In this episode, Saifedean talks to Samson Mow, outgoing CSO of Blockstream and CEO of Pixelmatic, about why we should be âaugmentingâ rather than trying to change the bitcoin network. They begin by discussing Blockstream projects such as the Liquid Network that extend the range of options available to bitcoin users, while accepting the networkâs fundamental protocol rules. They also discuss Samsonâs role as a prominent âsmall blockerâ in the 2015-2017 âBlocksize Warâ and whether â in retrospect â the victory of the small blockers was inevitable. Samson then shares his views on bitcoin adoption in Latin America, including El Salvadorâs issuance of bitcoin-backed âvolcano bondsâ as a means of evading the debt-fuelled development model encouraged by the IMF. In the Q&A, Samson answers questions about bitcoin privacy, proof-of-stake and the issuance of securities on the Liquid Network.
Resources
- Samson on Twitter
- Official website of Pixelmatic
- Blockstream explainer outlining differences between Liquid and Lightning as Layer 2 scaling solutions for bitcoin
- Blockstream announcement on Baillie Gifford Series B investment
- Blockstream blog post announcing that El Salvador will issue $1bn in volcano bonds
- The Blocksize War by Jonathan Bier
- Saifedeanâs first book, The Bitcoin Standard
- Saifedeanâs second book, The Fiat Standard
Enjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedeanâs courses and read chapters of his forthcoming books by becoming a Saifedean.com member. Find out more here.
Hosts & Guests
Information
- Show
- FrequencyUpdated Weekly
- PublishedMarch 5, 2022 at 1:00 PM UTC
- Length1h 33m
- RatingClean