoin ecosystem. They also delve into Bitcoin's ideology of natural law versus human law.

Bobby Shell, an advocate for Bitcoiners investing in small businesses, shares insights on why SMBs matter. They discuss advantages of starting a business, securing Bitcoin, budget allocation, values-based businesses, due diligence, and predicting Bitcoin's future.

Paul Sztorc and Peter Todd debate the controversial proposal of Drivechain in Bitcoin. They discuss miner centralisation, legal risks, the ability to delegate running a node, and the impact of fees and blocksize limits. The debate covers various aspects including the benefits and challenges of drivechains, altcoin development, and the incentive for miners to steal in a drive chain system.

Exploring Bitcoin seed backups for multi-signature setups with the SeedHammer project. Discussing the use of passphrases vs. multi-sig, descriptor backup on steel, cost, attack vectors, changing standards, and future plans.

Severin Buhler, Lightning development expert, discusses the LSP spec and lightning development. Topics include: LSP marketplace, competition between jurisdictions, LSP business models, JIT channels, and downsides of using Lightning Network for smaller amounts.

Fernando Motolese, founder of Bitcoin Beach Brazil and Bitcoinize POS, discusses the creation of a Bitcoin circular economy. Topics include onboarding merchants, the Bitcoinize device, HODL vs Spend, and fundraising for Bitcoin Beach BR. They also explore the challenges of accepting Bitcoin payments and the importance of education in driving adoption.

Free Private Cities are an exciting attempt at a new model for private governance. I’ve previously spoken with leaders in this movement such as Titus Gebel and Peter Young. Today I’m speaking with the founder of Ciudad Morazan, another free private city in Honduras. This one is a little different to the others you may have heard of, as this one is more focused on ‘blue collar’ workers, families, and businesses. We talk about the free private cities model and how it is being applied differently here with Massimo Mazzone, founder. Topics:  Free Private City Model Taxes How many live in Morazan ZEDE law Comparison with Prospera Morazan’s 4 advantages Scaling up Amenities available Growth No legal tender law Links: X: @MassimoMazzone4  Site: morazan.city  Sponsors: Swan.com (code LIVERA) CoinKite.com (code LIVERA) Mempool.space Stephan Livera links: Follow me on X @stephanlivera Subscribe to the podcast

Has Bitcoin’s Mining ecosystem become centralised? What can be done about it? Bitcoin Mechanic from Ocean joins me to talk: Hashers vs Miners Different pool payout methods Stratum v2 Block withholding attacks What Ocean is doing about it Fees Lightning payouts Links: X: @GrassFedBitcoin Site: ocean.xyz/event X: @ocean_mining Article: Are Mining Pools Becoming a Problem?  Sponsors: Swan.com (code LIVERA) CoinKite.com (code LIVERA) Mempool.space Stephan Livera links: Follow me on X @stephanlivera Subscribe to the podcast