Stephan Livera Podcast

Digiconomist (Alex de Vries) and Ben Gagnon (Chief Mining Officer, Bitfarms) join me on the show to debate Bitcoin Mining energy. We talk through: Bitcoin Mining machine efficiency assumptions Where do the models break down?  Media referring to scary numbers in the bull cycle Transactions per second metrics Links: Twitter: @DigiEconomist Twitter: @hashoveride Digiconomist energy consumption index: Bitcoin Energy Consumption Index CBECI (Cambridge) referred to: Bitcoin network power demand  Prior episode: SLP478 Ben Gagnon Sponsors: Swan Bitcoin CoinKite.com (code LIVERA) Lugano PlanB Forum Mempool.space Stephan Livera links: Follow me on Twitter @stephanlivera Subscribe to the podcast Patreon @stephanlivera

Peter Dunworth is a financial adviser for high net worth individuals and families. He joins me to talk about what most people are getting wrong on bitcoin estate planning and inheritance. We discuss: Why bother with all this?  Legal, asset protection and tax benefits Possession vs Title of coins Collaborative custody Practical components Miniscript and technical advances Valuation framework for Bitcoin and why inheritance matters Links: Site: https://www.thebitcoinadviser.com/comparison Peter’s Twitter: @PeterBTCAdviser TheBTCAdviser’s Twitter: @TheBTCAdviser Sponsors: Swan Bitcoin CoinKite.com (code LIVERA) Lugano PlanB Forum Mempool.space Stephan Livera links: Follow me on Twitter @stephanlivera Subscribe to the podcast Patreon @stephanlivera

Jonathan Newman, Associate Professor of Economics and Mises Fellow joins me to chat: Contrasting definitions of inflation How did Mises define inflation? How did Rothbard define inflation?  Where and how does fractional reserve come into it?  Cantillon effect and the Mises effect Costless production of money Links: Paper: What Is Inflation? Clarifying and Justifying Rothbard’s Definition  Twitter: @NewmanJ_R  Twitter: @KrisMoustHansen  Sponsors: Swan Bitcoin CoinKite.com(code LIVERA) Mempool.space

Robin Linus from the ZeroSync project joins me to talk about how ZKPs can be used to help people quickly get started using Bitcoin. We discuss: What ZKPs are and what they can be used for Speeding up IBD Contrasting ZeroSync with utreexo and assumeutxo UTXO set commitment Blockstream satellite What’s being verified?  Different types of nodes Links: Site: zerosync.org Twitter: @ZeroSync_  Twitter: @robin_linus Sponsors Swan Bitcoin CoinKite.com(code LIVERA) Mempool.space Stephan Livera links: Follow me on Twitter @stephanlivera Subscribe to the podcast

What happens under a high fee environment on the lightning network? We had one recently and so I asked Niftynei (Lisa of Base58), D++, and Nate (Voltage Head of Support & Education) to join me to talk about it: Lightning implementations handling the fee spike Force closes in lightning Bitcoin performed just fine Anchor outputs Mitigation techniques  Setting fee rates Links: plebnet telegram: https://t.me/plebnet Plebnet wiki: https://plebnet.wiki/wiki/Main_Page  base58: https://www.base58.info/  Voltage blog post: https://voltage.cloud/blog/lightning-network-faq/lightning-node-management-handling-high-on-chain-fees/ Twitter: @beeforbacon1  Twitter: @niftynei  Twitter: @D_plus__plus 

Burak (Bitcoin researcher/developer) joins me to talk about Ark, a new protocol for Bitcoin scaling and privacy. We chat about: Downsides of LN High level overview  ASPs, vTXOs Vapourware? Other criticisms Interactive vs non-interactive versions Covenants and what they’d mean for Bitcoin Links: Site: arkpill.me Twitter: @brqgoo   Telegram: https://t.me/ark_network_community Relevant prior episode: SLP339 Jeremy Rubin – What is Check Template Verify? Sponsors Swan Bitcoin CoinKite.com(code LIVERA) Mempool.space

Kemal of Galoy Money joins me to chat about his Bullish Case for Bitcoin Custodians. We debate the trade offs and points such as: Remnant vs ‘Big Tent’ Why not write down 12 words? “Mis-selling” Bitcoin Shotgun KYC, and FRB ‘paper bitcoin' risk Jurisdictions and regulation Financial hierarchy of needs Links: Twitter: @_pretyflaco   Blog: https://www.swanbitcoin.com/the-bullish-case-for-bitcoin-custodians/ Sponsors: Swan Bitcoin CoinKite.com(code LIVERA) Mempool.space Stephan Livera links: Follow me on Twitter @stephanlivera Subscribe to the podcast Patreon @stephanlivera

The Bitcoin Handbook is a new visual and simplified explainer of Bitcoin concepts by Anil. Anil has been making awesome graphics and explanatory content about Bitcoin and he joins me on the show to chat: Meeting people where they are  Different ways of explaining bitcoin concepts Why property should not be your piggybank Property Bubbles and investing around the world The intransigent minority Where to get the book Links: The Bitcoin Handbook on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0tyJRvf Checkout via Lightning: https://bitcoinbook.shop/products/the-bitcoin-handbook… Anil’s Twitter: @anilsaidso   Anil’s free educational resources: https://anilsaidso.gumroad.com Sponsors: Swan Bitcoin CoinKite.com(code LIVERA) Mempool.space Stephan Livera links: Follow me on Twitter @stephanlivera Subscribe to the podcast Patreon @stephanlivera

Jess Jonas, Chief Legal Officer of the Bitcoin Legal Defense Fund joins me to chat: Overview the Bitcoin Legal Defense Fund - supported by Jack Dorsey, Alex Morcos, Martin White What's the threat with the Tulip Trading Case?  What are the open source licensing implications for developers?  Secondary case and Bitcoin copyright claims Site: Site: Bitcoindefense.org Sponsors: Swan Bitcoin CoinKite.com(code LIVERA) Mempool.space

Ben Gagnon CMO of BitFarms joins me to talk about the flaws of the overly cited Digiconomist’s work on Bitcoin Mining impact. We discuss: Key flaws in methodology and assumptions Carbon emissions per transaction is a flawed metric Better comparisons and ways of reasoning about mining Links: Site: bitfarms.com Twitter: @hashoveride   Article: We Need To Talk About The Not Science Behind Digiconomist Tweet thread: https://twitter.com/hashoveride/status/1512861134537306116 Relevant prior episode: SLP470 Correcting Nyt Disinformation On Bitcoin With Pierre Rochard Sponsor links: Swan Bitcoin CoinKite.com(code LIVERA) Mempool.space Stephan Livera links: Follow me on Twitter @stephanlivera Subscribe to the podcast Patreon @stephanlivera