"It is truly impossible for the petrodollar system to be green when it is based on black gold." - Alex Gladstein

Today we have another brilliant piece by Alex Galdstein, published on Bitcoin Magazine about the Petrodollar system, how it came about, why it has stuck around, & the horrible costs of maintaining it that so few are willing to acknowledge.

Check out the original at the link below plus so many other great works at Bitcoin Magazine:
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/culture/the-hidden-costs-of-the-petrodollar

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Read_522 - The Hidden Costs of the Petrodollar System [Alex Gladstein]

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Guy Swann makes the knowledge of Bitcoin, the world's most secure, independent money, accessible to everyone. Exploring Bitcoin from an investment perspective, economic analysis, its philosophical foundations, &amp; technological primitives. Reading and distilling thousands of hours of others' works on Bitcoin, Guy explains everything you need to know.

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"We have the fork wars, we have a culture that understands the importance of nodes and widespread enforcement of a protocol and its rules. Unlike shitcoins, which couldn't care less about it... So this node orientation in Bitcoin is is critical to it not being a shitcoin. So spam has come in and they start trashing the blockchain and exploding the UTXO set and making every block almost four megabytes, which was supposed to be a theoretical maximum we were never actually supposed to see because no one thought we would just fill it up with witness data... This is a ridiculous guys. It's an attack. They've stated it as an attack when they came out and just went "I want to bloat the UTXO set because it's the worst thing you can do in Bitcoin"."
~ Bitcoin Mechanic


In this episode, I talk with Bitcoin Mechanic about the current state of Bitcoin, focusing on the regulatory environment, the vital role of self-custody, and the challenges facing privacy and autonomy in the digital age. We delve into the complexities of maintaining operational security in the face of increasing regulatory oversight, and consider in what ways we can balance the needs of miners with those of everyday users and node runners to maintain a healthy network ecosystem.


Guest Links

 Bitcoin Mechanic on X (Link: https://twitter.com/GrassFedBitcoin)
 Bitcoin Mechanic on Youtube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@bitcoinmechanic)
  Ocean Mining (Link: https://ocean.xyz/)



Host Links

  Guy on Nostr (Link: http://tinyurl.com/2xc96ney)
  Guy on X (Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann)
  Guy on Instagram (Link: https://www.instagram.com/theguyswann/)
  Guy on TikTok (Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguyswann)
  Guy on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@theguyswann)
  ⁠Bitcoin Audible on X⁠ (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible)



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  Get 10% off the COLDCARD with code BITCOINAUDIBLE ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(Link: bitcoinaudible.com/coldcard⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)
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Chat_099 - Failure, Hope and the Purpose of Bitcoin with Bitcoin Mechanic

"This is a fancy way of saying that you need money to make markets, and you need decentralized, open, digital money to make decentralized, open, digital markets. Furthermore, higher layers require lower layers to exist, but lower layers benefit from the value created at higher layers. However valuable layer one Bitcoin can be as a new global money, it can become significantly more valuable if we recognize it as a crucial technical building block to building markets with the potential to disrupt many other human networks."
~ Dhruv Bansal, Ryan Gentry & Allen Farrington


How can we think differently about what is actually occurring at the base layer of Bitcoin and what it enables, to extend it to the more tangible and understood problems of internet centralization, abusive platforms, censorship, and so many other prevalent problems in our networks today? If we can break each of these problems down into their smallest, and simplest parts, and one-by-one solve each of those problems, can we begin to actually solve the broader concerns of permission-less communication, scalable decentralized payments, service provision, and global openly accessible networks of all kinds? Can we re-decentralize the internet, with Bitcoin? Find out in a fantastic new piece from the crew at AxiomBTC and written by the incredible set of authors, Dhruv Bansal, Ryan Gentry, and Allen Farrington. You'd be a fool to skip this episode.


Check out the original article at The Bitcoin Stack. (Link: https://tinyurl.com/582zh742)


Guest Links

 Dhruv Bansal, on X (Link: https://twitter.com/dhruvbansal)
 Ryan Gentry⁠  on X(Link: https://twitter.com/RyanTheGentry)
   Allen Farrington⁠ on X (Link: https://twitter.com/allenf312)



Host Links

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  Guy on X (Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann)
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  Guy on TikTok (Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguyswann)
  Guy on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@theguyswann)
  ⁠Bitcoin Audible on X⁠ (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible)



Check out our awesome sponsors!

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“The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design. To the naive mind that can conceive of order only as the product of deliberate arrangement, it may seem absurd that in complex conditions order, and adaptation to the unknown, can be achieved more effectively by decentralizing decisions and that a division of authority will actually extend the possibility of overall order. Yet that decentralization actually leads to more information being taken into account.”  
~  Friedrich Hayek

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Read_820 - The Bitcoin Stack

"I think Americans are used to seeing people arrested for bullshit technicalities and thrown in jail for long periods of time. But in the rest of the world, it is quite uncommon. For a non-US Bitcoin entrepreneur, the US is a scary and dangerous place. American authorities seem resourceful, competent, and motivated to destroy your life just to prove a point. This line of thinking is not paranoia, nor is it cowardice." ~ Francis Pouliot


We dive into a piece from Francis Pouliot, the CEO of Bull Bitcoin, today that dives into the toxic waters of U.S. regulations that seem to strangle innovation at every turn. As the US govt tightens their grip and "non-compliance" of an absurdly defined regulatory leviathan threatens decades in prison, how can the Bitcoin community protect what makes Bitcoin important? Join us as Guy, along with a special guest, unravels the complex web of control and compliance reshaping the landscape of digital currency. Could this be the dawn of a new era of resistance within the bitcoin world?


Check out the original article at ⁠Bitcoin Drain in the USA⁠. (Link: https://tinyurl.com/5n6raf5d)


Links from the show:

 Atomic Habits by James Clear (Link: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits)



Guest Links

 [Guest Name] on X (Link: https://twitter.com/guest)
  [Guest Name] on Nostr (Link: https://tinyurl.com/XXX)
  [Guest/Company Website] (Link: https://example.com/)



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  Guy on Nostr (Link: http://tinyurl.com/2xc96ney)
  Guy on X (Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann)
  Guy on Instagram (Link: https://www.instagram.com/theguyswann/)
  Guy on TikTok (Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguyswann)
  Guy on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@theguyswann)
  ⁠Bitcoin Audible on X⁠ (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible)



Check out our awesome sponsors!

  Get 10% off the COLDCARD with code BITCOINAUDIBLE ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(Link: bitcoinaudible.com/coldcard⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)
  Swan: The best way to buy, learn, and earn #Bitcoin (Link: https://swanbitcoin.com)
  Get 50,000 free sats, plus sats back on everything you buy by signing up with Fold and the Spin+ Debit Card. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(Link: bitcoinaudible.com/fold⁠)
  Check out the KYC Free, simple, no management, Bitcoin merchant solution - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nodeless.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Use my link to go to nodeless.io/guy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and setup your donation page for free, then share it out on nostr/Twitter and tag me, and I'll throw 10,000 sats your way!



"Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change." ~ Tony Robbins

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Read_819 - Bitcoin Drain in the USA

"The Samurai wallet developers have been arrested. The government has responded with their opposition to the motion of dismissal in the tornado cash case. Phoenix wallet has withdrawn from the United States. Does one need to have control over the funds to be a money transmitter? Is the lightning network, is Bitcoin, is even self-custody and your home node illegal?


The past week or so in Bitcoin has seen a flood of new developments, unfortunate events and clarifications and demands from government regulatory agencies. And it has quite clearly spooked a lot of people in the Bitcoin industry. What does it all mean and how should we respond? It's time for a guys take episode."


I took on a whirlwind of pressing issues facing the Bitcoin ecosystem amid a slew of government actions that appear to target privacy and financial sovereignty. What does the arrest of the Samurai wallet developers, the exodus of Phoenix wallet from the U.S., and the broader implications for Bitcoin's legal landscape mean for the future of digital privacy and self-custody? I dissected these developments with a critical eye, questioning the balance between regulatory oversight and the fundamental right to privacy. Tune in for a deep dive into the legal, technical, and societal impacts of these unfolding events.


References from the episode:

 David Zell's tweet (Link: https://tinyurl.com/22ppa7yt)



Host Links

 Guy on Nostr (Link: http://tinyurl.com/2xc96ney)
  Guy on X (Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann)
  Guy on Instagram (Link: https://www.instagram.com/theguyswann/)
  Guy on TikTok (Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguyswann)
  Guy on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@theguyswann)
  ⁠Bitcoin Audible on X⁠ (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible)



Check out our awesome sponsors!

  Get 10% off the COLDCARD with code BITCOINAUDIBLE ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(Link: bitcoinaudible.com/coldcard⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)
  Swan: The best way to buy, learn, and earn #Bitcoin (Link: https://swanbitcoin.com)



"I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. But still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone. I guess I just missed my friend."
~ Red, Shawshank Redemption

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Guy's Take_085 - They Are Coming

"The internet assumed NOTHING and it won because it had the basic, robust, open building blocks upon which all the innovation actually occurred. The same thing has happened with Bitcoin over the last 15 years and is now starting to happen with Nostr.
And it’s right on time, because the gateways to the internet have centralized to such a degree that the very topography of the web is changing. Access to this open bazaar is being threatened because the applications who were once gateways, have started to become gatekeepers.
To fix this, and to fundamentally fix the internet, we need to upgrade the Internet stack and establish a new suite of superior products, services and applications that compete on value, not on gatekeeper economics.
~ Aleks Svetski


How did we get from the open, decentralized bazaar that was the internet protocol, to the centralized, platform siloed experience we find ourselves in today? And by discovering how we got here, can we begin to see the path to getting out of the trap we have wandered into? Today we have an incredible article and concept brought to us by author, entrepreneur, and regular guest on the show, Alek Svetski on something they discovered in their process of building a Bitcoin LLM (Spirit of Satoshi), and how it uncovered a value case for Nostr that may very well change the nature of what we can build. You do not want to miss this read and my take to follow, I promise. Let's dive in!

Check out the original article at Reviewing Reviews (Link: https://tinyurl.com/4dxmvtes)


References from the show:

 Spirit of Satoshi (Link: https://www.spiritofsatoshi.ai/)
 #010 - Tools for Running Local LLMs (Link: https://fountain.fm/episode/x3kYiyPzYsCA2nOLoh0O)
  #012 - A Big Leap Forward for Local LLMs (Link: https://fountain.fm/episode/X7FwvJWqXDaQA4E2MUgV)
  Amber App (Link: https://amber.app/)



Guest Links

  Aleks Svetski on X (Link: https://twitter.com/svetskiwrites)
  Aleks Svetski on Nostr (Link: https://tinyurl.com/3y992h32)
  Aleks Svetski Website (Link: https://svetski.info/)



Host Links

  Guy on Nostr (Link: http://tinyurl.com/2xc96ney)
  Guy on X (Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann)
  Guy on Instagram (Link: https://www.instagram.com/theguyswann/)
  Guy on TikTok (Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguyswann)
  Guy on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@theguyswann)
  ⁠Bitcoin Audible on X⁠ (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible)



Check out our awesome sponsors!

  Get 10% off the COLDCARD with code BITCOINAUDIBLE ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(Link: bitcoinaudible.com/coldcard⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)
  Swan: The best way to buy, learn, and earn #Bitcoin (Link: https://swanbitcoin.com)
  Get 50,000 free sats, plus sats back on everything you buy by signing up with Fold and the Spin+ Debit Card. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(Link: bitcoinaudible.com/fold⁠)
  Check out the KYC Free, simple, no management, Bitcoin merchant solution - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nodeless.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Use my link to go to nodeless.io/guy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and setup your donation page for free, then share it out on nostr/Twitter and tag me, and I'll throw 10,000 sats your way!



“But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.”  
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Read_522 - The Hidden Costs of the Petrodollar System [Alex Gladstein]

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