Kinode Office Hours

On this extra special episode, the boys are joined by Logan Allen (~tacryt-socryp), founder of Zorp, to discuss Urbit, zero-knowledge infrastructure, and how his company is using Nock to build a ZK virtual machine. But first, they explore the intersection of philosophy, evolution, and technology, how man is shaped by his tools, and how crypto will lead to the rise of parallel economies and societies. All this plus cryptographic theory, the danger of cyber attacks, and whether or not Urbit is ready for primetime. Don't miss it. Timestamps0:00—Intro2:48—Logan's journey and Web3 parallelism5;32—Modernity, Man, and the Machine21:03—Zero-Knowledge introduction29:40—Why a Nock ZK VM?40:03—What does Zorp make possible?48:18—The state of Urbit and its future1:00—OutroZorpTwitter: @ZorpZKSite: zorp.ioConnectLogan Allen (~tacryt-socryp)~bichul-ritsen (@bichulR)~nilrun-mardux (@AlephDAO)~habsul-rignyr (@habsulrignyr)And, if you liked the episode, don't forget to give us a five star review. Say something nice and we'll even read it on the pod.

On this extra special episode, the boys are joined by John Dennehy of Mi Primer Bitcoin, a nonprofit dedicated to Bitcoin and blockchain education in El Salvador. They discuss the successes and challenges of El Salvador's Bitcoin rollout, the development of a Bitcoin curriculum, and Mi Primer Bitcoin's rapidly expanding class offerings, which have reached tens of thousands of students across the country. All this plus Bitcoin's effect on the local economy, the creation of blockchain jobs, and, of course, how you can help support the mission. Don't miss it. Timestamps0:00—Intro2:26—John's Bitcoin Beginning11:19—Founding Mi Primer Bitcoin22:34—Mi Primer Bitcoin classes, curricula, teachers, and structure39:14—How can Bitcoin improve the lives of El Salvadorans?43:00—Bitcoin's status in El Salvador52:50—Funding and Growth57:37—Is the El Salvador Bitcoin experiment succeeding?1:10:33—OutroContributeDonationGeyser FundraiserConnect:Mi Primer Bitcoin (@MyFirstBitcoin_)~bichul-ritsen (@bichulR)~nilrun-mardux (@AlephDAO)~habsul-rignyr (@habsulrignyr)And, if you liked the episode, don't forget to give us a five star review. Say something nice and we'll even read it on the pod.

On this extra special episode, the boys are joined by technologist and investor Brian Crain (~minwyc-dablen), CEO and co-founder of Chorus One and host of crypto's longest running podcast, Epicenter. They discuss his work building Web3 infrastructure, the evolution of Urbit (Brian just joined the Urbit Foundation board), and the next five years of crypto narratives. Then, they dive into Brian's work on Epicenter, his favorite guests, and what he has learned from spending so many years in the space. All this plus government regulation, AI-crypto integrations, and tips from a master podcaster on how we can improve The Network Age. Don't miss it.Our thoughts go out to Brian, who is currently in the hospital recovering from his experience on this podcast.Timestamps0:00—Intro3:04—Brian Crain: A history13:33—Chorus One, investing, and Urbit25:55—The future of Urbit34:08—Crypto in the next five years40:35—Stable coins and regulation54:26—When will crypto reach wide adoption?1:04:15—Brian on the Urbit Foundation1:10:28—Lessons from almost a decade of EpicenterMentionsCZ on EpicenterConnect:Brian Crain (~minwyc-dablen / @crainbf)~bichul-ritsen (@bichulR)~nilrun-mardux (@AlephDAO)~habsul-rignyr (@habsulrignyr)And, if you liked the episode, don't forget to give us a five star review. Say something nice and we'll even read it on the pod.

In this episode, we delve into Argentina's history, politics, and economy, with a particular focus on hyperinflation. Joining us today is Saila, a "Person of Crypto" and local expert living in Argentina, who will share insights on the country's unique cultural identity, its decline since WWI, and the impact of political trends and elite figures. We'll also discuss the challenges Argentina faces, including the peso's rapid devaluation, public attitudes towards the government, and the affordability of living in the country. Additionally, we'll explore the high adoption of cryptocurrency among locals and the potential of crypto to transform Argentina's economy.Timestamps00:00 - Introducing crypto expert Sila to discuss Argentina's history, politics, and hyperinflation.00:35 - Argentina's unique cultural identity and the impact of political elites.04:03 - Decline since WWI, failed economic switch, and the role of Peronism.11:25 - Argentina's political history: dictatorship, Falklands War, end of dictatorship.14:52 - Hyperinflation: peso devaluation and dollar gaining value against it.18:09 - Public attitudes towards Argentina's government and ongoing struggles.20:08 - Affordable living in Argentina: low-priced food, cheap labor, and transportation.27:54 - High crypto adoption among locals to navigate parallel currency exchanges.31:49 - Exporting services, working in crypto, and Argentina's remote work environment.53:58 - Argentina as an example of accelerated decline and potential future for other countries.Connect:Saila (@sailaunderscore)~bichul-ritsen (@bichulR)~nilrun-mardux (@AlephDAO)~habsul-rignyr (@habsulrignyr)And, if you liked the episode, don't forget to give us a five star review. Say something nice and we'll even read it on the pod.

On this extra special episode, the boys welcome a new cohost, ~habsul-rignyr of the OG Urbit podcast, The Stack (Rest in Power). More importantly, our trio of idiots is joined by famed translator, scholar, technologist, and sinophile Xianyang (~forlyt-novmep) to discuss AI-enhanced gaming, Taoist philosophy, and the creation of DAObi, a token-based simulation game of an ancient Chinese state. Then, we dive into Lexicat, Xianyang's natural language processing platform, and dissect her attempts to create GPT Burmese. All this plus: economic incentives to instantiate the AI apocalypse, the startling Confucian-Taoist rivalry, a scandalous battle for DAObi Chancellor, digital wife swapping, and how to murder a cat. Don't miss it. Timestamps0:00—Welcome to ~habsul2:33—Xianyang: A short history7:16—Blockchain gaming, simulations, and Chinese philosophy16:58—The future of governance and historical lessons from DAObi23:51—DAObi: hacks, surprises, and the battle for Chancellor31:14—Medieval DAObi and real-life consequences for digital games34:53—Lexicat, Burmese GPT, and linguistic diversity40:20—Xianyang's "scary AI"48:50—The Urbit section54:47—Outro and a 5-star review!MentionsDAObiConnect:Xianyang (forlyt-novmep / @XianyangCB)~bichul-ritsen (@bichulR)~nilrun-mardux (@AlephDAO)~habsul-rignyr (@habsulrignyr)And, if you liked the episode, don't forget to give us a five star review. Say something nice and we'll even read it on the pod.

On this extra special episode, the boys (including OG host ~timluc-miptev) are joined by Jake Brukhman (~ranter-tapper), the founder and CEO of Coinfund, as well as an engineer, technologist, investor, and cosmonaut exploring the frontiers of AI. The crew discusses the creation of Jargon, a Chat GPT pseudolanguage, which Jake used to build a personal AI Spanish teacher, and the implications of recent AI development. In particular, they focus on AI's implications for privacy, the intersection of AI and Web3 (including crypto as a force of decentralization), and the many types of doom that could be facing us. All this, plus how to use Chat GPT to optimize your personal life, the role of AI in education, the coming marriage between Urbit and AI, and whether interacting with AI is a religious experience. Don't miss it.Timestamps0:00—Intro3:16—A brief history of Jake Brukhman6:00—AI language teacher and the creation of Jargon pseudolanguage14:44—The implications of AI and natural language programming for developers18:37—Jake's approach to AI investment and the marriage of AI and crypto24:42—Open AI and AI safety33:25—A unique AI doomsday scenario38:34—AI integration with Urbit and Hoon and rapid AI advancements45:20—Using Chat GPT to improve daily life52:00—Personal AI and AI assistants (plus more Urbit AI)1:08:25—Are we overestimating AI?1:17:35—OutroMentions:The Bitter Lesson by Rich SuttonThe Scaling Hypothesis by GwernConnect:Jake Brukhman (@jbrukh / ~ranter-tapper)~bichul-ritsen (@bichulR)~timluc-miptev (@basileSportif)~nilrun-mardux (@AlephDAO)And, if you liked the episode, don't forget to give us a five star review. Say something nice and we'll even read it on the pod.

On this extra special episode, the boys are joined by Shad (~narpel-machul), the GP of Giga Corp, a crypto marketing and investment firm, to discuss liquid lobbying (using capital allocation to direct the positive development of public goods in Web3), blockchain conferences, and how to tell a real DAO from a fake one. The squad also dives deep on Urbit culture, the untapped potential of being cool in crypto, and the accelerating fusion of lifestyle with technology. All this plus diarrhea, fighting on a volcano, crypto breakfasts in Kyiv, and frontier favelas. Don't miss it.Timestamps00:00 - Introduction and guest Shadi, founder of Giga, a liquid lobbying DAO.00:39 - Shadi's background and interest in crypto.05:24 - Evolution of Giga's investment criteria.06:14 - Defining "liquid lobbying" and its similarity to activist investing.07:33 - Delegation as a method for Giga to enter organizations.08:23 - Explanation of DAOs and their differences from traditional organizations.09:58 - Gitcoin model, success, and Giga's approach to funding public goods.10:29 - Different voting mechanisms in DAOs and the importance of fair launches.15:06 - Evaluating a project's seriousness by marketing focus and ecosystem development.23:05 - Initial funding and structuring for public projects to be successful.28:12 - Experiences at Eth Denver and Volcano Summit events.35:26 - Shadi's interest in Urbit, its culture, and use case.38:28 - Company sponsorship of events like Volcano Summit.43:03 - Giga materials and appealing projects for non-technical users.51:30 - Balancing attracting cool people and maintaining a clear thesis in Urbit.57:32 - Rapid development in the Urbit ecosystem.Connect:Shad / ~narpel-machul (@madladshad)~bichul-ritsen (@bichulR)~nilrun-mardux (@AlephDAO)And, if you liked the episode, don't forget to give us a five star review. Say something nice and we'll even read it on the pod.

On this extra special episode, the boys are joined by Uqbar developer, Urbit explorer, and Network Age frontiersman ~dachus-tiprel to discuss the joys of peer-to-peer programming with a Web 1 aesthetic. We also touch on a few of ~dachus' recent projects, including %blog, a p2p publishing platform you can host from your own server, and %pyro, a testing script that has transformed into one of Urbit's most promising methods for low-cost hosting. All this plus "exiting", the instantiation of an IRL Party DAO, and whether programmers are more like artists or plumbers. Don't miss it.

On this extra special episode, the boys (sans ~timluc) are joined by Sam Frank (~todset-partug) of the Urbit Foundation to discuss his defection from the New York literary scene to the frontiers of distributed technology. As an early investor to both Ethereum and Urbit, Sam has witnessed how digital-first communities can organize around shared values and the pursuit of knowledge. Together, Sam and our hosts dive into the future of Urbit, the wild world of Miladies, and Sam's own journey as a writer and esoteric explorer. All this plus Urbit marriages, psychic abilities, and the importance of throwing a really good party.MentionsSam's appearance on the Crazy Wisdom podcastTimestamps0:00—Intro4:02—A short history of Sam Frank9:09—What drew Sam to Urbit/Ethereum?11:39—Communities, Neighborhoods, and Urbit20:46—How should Urbit grow (and should Urbit throw parties)?28:07—Urbit is for truth-seeking36:18—What on Urbit is Sam using now? What must we build?45:43—Milady47:00—The esoteric Sam's writing project52:52—Urbit, politics, and aesthetics54:42—Communities, once more1:02:45—OutroConnect:Sam Frank / ~todset-partug (@anecdoted)~bichul-ritsen (@bichulR)~timluc-miptev (@basileSportif)~nilrun-mardux (@AlephDAO)And, if you liked the episode, don't forget to give us a five star review. Say something nice and we'll even read it on the pod.

On this extra special episode, the boys are joined by esteemed CoinDesk reporters Marc Hochstein (~fodrex-malmev) and Tracy Wang to discuss the major crypto narratives of 2022. In particular, they dive into FTX (covered in-depth by Tracy for CoinDesk) and its implications for the coming year, as well as the general craziness of crypto reporting and the importance of being "long volatility." Then, the crew looks to 2023 to consider federal crypto regulation, the rise of zero-knowledge rollups, and protocol-level advances for Ethereum. All this plus polycules, Urbit, and buying Bitcoin in person from a man in the park. Mentions:Money of the Mind by James GrantMarc's CoinDesk ReportingTracy's CoinDesk ReportingConnect:Marc Hochstein (@MarcHochstein)Tracy Wang (@0x_tracy)~bichul-ritsen (@bichulR)~timluc-miptev (@basileSportif)~nilrun-mardux (@AlephDAO)And, if you liked the episode, don't forget to give us a five star review. Say something nice and we'll even read it on the pod.