The Bitcoin Standard Podcast

October 4th 2021.In this episode Saifedean talks to bitcoin journalist Pete Rizzo about bitcoin maximalism, altcoins and Satoshi. They discuss objectivity in journalism, what constitutes a “neutral” stance on altcoins for journalists, and how bitcoin differentiates itself from other cryptocurrencies through its high degree of decentralization. They also discuss the role that Satoshi and his disappearance had in shaping today's bitcoin, and whether Satoshi was motivated by studying Austrian economics. They also discuss the late Mircea Popescu's underrated role in articulating and demonstrating bitcoin's immutability, resistance to capture, and sovereignty. In the Q&A session, Pete answers questions about potential attack vectors for bitcoin and explains his views on the likelihood of hyperbitcoinization.Related links:Pete’s article Against Cryptocurrency: The Ethical Argument for Bitcoin Maximalism on ForbesThe Yield On Money Reconsidered by Hans Hermann HoppeArticle explaining that a quarter of all Ethereum nodes run on AWSPete’s Bitcoin Magazine article The Last Days of SatoshiThe Blocksize War by Jonathan Bier of Bitmex Research Murray Rothbard’s views on moneyPete Rizzo’s obituary of Mircea PopescuOfficial blog of Mircea PopescuOutline of Knut Svanholm’s argument on hyperbitcoinization, referenced during the Q&APete Rizzo’s profiles on Twitter, Bitcoin Magazine and ForbesEnjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s courses and read chapters of his forthcoming books by becoming a Saifedean.com member. Find out more here.THE BITCOIN STANDARD TOOLKIT/SPONSORSNYDIG - https://nydig.comCyphersafe - https://cyphersafe.io/ OKCoin - https://okcoin.com/Nodl - https://www.nodl.it/Coldcard - https://coldcardwallet.com/CoinBits App - https://coinbitsapp.com/

In this episode, Saifedean takes questions from regular seminar attendees on bitcoin fungibility, bitcoin price models and central bank digital currencies. The discussion focusses on whether the ability of governments and private analysts to monitor on-chain bitcoin transactions poses a threat to its fungibility, and whether this matters. Saifedean also answers questions on how PlanB’s stock to flow model has so accurately predicted bitcoin price movements and what CBDCs have in common with the currency of the Soviet Union.Related links:PlanB on TwitterPlanB on The Bitcoin Standard PodcastMises.org article about Paul Samuelson’s textbook, Economics, that praised the Soviet UnionEnjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s courses and read chapters of his forthcoming books by becoming a Saifedean.com member. Find out more here.THE BITCOIN STANDARD TOOLKIT/SPONSORSNYDIG - https://nydig.comCyphersafe - https://cyphersafe.io/ OKCoin - https://okcoin.com/Nodl - https://www.nodl.it/Coldcard - https://coldcardwallet.com/CoinBits App - https://coinbitsapp.com/

In this interview with the Mises Institute's Economics for Business podcast, Saifedean discusses his entrepreneurial work on saifedean.com: what is the business model, why he decided to leave behind the malinvestment of academia and work independently, how bitcoin was instrumental in this move, the benefits of independent knowledge entrepreneurship, and why this is the beginning of a growing trend worldwide.THE BITCOIN STANDARD TOOLKIT/SPONSORSNYDIG - https://nydig.comCyphersafe - https://cyphersafe.io/ OKCoin - https://okcoin.com/Nodl - https://www.nodl.it/Coldcard - https://coldcardwallet.com/CoinBits App - https://coinbitsapp.com/

In this episode Saifedean talks to Dr Terence Kealey, adjunct scholar at The Cato Institute, about government funding of science. They discuss the history of technological development including how the Industrial Revolution was able to take place in Britain at a time of limited government and no significant state support for science. They cover how western government involvement in science accelerated during the atmosphere of panic that followed the 1957 launch of Sputnik, and why the misguided policies that followed were based on flawed economic assumptions. Terence and Saifedean also critique some popular misconceptions about how scientific progress happens, including the influential work of Philippe Aghion, Ken Arrow and Mariana Mazzucato.Related links:Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations Rand Institute paper on government funding of science by Ken Arrow and Richard NelsonLudwig von Mises’ critique of socialismWhy Most Published Research Findings Are False by John P. A. Ioannidis The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz Genesis and Development of a Scientific Fact by Ludwik FleckIntroduction to Jason Potts Terence Kealey’s book Breakfast is a Dangerous MealTerence’s articles on Mazzucato are here and hereOpen: How Collaboration and Curiosity Shaped Humankind Paperback by Johan NorbergEnjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s courses and read chapters of his forthcoming books by becoming a Saifedean.com member. Find out more here.THE BITCOIN STANDARD TOOLKIT/SPONSORSNYDIG - https://nydig.comCyphersafe - https://cyphersafe.io/ OKCoin - https://okcoin.com/Nodl - https://www.nodl.it/Coldcard - https://coldcardwallet.com/CoinBits App - https://coinbitsapp.com/

In this episode Saifedean talks to regular seminar attendees about some common criticisms of hard money made by inflationist economists, and why these criticisms represent a misunderstanding of why recessions happen and how they are resolved. The conversation touches on the reluctance of mainstream economists to address the causes of The Great Depression, why they mistakenly attribute its length to the inflexibility of the gold standard, and how Austrian Business Cycle Theory provides the only coherent explanation for what happened. Saifedean draws parallels between these criticisms and popular hard money criticisms of bitcoin to show why they are also mistaken.ResourcesA Monetary History of the United States, 1867-1960 by Milton Friedman and Anna SchwartzGolden Fetters: The Gold Standard and the Great Depression 1919-1939 – Barry EichengreenMastering Bitcoin: Programming the Open Blockchain by Andreas AntonopoulosPlatform for running your own personal bitcoin and Lightning Network nodeBudgeting software recommended by PavaoBitcoin debit card recommended by PavaoEnjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s courses and read chapters of his forthcoming books by becoming a Saifedean.com member. Find out more here.THE BITCOIN STANDARD TOOLKIT/SPONSORSNYDIG - https://nydig.comCyphersafe - https://cyphersafe.io/ OKCoin - https://okcoin.com/Nodl - https://www.nodl.it/Coldcard - https://coldcardwallet.com/CoinBits App - https://coinbitsapp.com/

In this episode Saifedean talks to Jeff Davidson, Executive Director at Saylor Academy, about how online learning is disrupting traditional education. Jeff describes why he became interested in education and how he came to partner with Michael Saylor on developing Saylor Academy into one of the world’s leading online learning platforms. They discuss the limitations of traditional university education, why government involvement in education has led to bureaucratization and stifled innovation, and how Jeff expects universities to change in the decades ahead.Related links:Khan Academy – a nonprofit with the mission to provide free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.m for building skills with courses, certificates, and degrees online from world-class universities and companies.Coursera – a platform for building skills with courses, certificates, and degrees online from world-class universities and companies.Saylor Academy Open Textbooks – these books are available for everyone to use, keep, revise, and share under open licenses.Saylor Academy Mobile App – for browsing courses on the go, downloading materials for offline access, checking your grades, receiving course notifications on your mobile device.Georgia Tech, Udacity and AT&T partnership – offering an online Master’s degree in computer science – the first of its kind delivered through a MOOC platform.edX – massive open online course (MOOC) provider created by Harvard and MIT.Google & Coursera partnership – Google Professional Certificates for the job-ready skills needed to launch a career in IT Support, Data Analytics, UX Design or Project Management.AWS Educate – Amazon platform with access to content developed to skill up for cloud careers in growing fields. AWS Educate also connects companies hiring for cloud skills to qualified student job seekers with the AWS Educate Job Board.Enjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s courses and read chapters of his forthcoming books by becoming a Saifedean.com member. Find out more here.THE BITCOIN STANDARD TOOLKIT/SPONSORSNYDIG - https://nydig.comCyphersafe - https://cyphersafe.io/ OKCoin - https://okcoin.com/Nodl - https://www.nodl.it/Coldcard - https://coldcardwallet.com/CoinBits App - https://coinbitsapp.com/

In this episode Saifedean continues his discussion on homeschooling and fiat education with Daniel Prince. They touch on whether homeschooling is just for the wealthy elite, what a forgotten 1917 book can tell us about the true purpose of state education, and why – when all costs are considered – private education and homeschooling are more cost-effective than state alternatives. To hear the first part of this conversation, check out episode #76 of The Bitcoin Standard Seminar.Related links:Sugata Mitra’s Hole in the Wall Project (1999, New Delhi)Daniel’s book Choose Life on AmazonThe Six Purposes of Schooling by John Taylor GattoJohn Taylor Gatto’s bookPrinciples of Secondary Education by Alexander James InglisThe Open Society and its Enemies by Karl PopperGoodhart’s Law on WikipediaThe Cost-effectiveness of Public and Private Schools of Choice in Wisconsin paper by Corey A. DeAngelisCorey A. DeAngelis on TwitterSir Ken Robinson’s TED talk Do Schools Kill Creativity?— the most popular TED talk of all timeEnjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s courses and read chapters of his forthcoming books by becoming a Saifedean.com member. Find out more here.THE BITCOIN STANDARD TOOLKIT/SPONSORSNYDIG - https://nydig.comCyphersafe - https://cyphersafe.io/ OKCoin - https://okcoin.com/Nodl - https://www.nodl.it/Coldcard - https://coldcardwallet.com/CoinBits App - https://coinbitsapp.com/

In this episode Saifedean talks to Daniel Prince – author of the book Choose Life and host of the Once BITten! podcast – about homeschooling. Daniel describes his experiences travelling around the world and homeschooling his four children, what he learnt along the way and how to avoid some common mistakes. He and Saifedean discuss the arguments in favour of non-traditional forms of education – drawing on the ideas of thinkers such as Ken Robinson, Naomi Fisher and Peter Gray – and why this can help children become more creative and sociable. Daniel also shares a range practical tips and online resources for parents thinking about homeschooling.Related links:Daniel’s book Choose Life on AmazonSir Ken Robinson’s TED talk Do Schools Kill Creativity?— the most popular TED talk of all timeNaomi Fisher’s book Changing Our MindsNaomi Fisher appearance on the Once BITten! podcast with Daniel PrinceGalileo online platform for self-directed educationECON103: Principles of Austrian Economics I on Saylor.orgPlato quote on compulsion in education. See The Republic, Chapter 7Peter Gray’s book Free to LearnPeter Gray’s appearance on Daniel’s podcastPeter Gray talks about Sudbury Valley SchoolOperation Varsity Blues: The College Admission Scandal on NetflixClass Dismissed, movie by Jeremy StuartSelf Taught, movie by Jeremy StuartHomeschooling Summit interviewsOnline events Daniel is hosting on GalileoInspirED resources on language learning recommended by DanielEnjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s courses and read chapters of his forthcoming books by becoming a Saifedean.com member. Find out more here.THE BITCOIN STANDARD TOOLKIT/SPONSORSNYDIG - https://nydig.comCyphersafe - https://cyphersafe.io/ OKCoin - https://okcoin.com/Nodl - https://www.nodl.it/Coldcard - https://coldcardwallet.com/CoinBits App - https://coinbitsapp.com/

Saifedean is delighted to be offering a free introductory course on Austrian economics through Saylor.org, Michael Saylor's free online university. In this Twitter Spaces discussion, Michael and Saifedean discuss the course content, how the Austrian School’s approach to economics differs from the mainstream, and why it is best to study economics in the Austrian tradition. They also discuss the incredibly successful model of Saylor.org. The platform has registered almost a million students, offers more than 100 courses, and is offering students a chance to complete a university degree for free.THE BITCOIN STANDARD TOOLKIT/SPONSORSNYDIG - https://nydig.comCyphersafe - https://cyphersafe.io/ OKCoin - https://okcoin.com/Nodl - https://www.nodl.it/Coldcard - https://coldcardwallet.com/CoinBits App - https://coinbitsapp.com/

In this episode Saifedean talks to Paul Saladino MD about meat eating and his book The Carnivore Code. They begin by discussing how transitioning from a vegan to a carnivore diet helped Paul to cure his eczema and why he now recommends others do the same. They cover why toxins are present in many commonly-eaten plants, what Paul learnt from studying the eating habits of the Hazda tribe, and whether fruit and honey have a place in a predominantly meat-based diet. They end by talking about the limits of methods used by researchers to come to conclusions about diet and why epidemiology represents a poor way of forming reliable conclusions about cause and effect.Related links:The Carnivore Code on AmazonPaper introducing the Expensive Tissue Hypothesis written by Leslie Aiello and Peter WheelerThe Social Leap: The New Evolutionary Science of Who We Are, Where We Come From, and What Makes Us HappyWikipedia page on Peters’s elephantnose fishWikipedia page on the psychology of eating meatPaul hanging out with the Hadza tribeWeston Price’s book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration: A Comparison of Primitive and Modern Diets and Their EffectsEnjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s courses and read chapters of his forthcoming books by becoming a Saifedean.com member. Find out more here. Visit saifedean.com/meat to find out more about Saifedean’s experience following the carnivore diet.