With growing institutional adoption of Bitcoin through custodians, investors will demand transparency through ‘Proof of Reserves’. Alexander Leishman, CEO & CTO, River joins me to discuss more of the institutional adoption of Bitcoin, Coinbase’s hesitation towards Proof of Reserves, US Govt. debt and more.

Summary

In this episode of the Stephan Livera podcast, host Stephan speaks with Alex Leishman, CEO and CTO of River, about various topics surrounding Bitcoin, including the current state of exchanges like Coinbase, the importance of proof of reserves, and the growing adoption of Bitcoin among businesses. They discuss the implications of stablecoins, the comparison between Bitcoin and gold, and the future of Bitcoin technology. Alex emphasizes the need for transparency in the industry and the importance of maintaining a solid foundation for Bitcoin's development.

Takeaways

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Intro

(00:34) - Does Coinbase hold all the Bitcoin they claim to?

(02:33) - What happens when liabilities are more than assets?

(06:44) - @River ‘s Proof of Reserves - Explained

(10:32) - How does Proof of Reserves mitigate the risk of ‘Paper Bitcoin’?

(12:07) - Sponsors

(14:22) - Why Proof of Reserves could be difficult to implement for Coinbase?

(17:56) - Why Business Bitcoin adoption grew by 30% in 1 year

(21:30) - The increasing US Govt. debt & the role of Bitcoin

(23:08) - Gold vs Bitcoin 

(26:32) - Risks of centralization of Bitcoin custody through ETFs

(30:45) - Sponsor

(34:15) - Bitcoin’s role in commerce - Store of Value of Medium of Exchange?

(38:00) - Does Bitcoin need an upgrade?

(41:24) - Are stablecoins a hindrance to Bitcoin adoption?

(47:20) - US Presidential election affecting Bitcoin

(52:56) - Way forward with Bitcoin Development

(56:45) - Closing thoughts 

Links: 

Sponsors:

Stephan Livera links: