Bitcoin was the first successful application of the blockchain, but will it survive after central banks and regulators step in?

Financial expert Demelza Hays from Liechtenstein walks us through the basics of blockchains and recommends some cryptocurrencies to keep an eye on. She argues that even if bitcoin eventually succumbs, the idea of global, privately minted coins that are not political will prevail.

Show notes: http://goldnewsletter.com/podcast/why-blockchains-here-to-stay/

Every year, the Fraser Institute’s Economic Freedom of the World index ranks countries' openness to markets. But how can one measure something so seemingly abstract as freedom or liberalization?

We discuss this and other topics with the man behind the study for the past 30 years, Robert Lawson of the O'Neil Center for Global Markets and Freedom at Southern Methodist University.

He argues that the scientific method can work in the social sciences as well, and that the ideology of a country’s ruling party is not the best indicator of its economic freedom.

Show notes: https://goldnewsletter.com/podcast/is-the-world-getting-freer/

Estonia is a European country known for pioneering e-governance, which makes life easier for citizens. They can pay taxes, set up companies, and even vote—all online.

Since 2014, Estonia has attracted individuals from all over the world by letting anyone apply for residency without leaving their homes and enjoy these benefits.

Yaël Ossowski, a Canadian journalist, activist, and entrepreneur based in Vienna, joins us to discuss how virtual-residency programs can foster competition between states for global businesses.

Show notes: https://goldnewsletter.com/podcast/e-citizenship-fosters-competition-between-countries/

For the first time, total credit-card debt in the United States has surpassed $1 trillion. Many households struggle to make ends meet and don't know where to start saving money, so they roll over high-interest credit.

Kumiko Ehrmantraut, aka the Budget Mom, shares her insights as a certified financial counselor, and she explains how having her son turned her life around and forced her to focus on her finances.

Show notes: https://goldnewsletter.com/podcast/know-thyself-budget-mom-social-media-era/.

After four years of Socialist Party rule, Chile's new pro-market administration is touring around the world trying to convince businesses to invest in the country, the most prosperous and stable in South America, which has mining as one of the pillars of its economy.

But how welcoming is Chile to foreign investors? Axel Kaiser, director of the Foundation for Progress think tank, shares his views on the challenges to turn the country around and restore economic growth.

Show notes: https://goldnewsletter.com/podcast/is-chile-open-for-business/

The politicization of all aspects of our lives is part of a vicious cycle of tribalism, and a battle for a slice of the largess. How can we avoid getting trampled by the herd mentality?

Both Mamela Flor and Paz Gómez, from Ecuador, have charted their own paths and become independent women. They share with us their trials and tribulations and lessons learned.

Show notes: http://goldnewsletter.com/podcast/the-antidote-to-identity-politics/.

Colombia lies amid the disastrous movement of 21st-century socialism of Venezuela and Ecuador, but she has thus far resisted the fatal call. Jorge Eduardo Castro is eager to keep it that way, as the new national director of Unión Editorial, a publishing house that promotes material on classical liberalism, economics, and finance. He explains why Colombia, although possessing her share of challenges, has considerable potential and is your best bet in Latin America.

We apologize for the reduced audio quality in this episode.

Show notes: http://goldnewsletter.com/podcast/colombia-the-pick-of-the-bunch/.

Finance is awash with data: where to begin?

Graham Neary CFA is both a technical and fundamental analyst, and he teaches clients and students how to read financial statements. The predicament individual investors face is the tradeoff between precious time for research and potential gains. How much time actually brings higher returns? Often, unfortunately, people just waste time and find themselves losing money on excessive trading.

Show notes: https://goldnewsletter.com/podcast/master-data-as-a-lay-investor/.

Bryce Bradley describes the junior-resource sector as a treasure hunt, an often-dramatic field with highs and lows. The president and CEO of Thunderstruck Resources, Bradley shares her hindsight on the industry's evolution and, along with cohost Brien Lundin, she recommends the most appropriate places for one to get started investing.

Show notes: https://goldnewsletter.com/podcast/use-your-dollars-to-hunt-for-treasure/.

Driver-less cars, the peer-to-peer economy, crypto-anarchy: creative destruction is running wild, for the better of humanity and entrepreneurs—those willing to spot and pursue the openings in the market. Nick Zaiac, a fellow in commercial freedom at the R Street Institute in Washington, DC, is a policy wonk of the best kind, and he provides the update on the latest technology and the regulatory implications.

Show notes: https://goldnewsletter.com/podcast/creative-destruction-is-your-friend/.