Unchained

Santiago Siri, cofounder and president of Democracy Earth, dives into the evolving relationship between governance, identity, and cryptography. He discusses how decentralized identity challenges legacy systems and enhances democratic participation. The conversation also covers Bitcoin's role amidst geopolitical tensions, highlighting its dual nature as a safe haven and a tool for authoritarianism. Furthermore, Siri addresses the dangers posed by deepfake technology to identity, advocating for cryptographic tools to preserve truth in an increasingly digital landscape.

Alex Gladstein, Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation and author of "A World Without Bitcoin," delves into a haunting vision of a cashless future dominated by surveillance from governments. He contrasts this grim scenario with the empowering potential of Bitcoin for financial freedom and privacy. Gladstein discusses the benefits of decentralized currencies in oppressive regimes and highlights innovations like the Lightning Network that enhance Bitcoin's usability. His insights challenge listeners to consider the urgent need for alternatives to maintain individual autonomy in a digital age.

In this enlightening conversation, Linda Xie, cofounder of Scalar Capital and a crypto investment expert, explores the transformative power of memes in the cryptocurrency space. She discusses how iconic memes like Doge have fostered community building and shaped perceptions of digital currencies. Linda emphasizes the importance of storytelling in promoting Bitcoin's narrative and explores how memes can bridge the gap between diverse audiences and crypto. Finally, she highlights the challenges and creative strategies needed to change mainstream views on cryptocurrencies.

Jonathan Levin, co-founder and CSO of Chainalysis, and Kim Grauer, head of research, shed light on the underbelly of cryptocurrency crime. They dive into how criminals cash out illicit crypto through exchanges and over-the-counter brokers, spotlighting the Rogue 100. The duo unpacks the massive PlusToken Ponzi scheme, which reportedly affected Bitcoin's price, and discusses the growing sophistication of hacker groups like Lazarus. They also touch on the rising threats of ransomware and terrorism financing, stressing the need for heightened regulatory measures.

Brendan Eich, CEO of Brave and a tech pioneer behind JavaScript and Mozilla, shares his journey from Netscape to blockchain. He discusses how Brave tackles advertising issues, prioritizes user privacy, and why the Basic Attention Token (BAT) is key. Eich explains the challenges of cryptocurrency regulations and Brave’s unique ad platform. He also delves into user engagement with features like tipping and the importance of maintaining anonymity. As Brave grows, he highlights the potential of BAT beyond its current ecosystem.

Catherine Coley, CEO of Binance US, previously honed her skills in foreign exchange at Morgan Stanley and Ripple. She shares her thrilling journey from traditional finance to the world of crypto. Coley discusses how Binance US tailors its services for American users while adhering to regulations. The conversation delves into the company's choice of stablecoins like Tether and BUSD, and addresses concerns around BNB potentially being labeled a security. She also reflects on customer support lessons and contrasts the crypto landscapes of the US and Asia.

Haseeb Qureshi, managing partner at Dragonfly Capital and former professional poker player, and Alex Pack, founding partner with a venture capital background, delve into the cryptocurrency landscape. They discuss why Ethereum leads the smart contract race and the challenges facing protocols like Bitcoin. Haseeb draws parallels between poker and crypto trading, emphasizing risk management. They also analyze the influence of the Libra project on investments, the future of Bitcoin as a store of value, and the potential decline of traditional banking in favor of decentralized finance.

In this Best of 2019 episode, I selected the clips that seemed most representative of what crypto was about this year, which I call, The Year Things Got Geopolitical. My only regret is that none of the clips about DAOs lent themselves well to this episode. However, years from now, after we’ve got global stablecoins pinging around the world at a high transactions-per-second rate, the crypto community has made peace with U.S. regulators, and more of our lives seems to take place in the borderless digital world, perhaps we'll find it ironic that DAOs were burbling up right around the same time. Thank you to our sponsors!  Kraken: https://www.kraken.com Crypto.com: http://crypto.com/ CipherTrace: http://ciphertrace.com/unchained Episode links:  Unchained Interview with Vitalik Buterin: https://unchainedpodcast.com/vitalik-buterin-on-whether-or-not-ethereum-is-blowing-it/ Unchained Interview with Hester Peirce: https://unchainedpodcast.com/sec-commissioner-hester-peirce-come-talk-to-the-sec/ Unchained Interview with Ted Livingston: https://unchainedpodcast.com/kin-sets-up-5-million-defendcrypto-org-to-take-on-the-sec/ Unchained Interview with Glen Weyl and Santiago Siri: https://unchainedpodcast.com/how-blockchains-can-help-create-little-democracies-everywhere/ Unchained Interview with Christian Catalini: https://unchainedpodcast.com/a-libra-co-creator-on-how-facebook-will-make-money-from-calibra/ Unchained Interview with Martin Chorzempa and Dovey Wan: https://unchainedpodcast.com/why-china-aims-to-replace-cash-with-the-digital-yuan/ Unchained Interview with Emily Parker: https://unchainedpodcast.com/crypto-in-china-what-it-really-looks-like/ Unchained Interview with Sandra Ro: https://unchainedpodcast.com/sandra-ro-why-crypto-friendly-laws-are-coming-in-the-us/  Unchained Interview with Patrick McHenry: https://unchainedpodcast.com/congressman-patrick-mchenry-bitcoin-will-be-of-enormous-value/ Unchained Interview with David Andolfatto: https://unchainedpodcast.com/fed-economist-on-the-prospect-of-the-usd-losing-global-reserve-status-who-cares/ Unchained Interview with Yeonmi Park: https://unchainedpodcast.com/yeonmi-park-on-why-doing-business-with-north-korea-is-like-buying-a-ticket-to-a-concentration-camp/ Unchained Interview with Alex Gladstein: https://unchainedpodcast.com/alex-gladstein-of-the-human-rights-foundation-on-the-3-reasons-bitcoin-matters/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore the crypto world in a simple way! Discover the basics of Bitcoin and its role as a digital currency. Learn how mining works and why it's crucial to the ecosystem. Delve into Ethereum's capabilities beyond currency, and tackle environmental impacts of mining. Understand Bitcoin's origins and its advantages during economic instability. Plus, get practical tips on buying, storing, and using cryptocurrency to navigate the market safely. This fun and informative guide makes crypto accessible for everyone!

Priscilla Moriuchi, an expert on North Korea's internet activities and cryptocurrency at Recorded Future, dives into North Korea's surprising fascination with crypto. She reveals how the regime's limited internet access is heavily monitored and primarily reserved for elite members. Moriuchi uncovers North Korea's sophisticated cyber operations, including malware attacks and the infamous WannaCry ransomware. Additionally, she discusses their methods for converting crypto gains to fiat and their connections to broader illicit activities like smuggling and drug trafficking.