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The Cash:
We really appreciate all of your contributions! Every cent and satoshi we receive lets us know that we’re doing something worthwhile, that you are entertained by our program, and that you’re starting to question what you know more and more. Please be generous. Donate to The Paradise Paradox. Or buy some stuff on Amazon using this link. Or buy some of our great T-shirts here.
The Story:
Many people are just starting to hear about Bitcoin for the first time, and grappling with all their brain cells to understand the basics of how it might function, let alone its implications. Meanwhile, those who have been interested in cryptocurrency for years are continually looking forward to try to imagine or develop the next big thing, building on top of the base which Bitcoin has laid, and pushing into ever-more disruptive territories. The DAO, or decentralised autonomous organisation, is one project which has many people’s eyes fixated on it.
The DAO is a platform on which decentralised applications might run, allowing for decentralised arbitration services which move further towards making government courts of law redundant. Within a few short weeks, the DAO raised about $130 million through crowdfunding – the largest crowdfund in history to date. Of course, this is no guarantee of its success, but it does indicate the level of public support and faith that this project has behind it.
Will the DAO go on to transform the world? Or is it merely a stepping stone to building something even more ambitious, transformative, and disruptive? We discuss its potential in this episode of the Paradise Paradox.
Disclaimer: We are not financial advisors, we have no idea what you should do with your money, and we don’t claim that we do. Do your own research before making any financial decision, and be careful.
In the interests of disclosure, note that we do own Bitcoin, Ether and DAO.
If you enjoyed the episode, don’t keep it a secret! Feel free to share it on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Reddit, or your office bathroom wall.
The Cash:
We really appreciate all of your contributions! Every cent and satoshi we receive lets us know that we’re doing something worthwhile, that you are entertained by our program, and that you’re starting to question what you know more and more. Please be generous. Donate to The Paradise Paradox. Or buy some stuff on Amazon using this link. Or buy some of our great T-shirts here.
The Story:
Bitcoin has now been around since 2009, so far it has proven itself as a viable form of money, as well as a stand alone financial ecosystem for transferring value. However, as Bitcoin is growing in transaction volume, this next quarter might have its challenges and many have mixed ideas about the future of this new technology. Experts have been divided over the key issue – to increase the block size or not. Along with this long running block size debate, Bitcoin will soon reach another critical milestone – the next reduction in mining reward (bitcoin halving). Here we have what might cause to the additional growth of backlogged bitcoin transactions and a reduction in Bitcoin processing power.
In this episode Kurt and Aaron discuss their thoughts on these uncertainties and upcoming events of Bitcoin. For anyone invested in Bitcoin or interested in getting involved, its time to get serious about your crypto strategy. We all have a paradise of research ahead… Join us in a portfolio shaking and fingernail biting episode of The Paradise Paradox!
If you enjoyed the episode, don’t keep it a secret! Feel free to share it on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Reddit, or your office bathroom wall.
The Cash:
We really appreciate all of your contributions! Every cent and satoshi we receive lets us know that we’re doing something worthwhile, that you are entertained by our program, and that you’re starting to question what you know more and more. Please be generous. Donate to The Paradise Paradox. Or buy some stuff on Amazon using this link. Or buy some of our great T-shirts here.
The Story:
1999, nearing the dawn of the millennium. Developers Shawn Fanning, John Fanning, and Sean Parker gave birth to Napster, and on this day music was set free. As the Internet has developed – faster download speeds and cheaper access, record labels have been forced to seek solutions, trying to fit their old ways of business, into a new world of technology, and minimise falling profits. The latest and favoured avenue for music consumption has become online streaming, which has made all music on a wide scale available thanks to the likes of Spotify, Pandora, and Apple Music. The craze of having the latest music at your fingertips and instant access to your favourite jams.
This is all part of the surface illusion, as the artists are still sold short, still not adequately compensated for their creative works. Behind a complex system, with a careful formulae to direct and nudge the tips, money doesn’t go to the artists that you listen to – at least, not the way most would think. There are flaws in this streaming system; a customer is paying for a service and receiving a service – but one must consider:
The payment algorithm – How is the balance of fans vs plays?
Mathematical calculated – How are artist royalties decided?
Your choices – Do they count, and do you matter?
Amongst these issues, the major flaw in the “big money pool” – the way most streaming services distribute the revenue – is that it is does not distribute the money fairly amongst the artists. The system is being gamed and hacked. Active corruption plays a role in the form of click fraud – where the competition of fans vs clicks takes place. The system is manipulated to serve a targeted minority. There are other methods to manage streaming revenue distribution, such as stream payment VS subscriber payment. However, as long as the music industry is centralised and under control by large labels, these issues will remain inherent to the music industry, with fans and artists scrambling to find ways to publicise this plight.
Technology shifts are here again to change the game, providing the answer and guiding an alternate form of online distribution. The new Internet, powered by blockchain technology, will give ownership back to the artists and expand options for consumers. Artists understand that they are also the entrepreneur, in control of their brand, marketing via alternative media, personality via social media and responsible for their revenue streams. Startups such as Baboom and Peertracks are taking advantage of artist value, market needs and the technology, providing the answer to this industry fault. Baboom promotes fair-trade streaming combined with an online music store, they pay artists 90% of the revenue directly and support a paying artists for fan subscription. Peertracks will utilise the blockchain which will allow artists to connect with fans, by giving the fans the chance to trade unique tokens – a form of currency which can be used to fund albums, and buy concert tickets and merchandise from that artist, and to hold a share in the artist’s success. Companies that support a direct relationship between artist and fan will gain traction, allowing artists to independently build an income stream which reflects their real popularity. These interactions will create communities and ensure that artists remain inspired and supported in producing and giving to the world.
Join us as we explore the technological vortex which could lead to a whole new era of creative genius on the next episode of … The Paradise Paradox!
If you enjoyed the episode, don’t keep it a secret! Feel free to share it on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Reddit, or your office bathroom wall.
The Cash:
We really appreciate all of your contributions! Every cent and satoshi we receive lets us know that we’re doing something worthwhile, that you are entertained by our program, and that you’re starting to question what you know more and more. Please be generous. Donate to The Paradise Paradox. Or buy some stuff on Amazon using this link. Or buy some of our great T-shirts here.
The Story:
Ever since the peaceful anarchist event, Anarchapulco, in 2015, many people from the US and Canada have decided that moving to Acapulco, Mexico might improve their lives. Many found ways to make money off the Internet or to transfer their existing jobs to a new location, and start a new life where they didn’t have to worry so much about any government interfering their lives, threatening them for operating their business in a way that the state didn’t like, or getting their dogs shot by police officers for no apparent reason.
They may face many obstacles on their journey, including their friends and family warning them to stay away from the city which is run by drug cartels, where the police periodically go on strike, and which is reputedly the fourth most dangerous in the world. Nevertheless, these brave soldiers journey on, and many of them are willing to share their expatriation wisdom experience with the world. It takes one man to document the evolution of this community of liberty-minded individuals, this Latin American “Galt’s Gulch”, and his name is Juan Galt.
In this episode, Kurt interviews Juan and talks about the ways that cryptocurrency might be used in the near future to replace government property registry systems, his documentary (renamed since the interview as “Seeking Freedom: The Acapulco Files”), and ways to break down borders using Bitcoin and smart contracts. Join us on a jet-setting, freedom-fighting, border-bounding episode of … The Paradise Paradox!
If you enjoyed the episode, don’t keep it a secret! Feel free to share it on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Reddit, or your office bathroom wall.
The Cash:
We really appreciate all of your contributions! Every cent and satoshi we receive lets us know that we’re doing something worthwhile, that you are entertained by our program, and that you’re starting to question what you know more and more. Please be generous. Donate to The Paradise Paradox. Or buy some stuff on Amazon using this link. Or buy some of our great T-shirts here.
The Story:
In December 2015, Martin Rojko of CoinTelegraph.com asked several Bitcoin experts what they expected the price of a bitcoin to be by the end of 2016. The guru, public speaker and “rockstar” of Bitcoin, Andreas Antonopoulos, searched his soul and summoned the wisdom from the depths of his being, and answered: “I don’t do price speculation. It’s astrology for markets and I think it is irresponsible for media companies to do this.”
The fact is, nobody in the world knows what the price of bitcoin is going to be in a month, much less a year. However, taking a snapshot at this stage of the bitcoin evolution, there are four factors which will probably play a huge part in determining the price over the coming years.
The amount of venture capital and angel investment pouring into Bitcoin companies.
In 2013, digital currency related startups has attracted investment of $25 million in VC funding. In 2014, “In total, bitcoin startup investments now total over $400M in aggregate funding” (Source: CBInsights), and in 2015 VC investments ‘topped $1 billion’ (Source: Bloomberg). However this remains to be fully realised in the bitcoin unit price. Big names such as Nasdaq, American Express and Visa are also investing in Bitcoin startups.
Bitcoin has possibilities for endless programmable applications, which will go on to disrupt various industries. However, it is clear that the first target and the primary industry of focus is finance and banking. For 2016, Venture capitalist Tim Draper anticipates many Bitcoin consumer applications, the US government to recognise Bitcoin as a currency and perhaps the first Bitcoin unicorn – that is, the first billion dollar Bitcoin start-up. With all this money and focused effort going into the development of Bitcoin applications as it’s used for international remittances platforms, micropayment, crowdfunding of public works projects, smart contracts and peer-to-peer lending, it can only be bullish for the price, as Bitcoin is used more widely.
2. A decrease in the production of Bitcoin in July 2016.
At time of writing, 25 BTC are produced every ten minutes by diligent miners. In July 2016, the block reward will halve. A stable demand with a reduced supply tends to lead to an increased price. It’s possible that holders of BTC will start buying more in the preceding months, in anticipation of the reduction.
3. Possible failures of the incumbent banking system.
Many people, especially in the Austrian economics camp, are becoming increasingly concerned about a failure of the banking system. Financial gurus such as Mike Maloney have forecast the possibilities of deflation, big inflation, or even hyperinflation of the US dollar, which could have profound effects on the world economy. For many, holding bitcoins is seen as risky. But is it as risky as holding a fiat currency, which has very limited scarcity, and may be printed to oblivion by the perverse symbiotic relationship between a central bank and a national treasury? In times of crisis, or in anticipation of times of crisis, when governments around the world are clamping down capital controls to say who can move what money where, it wouldn’t be surprising if people decided to move it into the most portable money that has ever existed: bitcoins.
The understanding of Bitcoin in public consciousness
Since Bitcoin first leapt into the media, it has been trashed, slandered, accused of being a tool of terrorists and violent drug cartels, and declared unstable and even dead many, many times. However, the sentiment in the media is slowly changing, with many starting to see that cryptocurrency is not going away in a hurry, and there may be real news beyond a sensational headline.
We can see in the statistics on Blockchain.Info that the rate of adoption appears to be steady, or increasing, in the rate of daily transactions and in the total number of addresses.
Perhaps soon, people will start to realise that it’s possible, not just to use Bitcoin to evade capital controls, but also to use it to evade taxes, and government control in general, turning many markets into black markets, and using blockchain technology to distribute state secrets anonymously, realising the dream of the Crypto-Anarchist’s Manifesto. By that stage, perhaps the price will be irrelevant, because the value will be obvious.
If you enjoyed the episode, don’t keep it a secret! Feel free to share it on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Reddit, or your office bathroom wall.
The Cash:
We really appreciate all of your contributions! Every cent and satoshi we receive lets us know that we’re doing something worthwhile, that you are entertained by our program, and that you’re starting to question what you know more and more. Please be generous. Donate to The Paradise Paradox. Or buy some stuff on Amazon using this link. Or buy some of our great T-shirts here.
The Story:
Tuur Demeester of Adamant Research states that Bitcoin is “as if gold was invented 7 years ago”. Bitcoin was indeed designed to have all of the qualities that make sound money, and has provided what was thought to be impossible – a scarce digital commodity – a crypto-anarchist’s wet dream.
Since Bitcoin’s initial rise in popularity, many people have began to question what the word “money” even means, forcing many economists to question their theorems and assumptions. And, when comparing cryptocurrency to fiat currencies around the world, an inquiring mind may eventually come to the conclusion that there is nothing more dangerous or destructive than to have money under the control of central banks – enabling endless wars and imprisonment of many peaceful people.
Since 2007, many central banks have been colluding with governments to increase currency supplies, creating an excess of “cheap money” – that is, currency from loans with artificially low interest rates. The low interest rates encourage entrepreneurs to borrow more and more – which, in the short term, appears to stimulate the economy – however, this then becomes an unstable economy, because the business owners have been fooled about the true amount of resources available. This leads to many bubbles – and the subsequent bursting of these bubbles.
Take the Australian economy as an example. Over the past ten years, or longer, Australia has been riding the wave of the commodity boom, caused by artificially cheap credit and loose investment, accompanied by strong buying power from a booming Chinese economy. Now, however, many prices in the commodities market have been falling for the past twelve months, and nobody knows where they will find a bottom, and the Chinese stockmarket is suddenly struggling with its own crisis. As a consequence, many mutual funds and other investment firms are left out to dry, holding derivatives from companies such as Glencore, which have overextended themselves using cheap loans. Furthermore, many regular Australians might be left holding houses and other property, fueled by the collective delusion that is financially sound to undertake a 30 year contract to pay off a loan and get that family dream home.
The icing on the cake is that there is a surge of baby boomers that are looking to retire this decade. They are feeling very comfortable with their investment portfolio and with massive equity held in the family home. “Now is the time to enjoy myself after a lifetime of work”, say Mr. and Mrs. 65. Unfortunately, if international markets continue to tumble under the pressure of falling commodity prices and the collective population awake to the reality of the insolvent banking system – retirement could quickly become a luxury of past years.
It’s here that the immeasurable value of the new virtual asset, Bitcoin, will play a major role in access to and storage of your own money. Perhaps a safe haven to park you money, or at least a little bit for the soon coming rainy day. In this episode we speak with Tuur Demeester, where we talk about Bitcoin, the future of the world economy, the Australian economy, and his investment newsletter. Join us on a rollercoast ride from boom to bust, in the next thrilling chapter of … The Paradise Paradox!
If you enjoyed the episode, don’t keep it a secret! Feel free to share it on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Reddit, or your office bathroom wall.
The Cash:
We really appreciate all of your contributions! Every cent and satoshi we receive lets us know that we’re doing something worthwhile, that you are entertained by our program, and that you’re starting to question what you know more and more. Please be generous. Donate to The Paradise Paradox. Or buy some stuff on Amazon using this link. Or buy some of our great T-shirts here.
The Story:
‘You might say I am a dreamer, but I’m not the only one’ – the famous lyrics from John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’. John Lennon described his vision for a world of peace and equality, where all people are able to interact and contribute on a level playing field. SystemaD is striving to make this a reality. SystemaD is a technological platform allowing access to banking services without the formal control of traditional systems. It utilises blockchain technology, the transparent distributed ledger that makes up the backbone of Bitcoin. This grants all individuals access to build a reputation based on their personal economic participation, which can be then trusted by the larger community for future dealings.
Unfortunately, this vision of peace and economic equality still has its hurdles. Until all people of the world are free from the force of government and free from the economic vice grip of capital controls, this will never be the case. Economically, people must be free to choose how to participate and how to store their value. This means, a free market – where individuals trade without the bond to a government issued fiat currency and without market altering taxes and regulations. These free individuals then act responsibility in identifying their best way to serve their community, in way of production of goods and services and as they see fit.
Mckinsey & Company produced a research paper in 2009 stating that half the world’s adult population is unbanked. Considering that the World Bank has identified that “access to affordable financial services is linked to overcoming poverty, and increasing economic growth”, banking institutions have been very proactive in issuing bank accounts to their human livestock. As a coincidence, reports and trends of poverty (people living on less than $1.90 per day) has been on the decline, data states that poverty has dropped from 37.1% in 1990 to 12.7% in 2012. However, with no mention of the effect of inflation and no tangible living standards measure, it becomes difficult to measure realistic progress. As of 2015 the World Bank reports that, approximately 2.5 billion people worldwide still do not have a formal account at a financial institution.
There are various reasons why the unbanked remain so – insufficient documentation, travel distance, related service costs and general poverty. Essentially, the acute environmental circumstances exclude these people from access to the services offered by the financial and banking system. These are all problems which SystemaD is helping to bypass.
Research conducted by Lederle has shown that there are some serious after-effects and negative psychological outcomes that result from this exclusion. SystemaD is able to tackle the direct issue of exclusion of economic activity, as well as removing the need for a formal banking account. The platform gives direct access to financial services, facilitating market trade activities, the outcome has benefits far beyond financial health for the people involved.
Access and inclusion of basic banking services have shown to have positive impacts on people’s health. In particular, individuals grow a heightened sense of confidence, self-esteem, sense of empowerment, security and control. This extends to the individual building an education and knowledge in money management strategies, which increases employability, entrepreneurship and general well-being. The SystemaD team is witnessing, and has confirmed, the positive effect of using technology to close a gap of the old financial world, which can only build positive momentum.
In this episode we interview Diego Gutiérrez Zaldívar from SystemaD, where we talk about the goals and developments of the SystemaD platform. We discuss how education and training is crucial when launching a new platform, as well as the importance of organic uptake for growth of an open economy. Join us in another poverty-disrupting, well-being uplifting episode of … The Paradise Paradox!
If you enjoyed the episode, don’t keep it a secret! Feel free to share it on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Reddit, or your office bathroom wall.
The Cash:
We really appreciate all of your contributions! Every cent and satoshi we receive lets us know that we’re doing something worthwhile, that you are entertained by our program, and that you’re starting to question what you know more and more. Please be generous. Donate to The Paradise Paradox. Or buy some stuff on Amazon using this link. Or buy some of our great T-shirts here.
The Story:
When certain people hear about Bitcoin, they can’t help but be fascinated by it. It gets inside your mind and starts whispering to you: What if? What if the control of currency from central banks isn’t inevitable? What if there was an alternative? What if, when the government men came with their guns to take your gold and start a war, there was nothing there for them to take? And what if this technology already existed?
If you contract this “bitcoinitis”, you might get caught up in a fugue, reading for hours a day about the latest developments, the rate of acceptance, the development of new technology that allow new kinds of financial assets and smart contracts that facilitate trade across borders. Amanda “Billyrock” Johnson was hit with bitcoinitis, and decided to turn all of her reading into a digest of the most interesting cryptocurrency stories of the day: “The Daily Decrypt”.
In this episode, we interview Amanda and her partner in crime, Pete Eyre, about how they first came across Bitcoin, their experience with the Free State Project in New Hampshire, and what they think about the freedom in Mexico.
If you enjoyed the episode, don’t keep it a secret! Feel free to share it on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Reddit, or your office bathroom wall.
The Cash:
We really appreciate all of your contributions! Every cent and satoshi we receive lets us know that we’re doing something worthwhile, that you are entertained by our program, and that you’re starting to question what you know more and more. Please be generous. Donate to The Paradise Paradox. Or buy some stuff on Amazon using this link. Or buy some of our great T-shirts here.
The Story:
Ask almost any Bitcoin enthusiast for the main obstacles holding back Bitcoin from mainstream adoption, and usability will most likely fall in the top two. Many companies are working on solutions to this problem, such as ChangeTip, allowing people to send money to people through tweets or YouTube comments. Another is Netki, which changes Bitcoin addresses into warm and friendly, human readable addresses. And yet another is Pulsebtc, which enables regular people to enjoy some of the benefits of Bitcoin transactions, without ever having to know that they’re using blockchain technology.
The product comes in the form of a bracelet, which one day you will be able to swipe in taxis and cafés to pay for your product. Because of Bitcoin’s low transaction fees, It’s cheaper for the vendor, and it’s convenient for the user.
At LaBITconf, we met the CEO of Pulsebtc, Humberto Quintanilla, and discussed his vision, his journey as an entrepreneur, his ideas of what the future might look like, and his romantic outlook on life. Join us for another Bitcoin-transferring, coffee-and-donut-paying, technologically-innovating episode of … The Paradise Paradox!
If you enjoyed the episode, don’t keep it a secret! Feel free to share it on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Reddit, or your office bathroom wall.
The Cash:
We really appreciate all of your contributions! Every cent and satoshi we receive lets us know that we’re doing something worthwhile, that you are entertained by our program, and that you’re starting to question what you know more and more. Please be generous. Donate to The Paradise Paradox. Or buy some stuff on Amazon using this link. Or buy some of our great T-shirts here.
The Story:
I asked Jeff Berwick if he thought the global financial system was going to get worse by the end of 2015. His response: “I actually expect it to get worse. If it doesn’t, 2016 is going to be a bloodbath.”
Jeff Berwick has been an entrepreneur for many years, with one of his first businesses, stockhouse.com, eventually selling for millions of dollars. Now he lives in sunny Acapulco with his family, enjoying the Mexican lifestyle and running several businesses, including the alternative financial media outlet The Dollar Vigilante. In 2010, Berwick predicted that the US dollar would collapse within 5-10 years, and we’re now entering that period.
Berwick gained some more notoriety in August 2015, when he started releasing a series of videos predicting a global financial crisis similar to that of 2007, based around the infamous “seven year cycle” – well-known on Wall Street – in conjunction with the Hebrew calendar. His claim was that the seven year cycle of crashes normally falls into alignment with this ancient calendar. In the following months, there were stockmarket crashes in the US, China, and Australia, though they haven’t yet fallen with the force that many were expecting. Is it possible that the attention from Jeff’s videos and Jonathan Cahn’s book “The Harbinger”
caused the global elite to alter their plans?
I ask Jeff about that in this interview, as well as questions about how Bitcoin might improve the economy for impoverished communities in Latin America, how people from all over the world appreciate the freedom in Mexico, about a potential collapse in 2016, and about his experiences with shamanic medicine such as ayahuasca and iboga. Join us in another bank-running, dollar-collapsing, soul-rattling journey in this episode of … The Paradise Paradox!
