Oct 16, 2018
This week, because I was busy with my TEDx talk and my book, I decided to do an episode in which I answer your questions. Thank you to everyone who submitted one, and I'm so sorry I didn't get to all your questions. In this episode, I talk about what's necessary to gain wider adoption, how I think the next bull run will manifest and how Bitcoin would behave in a serious financial crisis. Plus, I reveal which areas of the industry I think will blossom, and which areas I'm less optimistic about. I also answer what people who are just getting into the technology can do in the space, why the oracle problem is so challenging and how it can be resolved, and what the velocity problem is, and whether it applies especially to Ethereum. I also delve into privacy coins, whether or not the lower overall crypto market volatility we're seeing now will continue, and where this trend with stablecoins is going. There are a LOT of episode links -- be sure to check them out!
Thank you to our sponsors!
Altlending: https://altlending.com
Blockdaemon: http://blockdaemon.com/unchained/
Episode links:
Senate hearing on cryptocurrencies: https://www.c-span.org/video/?452837-1/senate-banking-panel-explores-cryptocurrencies-blockchains
Tweets with me, Nouriel and Vitalik: https://twitter.com/laurashin/status/1050782831859752960
My conversation with Soona Amhaz of Token Daily about Nouriel Roubini on Unconfirmed: http://unconfirmed.libsyn.com/how-were-misusing-the-word-decentralization-ep041
Milken Institute panel featuring Nouriel Roubini: http://www.milkeninstitute.org/videos/view/cryptocurrencies-irrational-exuberance-or-brave-new-world
Skeptics' Episodes:
Preston Byrne & Angela Walch: http://unchainedpodcast.co/the-skeptics-episode-preston-byrne-and-angela-walch-on-what-the-industry-and-regulators-get-wrong-in-crypto
Meltem Demirors & Jill Carlson: http://unchainedpodcast.co/episode-74
Singularity University episode discussing usbaility: http://unchainedpodcast.co/singularity-university-global-summit-how-do-we-get-consumer-adoption-ep83
My Forbes article on phone hijacking: https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2016/12/20/hackers-have-stolen-millions-of-dollars-in-bitcoin-using-only-phone-numbers/#2ada233b38ba
USV blog post on apps and infrastructure: https://www.usv.com/blog/the-myth-of-the-infrastructure-phase
CryptoKitties episode: http://unchainedpodcast.co/what-makes-a-cryptokitty-worth-140000-ep75
Token Foundry standards: https://blog.tokenfoundry.com/token-foundry-standards/
Civil: https://civil.co
Forbes magazine feature on blockchain not Bitcoin, featuring Chain: https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2015/09/09/bitcoins-shared-ledger-technology-moneys-new-operating-system/#66bb2f4c7dd1
Recent episode with Barry Silbert: http://unchainedpodcast.co/barry-silbert-on-what-wall-street-says-privately-about-crypto-vs-what-it-says-publicly-ep87
Decentralized Finance series:
0x: http://unchainedpodcast.co/will-warren-of-0x-on-why-decentralized-exchanges-are-the-future
Dharma: http://unchainedpodcast.co/nadav-hollander-on-how-dharma-could-create-new-forms-of-debt-ep80
Compound: http://unchainedpodcast.co/how-youll-earn-interest-on-your-crypto-with-compound-ep82
dYdX: http://unchainedpodcast.co/how-dydx-allows-you-to-take-a-short-position-in-one-token-ep86
Institutional money:
The Information article on university endowments investing in crypto: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/harvard-stanford-mit-endowments-invest-in-crypto-funds
Unchained episode with Tuur Demeester: http://unchainedpodcast.co/tuur-demeester-on-why-hes-a-bitcoin-maximalist-and-bearish-on-ethereum-ep81
Fortune article on Bakkt: http://fortune.com/longform/nyse-owner-bitcoin-exchange-startup/
Custody solutions:
BitGo becomes a qualified custodian: https://www.coindesk.com/bitgo-receives-regulatory-approval-to-custody-crypto-assets/
Unchained episode with Mike Belshe of BitGo: http://unchainedpodcast.co/mike-belshe-on-what-bitgos-kingdom-trust-acquisition-means-for-crypto-and-how-security-will-develop-in-the-future
Coinbase Custody opens: https://blog.coinbase.com/coinbase-custody-is-officially-open-for-business-182c297d65d9
Potential recession:
Oslo Freedom Forum episode on uptake of bitcoin in Venezuela: http://unchainedpodcast.co/the-oslo-freedom-forum-in-new-york-why-decentralization-matters-ep85
Fortune article on Chainalysis: http://fortune.com/2018/10/10/can-the-whales-of-bitcoin-tank-the-market/?ref=tokendaily
Trends I think will blossom:
First Unchained episode with Kathryn Haun: http://unchainedpodcast.co/federal-prosecutor-kathryn-haun-on-how-criminals-use-bitcoin-and-how-she-catches-them
Unchained episode with Chris Dixon of a16z crypto: http://unchainedpodcast.co/chris-dixon-on-how-trust-is-the-best-lego-block-ep70
Unchained episode with Zooko Wilcox of Zcash: http://unchainedpodcast.co/zcashs-zooko-wilcox-on-why-he-believes-privacy-coins-will-be-used-more-for-good-than-bad
JPMorgan Chase using Zcash technology: https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2017/05/22/jpmorgan-chase-to-integrate-zcash-technology-to-its-enterprise-blockchain-platform/
Enterprise blockchains:
NYT article I wrote on enterprise blockchains: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/27/business/dealbook/industries-blockchains-efficiency.html
Oracles:
Ether flash crash on GDAX: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/22/ethereum-price-crash-10-cents-gdax-exchange-after-multimillion-dollar-trade.html
Medium article on oracles: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/22/ethereum-price-crash-10-cents-gdax-exchange-after-multimillion-dollar-trade.html
Episode with Joey Krug of Augur: http://unchainedpodcast.co/joey-krug-on-how-augur-is-like-any-other-tool-ep79
Episode with Danny An of TrustToken: http://unchainedpodcast.co/harbor-and-trusttoken-on-why-they-dont-mind-being-unsexy-ep77
Velocity problem:
Chris Burniske on how to value a crypto asset, on Unchained: http://unchainedpodcast.co/how-to-valuate-a-crypto-asset-s3e08
Ethereum post on reducing block reward: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/22/ethereum-price-crash-10-cents-gdax-exchange-after-multimillion-dollar-trade.html
Privacy coins:
Good post on Monero vs. Zcash: https://medium.com/digitalassetresearch/zec-best-in-class-privacy-in-a-public-blockchain-1df2a3728739
Episode on illicit use of cryptocurrencies: http://unchainedpodcast.co/how-widespread-is-money-laundering-in-crypto-ep72
Carlotta Perez book, Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital: http://www.carlotaperez.org/pubs?s=tf&l=en&a=technologicalrevolutionsandfinancialcapital
Unchained episode on stablecoins: http://unchainedpodcast.co/why-its-so-hard-to-keep-stablecoins-stable
Unconfirmed episode with Rune Christensen of MakerDAO: http://unconfirmed.libsyn.com/rune-christensen-of-makerdao-on-its-15-million-from-andreessen-horowitz-ep039
Unchained episode with Circle that describes their stablecoin: http://unchainedpodcast.co/circles-jeremy-allaire-and-sean-neville-on-why-crypto-will-be-bigger-than-the-web-ep71