DECENTRALIZE, the podcast

This episode is all about movements. Do we need them? Are the ideas of the "Bitcoin community" and "the decentralization movement" more harmful than helpful? We take a look at how movements emerge, how they work, how they affect individuals and their goals.

Our guest this week is Max Borders, co-founder of [Voice & Exit][voice and exit], a "Festival of the Future" for artists, inventors, and entrepreneurs promoting human flourishing and freedom through permissionless innovation. We talk to Max about the concepts of "voice" and "exit," how the event combines the atmosphere of a TED Talk and a celebration, and how the Voice & Exit team is building a decentralized model for the global growth of their "exiter" community.

Special Guest: [Max Borders][max]

Hosted By: [Tony Sakich][tony], [James Walpole][james], & [Eric Martindale][eric]

Produced By: [Chaz Ferguson][eric]

Music By: [Toni Leys][toni]

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Hey, DECENTRALIZE listeners! Our guest Max Borders generously offered our listeners 20% off the price of a Voice & Exit ticket with the use of code "DECENTRALIZE". If you use the code when you [register to attend Voice & Exit][register] in Austin on June 20th, you'll also get a Voice & Exit t-shirt and a signed copy of the forthcoming book *Holocracy* by Brian Roberston.

**Check out these links from tonight's show:**

Voice and Exit: http://voiceandexit.com/

Voice and Exit on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/voiceandexit?fref=ts

[max]: https://twitter.com/maxborders

[tony]: https://twitter.com/TonySwish

[eric]: https://twitter.com/martindale

[james]: https://twitter.com/JamesLWalpole

[chaz]: https://twitter.com/unchaz

[toni]: https://soundcloud.com/tonileys

[register]: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/voice-exit-2015-tickets-15866836134?discount=DECENTRALIZE

[voice and exit]: http://voiceandexit.com/

The DECENTRALIZE team gets philosophical on this week's episode, launching directly into a wide-ranging discussion of the role of technology in humanity's future. We delve into the preservation of humanity's physical legacy in a digital age, the ethics of strong AI rebellion and the possibility of transhumanism, and the decentralized, antifragile qualities of technologies built to survive attacks from nation-states, asteroids, and Arnold Schwartzneggerian terminator robots.

Our guests this week are Blocktech Group CEO Devon Read and Ryan Taylor, frontend developer for the Blocktech Group's project Alexandria – a blockchain-based distributed digital library and publishing platform. We talk to our guests about the goals, challenges, and tools of the team building this ambitious project to protect the world's art, history, and culture from censorship.

Learn more about Alexandria and learn how to participate in what the Blocktech Group is building: http://blocktech.com/

Special Guests: Devon Read and Ryan Taylor

Hosted By: Chaz Ferguson, James Walpole, & Eric Martindale

Produced By: Chaz Ferguson

Music By: Toni Leys

On this week's episode, we tackle the growing rebellion against the conformist culture of college and discuss the need for creative and decentralized education options. We also attempt to settle the age-old divide between marketers and makers in tech, and we explore what makes companies, products, and careers truly great.

We're joined by special guest Ryan X. Charles, former astrophysicist, veteran of BitPay and Reddit, and current software engineer at BitGo. Ryan tells us about his experience in building Reddit's cryptoequity platform and shares his comments on BitGo's controversial defensive patent strategy. We also hear his thoughts on open source philosophy, the programming learning curve, and the practical freedom provided by decentralized technologies.

Special Guest: [Ryan X. Charles](http://bit.ly/1FpnIx3)

Hosted By: Tony Sakich, James Walpole, & Eric Martindale

Produced By: Chaz Ferguson

Music By: Toni Leys

In this special episode of DECENTRALIZE, show host Tony Sakich interviews legendary musician, singer-songwriter, producer, and outspoken music industry critic Steve Albini. The two discuss Bitcoin, intellectual property, corporatism, and differing approaches to artist empowerment and decentralization in the digital age.

On this episode of DECENTRALIZE, we take some tenuous steps into the space between technology and political theory. Our discussion begins with an exploration the persistent popularity of virtual worlds and their significance to individual freedom. We launch from there into a brief intro to panarchy – the laissez faire governance theory proposed by a French guy in the 19th century(Paul Emile de Puydt, http://bit.ly/1AQbTsq).

We have our first double-guest booking this week (with a few small hiccups along the way), with Dan Metcalf of blockchain networking project Blocknet (http://blocknet.co/) and digital payments project XCurrency (http://bit.ly/1IsBKhZ) as well as Susanne Tarkowski Tempelhof of alternative governance startup BitNation (http://bit.ly/1FeFNhq). In our interview, we talk to these founders about the inspiration, challenges, and goals of their work in the field of blockchain applications.

Special Guests: Susanne Tarkowski Tempelhof and Dan Metcalf

Hosted By: Tony Sakich, James Walpole, & Eric Martindale

Produced By: Chaz Ferguson

Music By: Toni Leys

We return for Episode 27 to talk about the increasingly noticeable effect of tech entrepreneurship in [unbundling goods and services][the great unbundling]. We also talk about [the growing power of the Bitcoin mining network][bigger than google] and share our thoughts on the importance of the economic way of thinking in understanding the world of decentralized tech.

Then prediction market specialist and academic economist [Robin Hanson][robin] of [George Mason University][gmu] joins us to discuss his interactions with the early cypherpunk community, the meaning of futarchy, and what the reactions to Bitcoin, PGP, and prediction markets reveal about the economics and psychology that drive (and stall) technology adoption.

Special Guest: [Robin Hanson][robin]

Hosted By: Tony Sakich, James Walpole, & Eric Martindale

Produced By: Chaz Ferguson

Music By: [Toni Leys][toni]

[bigger than google]: https://medium.com/@muneeb/bitcoin-is-bigger-than-google-ec84310296d9

[the great unbundling]: http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/18/the-unbundling-of-everything/

[robin]: http://mason.gmu.edu/~rhanson/home.html

[gmu]: http://www.gmu.edu

[toni]: https://soundcloud.com/tonileys

This week we start talking about how much we love [the new Star Wars trailer][star wars trailer] and cannot stop despite multiple attempts. The conversation branches out into favorite movies, the science fiction genre, and the elements of great films. We spend much of the latter part of the show discussing the unique characteristics, challenges, and redeeming moments of startup work.

We were joined this week by [Nick Sullivan][nick], founder and CEO of [ChangeTip][changetip], to talk about the origin of his career in "creationeering" and the significance of the many uses for bitcoin microtransactions. Nick announces some exciting news for ChangeTip and teases future developments from the company leading innovation in social tipping.

Special Guest: [Nick Sullivan][nick]

Hosted By: Tony Sakich, James Walpole, & Eric Martindale

Produced By: Chaz Ferguson

Music By: [Toni Leys][toni]

[star wars trailer]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngElkyQ6Rhs

[nick]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicksullivan

[changetip]: https://www.changetip.com/

[toni]: https://soundcloud.com/tonileys

On this 25th episode of DECENTRALIZE, we shoot the breeze on our favorite moments of April folly (and legitimate absurdity) in the tech industry. More serious discussions ensue as we cover the sharing economy's move into the formerly-closed Cuba, Microsoft's hints of an open source shift for Windows, and the rising dissent against centralized higher education.

Hosted By: Tony Sakich & James Walpole

Produced By: Chaz Ferguson

Music By: Toni Leys

On this week's episode, we are joined by DECENTRALIZE producer Chaz Ferguson to discuss the origins and significance of GitHub's current DDOS siege and the market for decentralized code sharing services. We also explore the restrictions which immigration controls place on technological progress as well as the workarounds now emerging for individuals and startups.

Then legendary pro wrestler Glenn Jacobs joins us for a discussion of the political philosophy of libertarianism and his criticisms of the economic and political arguments for cryptocurrency.

Special Guest: Glenn Jacobs

Hosted By: Tony Sakich, James Walpole, & Eric Martindale

Produced By: Chaz Ferguson

Music By: Toni Leys

DECENTRALIZE returns this week with a tour de force of mobile payments coverage, from Square Cash to Facebook Pay. We talk about what these developments from the major players spell for bitcoin and for peer to peer transaction in general. Then we discuss the fascinating topic of the decentralized organization and explore how companies like Valve and Morning Star operate (better) without hierarchies or bosses.

We have one of our favorite interviews yet with Catheryne Nicholson, co-founder and CEO of Blockcypher. Catheryne talks to us about her company's role in the rapid expansion and transformation of Bitcoin and blockchain development.

Special Guest: Catheryne Nicholson

Hosted By: Tony Sakich, James Walpole, & Eric Martindale

Produced By: Chaz Ferguson

Music By: Toni Leys