Proof-of-PR

Sir John Hargrave, author of the book Blockchain for Everyone, is here on today's episode. He is also the CEO of Media Shower, a blockchain media company that publishes Bitcoin Market Journal for about 100,000 readers each month.

Media Shower is all about explaining cryptocurrency in simple terms and having fun with it. Because of John's focus on helping new users get started with crypto, he is able to provide insight on the best way to join the community and begin investing. John explains how the industry is creating "the internet of money" and speaks more to why this is a critical period in human history. With so many cryptocurrencies out there, John recommends that newbies start by buying a little bit of bitcoin; by having skin in the game, they will be inspired to learn more and expand their portfolios from there. These days, everyone is required to reinvent themselves and their careers to keep up with the pace of technological change. John's book tells the story of his personal journey of reinvention and how that mirrors what is happening in blockchain financial system. In a groundbreaking move for the publishing industry, John was able to negotiate a deal with Coinbase so that purchasers of Blockchain for Everyone can scan a QR code that opens a Coinbase wallet preloaded with $25-worth of Dai, a stablecoin by Maker that is native to the Coinbase platform. So, in essence, the book is free and furthers the case for mass adoption of crypto.

Topics covered:

- How John first discovered blockchain.

- Teaching people how to get started in crypto.

- What makes blockchain technology so revolutionary.

- Choosing which cryptocurrencies to invest in as a new user.

- John's journey writing his book Blockchain for Everyone.

- The story of reinventing his company Media Shower.

-How to redeem $25-worth of Dai stablecoins by purchasing the book.

- An ironic scene from the book that takes place in the Federal Reserve.

-Talking blockchain with the CEO of a Polish Energy Drink company

Links to Resources:

Buy the book and redeem Dai for: blockchainforeveryone.com

Blockchain for Everyone on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LXrbMz

Media Shower: https://mediashower.com/

Bitcoin Market Journal: https://www.bitcoinmarketjournal.com/

John on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sirjohnhargrave

John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhargrave

Rate & Review Crypto Token Talk on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/crypto-token-talk/id1342460763?mt=2

Today's guest is Colin Fausnaught, the founder of Zuck Bucks. He is a recent graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology and worked on JP Morgan's Quorum blockchain for his senior project.

Colin begins by giving an overview of issues that Facebook has come under fire for this year. He believes that political advertising practices on the social network are being taken advantage of by malicious parties. This brings up Facebook's announcement of their own cryptocurrency, Libra. Colin gives his thoughts on what this cryptocurrency can do for Facebook and why so many large companies are involved. Facebook will have all private keys to Libra wallets, and Colin describes why he finds this so scary. Colin created Zuck Bucks originally as a joke targeting the new Facebook cryptocurrency but now says that it has a great community movement behind it. He does think that a few positive outcomes may happen because of Libra, but affirms that the crypto space will probably be worse off because of the announcement. Some tips are given by Colin about how to protect your privacy while browsing the internet and regarding cryptocurrency. He also gives advice about starting out with cryptocurrency and discusses various exchanges.

Topics covered:

- How Colin first discovered cryptocurrency.

- Privacy concerns regarding Facebook and its advertising.

- Why Facebook is launching their own cryptocurrency.

- The target market of Libra and why Facebook has chosen this demographic.

- An explanation of private keys and Facebook's controlling of them.

- How Colin came up with Zuck Bucks.

- The community of Zuck Bucks opposing Facebook and its privacy concerns.

- Potential positives of Facebook's crypto announcement.

- Mark Zuckerberg's feud with the Winklevoss twins.

- Serving ads through artificial intelligence.

- Advantages of using a hardware wallet to store cryptocurrency.

- Colin's recommendations for getting involved with cryptocurrency.

Links to Resources:

Zuck Bucks: https://zuckbucks.cash/

Email Colin: [email protected]

Zuck Bucks on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZuckbucksToken

Rebecca Rettig and Marc Boiron, both partners at FisherBroyles, join us for this episode. The two work together on a daily basis, with Rebecca having more litigation expertise and Marc having more technical expertise.

Rebecca discusses how the origins of crypto were based in anarchist/cypherpunk ideas but that crypto is now becoming much more mainstream. She says crypto functions like cash but is better than gold. Marc adds that he thinks one of the best aspects of crypto is that it brings people together from different fields and that this type of collaborative learning advances the industry. Marc goes on to explain how the United States is a leader on the STOs front because of the nation's focus on regulations, while any entity involving utility tokens is moving off-shore. Rebecca believes that coordinated lobbying efforts, as well as education for judges, should be priorities for the crypto community. Marc talks about the challenges that come with applying murky regulations to technology with thousands of possible iterations. As an unofficial tip to crypto startups, Rebecca recommends protecting your IP, having insurance, and making sure you're complying with all laws. Marc adds that companies should think more about governance beyond the protocol layer and ask questions like, "What should my board look like?" And "What should I do with equity?" Finally, Marc and Rebecca agreed that the best way to get started in crypto is to go through the process of on-boarding onto an exchange, buying a small amount of crypto, and taking it off the exchange and into a wallet.

Topics covered:

- How Rebecca and Marc first got into crypto.

- What excites them about the future of crypto and the law.

- Bitcoin functioning like cash and being better than gold.

- Regulation's effect on the industry.

- Educating judges about cryptocurrency and blockchain.

- What Rebecca and Marc still find daunting about blockchain.

- Things that start-ups in the space should consider

- How to get started in crypto.

- Which resources to look into to learn more.

Links to Resources:

FisherBroyles: https://www.fisherbroyles.com/

Marc on Twitter: https://twitter.com/boironattorney

CoinDesk: https://www.coindesk.com/

The Block: https://www.theblockcrypto.com/

Decrypt: https://decrypt.co/

Today Rena Shah, Head of Operations at Ember Fund, joins the podcast. Ember Fund, a mobile investment app where you essentially can invest like a crypto hedge fund, aims to provide outsized returns for everyone with little money and a few steps. Ember Fund is the only mobile, non-custodial, managed cryptocurrency portfolio on the market.

Rena believes she got into crypto in the weirdest possible way, so she takes us through how that happened, which started with evaluating a deal for a peer-to-peer energy trading platform. Though bitcoin mining is often reported to require a lot of energy, Rena asserts that this is over-exaggerated and explains why. This leads into a discussion on cryptocurrency's link with developing cleaner energy sources. We then hear about Ember Fund and how it's completely non-custodial, meaning no one at Ember Fund controls any user private keys, keeping in the true spirit of decentralization and user empowerment. Despite the cryptocurrency market having been in a long-term bear market, Rena speaks to the rising interest in crypto. She recommends to anyone new to the space to start with a small investment and keep a diverse portfolio. Ember Fund is excited to be looking into adding a quant fund, which would trade algorithmically everything between bitcoin and a stablecoin without any human interference. One challenge with being non-custodial is that users expect transactions to be instantaneous, but the benefit is that everything is on-chain and transparent, so there are no surprise fees. Ember Fund is also looking into enabling users to on-ramp using different coins, perhaps a stablecoin, and developing new product features. We conclude by hearing about Rena's favorite resources to learn about crypto and how Ember Fund is staying true to the reason cryptocurrency exists.

Topics covered:

- How Rena first discovered cryptocurrency.

- Energy consumption of crypto mining and state of the crypto industry.

- Using MinerGate to mine cryptocurrency as a beginner.

- What Ember Fund is and its non-custodial operation.

- Tips on getting started with Ember Fund and cryptocurrency investments in general.

- Challenges and Advantages of Ember Fund as a non-custodial investment fund.

- Objectives that Ember Fund is currently pursuing.

- How Rena likes to keep up on news from the cryptocurrency world.

Links to resources:

MinerGate: https://minergate.com/

Ember Fund's Website: www.emberfund.io

Ember Fund App download: link

Ember Fund Telegram: https://t.me/EmberFund/

Rena's Twitter: www.twitter.com/renapshah

Rena's blog: www.hellorena.com

Shea Newkirk, also known as "The Stache" in the cryptocurrency world, is today's guest. He is a crypto educator and enthusiast, and the founder of The CryptoStache, which began in 2017 about four years after Shea first invested in bitcoin.

Shea brings us through his beginnings in cryptocurrency, starting with when he first heard about bitcoin but did not invest. He was later inspired to begin blogging because his friends didn't want to listen to his thoughts about this emerging currency and technology. We hear about the bitcoin classes that Shea began teaching in 2017 because of all the emails he was receiving asking for advice. Shea compares his excitement for bitcoin to his excitement for the internet in its early days and talks about potential use cases. With cryptocurrency currently in an extended bear market, Shea remarks that this is a great time to buy. He shares his thoughts on investing in bitcoin versus other cryptocurrencies and parses out common misunderstandings. Shea has arranged a bus to take people from LA to the 2019 Bitcoin Conference in San Francisco and discusses why he decided to do this while hardly making any profit. We finish with Shea revealing some of his favorite blockchain projects including Enjin Coin, IOST, WAX, and Brave.

Topics covered:

- Shea's background and story of buying his first bitcoin.

- How The CryptoStache blog was formed and when it began gaining popularity.

- What excites Shea about the present and future of bitcoin.

- A story about Shea getting locked out of his bank account.

- Shea's opinion on the current crypto bear market.

- Some current use cases of bitcoin.

- Arranging a bus to drive from LA to the 2019 Bitcoin Conference in San Francisco.

- Notable cryptocurrency projects that Shea finds promising.

Links to resources:

Bitcoin 2019 Conference: https://www.bitcoin2019conference.com/

Crypto Bit Bus: https://www.fomohunt.com/events/crypto-bit-bus-trip-to-bitcoin-2019-conference-la-sf/

The CryptoStache: https://www.cryptostache.com/

Shea on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cryptostache

Shea on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/cryptostache

In this special joint episode recorded with Crypto Token Talk host Kelley Weaver and guest-host Nikki Brown with The Coin Boys hosts Andy Steig and Daniel Gutierrez, the podcast hosts come together for a lively discussion of all things blockchain and crypto. Each host tells the story of how he/she got into crypto in the first place and shares thoughts on how blockchain can achieve mass adoption. As a first course of action, crypto enthusiasts need to use decentralized applications. Equally essential are developments pertaining to making dapps and crypto payments easier. Finally, we need more education as to the value of being empowered with increased control over one's own value, data, and governance. The hosts also talk about layers of trust in blockchain applications as well as the reality that not everything needs to be decentralized. Everyone agreed that it's essential for the community to maintain open arms when it comes to welcoming those who are new to crypto into this space. One day we won't necessarily distinguish between dapps and apps; they will all just be "apps." Over the course of the last three years, we've seen a transition from the theoretical to the actual. Some projects with fully-functional blockchain applications include MetaX's adChain Registry of community-approved ad-supported websites, Breaker's movie streaming dapp, and Pyrofex's crypto payment processor Numifex.

Topics covered:

-Stories of how each host got into crypto

-Paths to mass adoption

-Not everything needs to be decentralized

-Maintaining a welcoming crypto community

-Danger of Corporations developing their own cryptocurrencies

-The transition from apps to dapps (eventually we'll call them all "apps")

-Fully-functional blockchain applications

Links to resources:

This episode on The Coin Boys: https://thecoinboys.com/index.php/2019/05/28/special-joint-podcast-the-coin-boys-with-crypto-token-talk/

The Coin Boys on Twitter: https://twitter.com/coinboyspodcast

The Coin Boys Featured in a Crypto Token Talk Medium Story: https://medium.com/cryptotokentalk/the-best-use-case-for-blockchain-technology-is-still-within-our-own-financial-systems-says-cca12a6be348

Episode 202: Make Bitcoin Fun Again with David Bailey

Sitting down with us today is David Bailey, Co-founder and CEO of BTC Inc. Kelley describes him as one of the original lovers of bitcoin and one of the first people that got her interested in the currency.

David starts by telling us how he discovered bitcoin and his transition from skeptic to proponent. His company began as a publication under a different name but became BTC Inc after multiple acquisitions and now becoming the blockchain media entity it is today. BTC Inc has been involved in many different projects, which David cites as the reason the company has gained so much traction in the blockchain industry. In this episode, we learn about the different position that bitcoin takes compared to other cryptocurrencies and David's belief that bitcoin will form a foundational layer for the entire crypto economy. David describes bitcoin as digital gold and believes that, because of the economic principles backing the currency, the price of bitcoin has the potential to grow astronomically. In light of the current bear market, BTC Inc will be holding a conference this summer with a focus on making bitcoin fun again.

Topics covered:

-David's initial belief that bitcoin was a scam and subsequent 180 degree turn.

-The formation of BTC Inc and the different market cycles it has been through.

-Bitcoin's foundational value for entire crypto ecosystem.

-Advantages and disadvantages of Ethereum.

-Unfortunate toxicity and division around bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies

-The Bitcoin 2019 Conference happening in San Francisco on June 25 and 26.

-Focus of the conference is how to make bitcoin fun again.

Links for resources mentioned:

Bitcoin 2019 Conference: https://www.bitcoin2019conference.com/

BTC Inc: https://b.tc/

BTC Store: https://store.b.tc/

Bitcoin Magazine: https://bitcoinmagazine.com/

yBitcoin: https://www.ybitcoin.com/

David on Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidfbailey

Kicking off season two, this episode was recorded at the Crypto Invest Summit 2019 in Los Angeles. Joining Kelley Weaver are Tijana Damjanovic Gertner (Chief Marketing Officer of Anchor), Nash Foster (CEO of Pyrofex), and Ken Brooke (CEO of MetaX). The panel gives an explanation of their projects before getting into the focus of the discussion: mass adoption of blockchain technology.

The three guests are first asked about what their favorite use cases of blockchain are and how they are applying it to their own projects. Nash talks about what needs to happen to get cryptocurrency used in day-to-day transactions, including the social aspect implemented by some applications. With Ken's project focusing on digital advertising, he explains why blockchain is so disruptive to the ad tech ecosystem. Next, Tijana discusses stablecoins, which aim to resolve the issue of volatility currently plaguing the crypto ecosystem. Tijana introduces Anchor as a non-flationary stablecoin indexed to global GDP. Ken offers his thoughts on when it makes sense to use blockchain technology versus when is it unnecessary. Tijana comments on issues pertaining to the current regulatory landscape. The panel finishes with guests talking about how long it will take for mass adoption to be achieved.

Topics covered:

- Introductions of Tijana, Nash, and Ken, plus their projects.

- The best use cases of blockchain technology and how each guest's project contributes.

- Improvements that need to be made in the space to encourage mainstream adoption.

- Applications of blockchain to advertising.

- An explanation of the various types of stablecoins.

- Creating a better understanding of cryptocurrency for end users.

- When blockchain is required and when it is not.

- The biggest problems facing blockchain today.

- Issues faced by each guest in developing their own blockchain projects.

Links for resources mentioned:

https://cis.la/

https://metax.io/en/

https://pyrofex.io/

https://theanchor.io/

This week we feature Bryce Bladon, Founding Team Member of CryptoKitties and Director of Communications at Dapper Labs. For the past decade, he has been a communications consultant specializing in finding use cases for emerging technology. Bryce tells us about the launch of CryptoKitties in 2017, explains the game and its significance. He discusses the possibility of CryptoKitties being interoperable with other blockchain-based games in the future and how CryptoKitties may improve adoption generally. He then discusses what he hopes the long-term impact of this technology will be and informs us of how to get involved with CryptoKitties.

Topics covered:

- Bryce's role at CryptoKitties and an explanation of what it is.

- How the idea of CryptoKitties came to be.

- The need for blockchain when it comes to CryptoKitties and their limited supply.

- The trillions of visual combinations possible with CryptoKitties.

- The latest innovations in CryptoKitties.

- The challenges of achieving mass adoption of blockchain and cryptocurrency.

- Revenues in the gaming industry

Links to Resources:

https://www.cryptokitties.co/

https://twitter.com/cryptokitties

https://twitter.com/dapper_labs

https://twitter.com/brycebladon

Our guest today is Ian Balina, a full-time cryptocurrency investor who has travelled to 20 countries this year alone to research blockchain projects. He first became interested in blockchain while working at IBM. After making a humble investment into Bitcoin and Ethereum, Ian conducted additional research into blockchain, before finally quitting his job to invest full-time. He began by creating a spreadsheet of investment requirements to help him choose projects, a skill he had garnered in tech. The spreadsheet was a success and allowed Ian to make his first $1,000,000 within his first year as a full-time investor. Ian shares with us some key insights that he gained in the process and which current projects he is excited about. Looking forward, he describes how we will know when cryptocurrency has entered mainstream use.

Topics covered:

- Ian's work history.

- IBM's involvement with blockchain while Ian worked there.

- Ian's growth as a cryptocurrency influencer.

- Finding patterns in ICO data.

- Investing in 0x and district0x.

- Investing in charitable causes.

- Establishing an investing system.

- Recent blockchain projects that Ian is a fan of.

- Issues facing the blockchain community and Ian's experience of getting hacked.

- Ian's return to his home country and giving back.

Links to Resources:

The Age of Cryptocurrency

Digital Gold

https://chromaway.com/

https://metahash.org/

https://phantasma.io/index.html

https://ianbalina.com/