The Bitcoin Standard Podcast

Tarek El Diwany’s book “The Problem with Interest” has attracted attention from scholars of Islamic finance and bitcoiners alike, including Allen Farrington, whose newly published book, Bitcoin Is Venice, draws heavily on Tarek's work. In this episode, Saifedean hosts Tarek and Allen to talk about the morality of lending with interest, why the practice is prohibited in Islam, and how an economy would function without interest rates. They discuss how monetary systems that require the creation of ever more debt impact human time preference, capital accumulation and morality, and whether interest would emerge in a free market monetary system like bitcoin?

Resources

• Tarek’s book The Problem with Interest
• Kreatoc Zest’s website.
• Saifedean’s podcast episodes on Islamic finance with Safdar Alam and Harris Irfan. 
• Article on William Cobbett’s opposition to suspension of the gold standard during the Napoleonic Wars.
• Selected Writings on Economics by Nassau Senior.
• See Plato’s Laws, Book 5 and Aristotle’s Politics, Book I, 10, no. 5 for Ancient Greek views on usury.
• A History of Interest Rates by Sidney Homer and Richard Sylla.
• Allen Farrington’s book Bitcoin is Venice on Amazon.
• Saifedean’s podcast episode Allen Farrington’s adventures with Fiat Intellectuals.
• Saifedean’s podcast episode Bitcoin Strategy with Michael Saylor.
• Saifedean’s first book, The Bitcoin Standard
• Saifedean’s second book, The Fiat Standard

Enjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s courses – including his new course ECO22: The Fiat Standard – and read chapters of his forthcoming books by becoming a Saifedean.com member. Find out more here.

In perhaps his most comprehensive interview to date, Saifedean talks to Lex Fridman about the history of money, the foundations of economics, and why bitcoin represents a pathway to a more peaceful and prosperous world. Starting from Lex’s question “What is money?”, Saifedean draws on insights from his most recent book, The Fiat Standard, to take the listener on a four-hour historical journey. He explains how money emerged as a market good; why the gold standard developed in Britain and spread across the world; and the intriguing historical circumstances that led to government-controlled fiat money becoming the global medium of exchange. By asking fundamental questions about money, the purpose of economics, and the technical foundations of bitcoin, Lex prompts Saifedean to present a first-principles case for free exchange, non-aggression and bitcoin. Their conversation also includes Saifedean’s reflections on his upbringing in Palestine, how to make the most of our short time on earth, and advice to younger generations.

Resources

• Lex Fridman on Twitter.
• Lex Fridman’s podcast website.
• Carl Menger’s Principles of Economics: the founding text of the Austrian School, published in 1871.
• Human Action by Ludwig von Mises, published in English in 1949.
• Critical overview of John Maynard Keynes’ The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money in the Journal of Libertarian Studies.
• Saifedean Twitter thread on scientists who dismissed flight as impossible at the time the Wright brothers were inventing the airplane. Includes comments by Lord Kelvin and the New York Times.
• Graphic showing technological progress in Britain during the gold standard. For further discussion, see The Bitcoin Standard section: Innovations: “Zero to One” versus “One to Many”, and episode 74 of The Bitcoin Standard Podcast: The Real Drivers of Technological Progress.
• Saifedean paper on the decline of the aviation industry since the 1970s. For further discussion see chapter 10 of The Fiat Standard on Fiat Fuels.
• The Bitcoin Standard Podcast episode 108: A New World Monetary Order The ramifications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
• Bitcoin Net Zero paper by Nic Carter and Ross Stevens. See page 38 for comparison of bitcoin network energy consumption compared with tumble driers and other common household appliances.
• Saifedean’s first book, The Bitcoin Standard.
• Saifedean’s second book, The Fiat Standard.

Fiat money doesn't just affect economic exchange, its impact on society is much wider. In this episode, Marty Bent, host of the Tales from the Crypt Podcast, interviews Saifedean about the ways fiat money encourages negative societal impacts ranging from climate alarmism to soil degradation to poor diets. They focus on the widely accepted need to transition to from fossil fuels to “renewable” energy and how government funding of science encourages the publication of studies that predict catastrophes and propose state intervention to avoid them. They also discuss how government statistics are manipulated to underplay the negative impacts of fiat and how people can opt out by adopting a bitcoin standard.

Resources

• Marty Bent’s website.
• Marty Bent on Twitter.
• The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels by Alex Epstein.
• The Bitcoin Standard Podcast episodes with Alex Epstein here and here.
• The Bitcoin Standard Podcast episode Is CO2 the Climate Control Knob? with Tom Nelson.
• The St Louis Fed compares the cost and protein content of turkey and soy.
• Marty Bent podcast episode with Untapped Growth for discussion of regenerative farming. 
• Link to Saifedean podcast with Nina Teicholz for discussion of fiat nutrition.
• Bitcoin mining council estimates of the bitcoin network’s global energy usage.
• Saifedean’s first book, The Bitcoin Standard.
• Saifedean’s second book, The Fiat Standard. See chapter “The Cost of Fiat Fuels” for statistics on growth in per capita energy consumption falling from the 1970s.

Enjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s courses and read chapters of his forthcoming books by becoming a Saifedean.com member. Find out more here.

Most people think of bitcoin primarily as a form of money or store of value, but in this episode Darrin Feinstein argues that it also represents history’s most important accounting innovation. He explains why, as the world’s first incorruptible ledger, bitcoin allows us to remove fraud from the realm of accounting, and bring about a shift from “double-entry” to “triple-entry” bookkeeping. Darin and Saifedean discuss how the global accounting industry might differ in a world where bitcoin is used as the primary from of money, and why the transparency of bitcoin’s ledger makes it a poor tool for criminals. As Chairman of Core Scientific, one of the world’s largest bitcoin mining companies, Darin also discusses some popular misconceptions regarding bitcoin’s energy usage and environmental impact.

Resources

• Darin on Twitter
• Darin thread on bitcoin as an accounting innovation
• Core Scientific official website
• World Economic Forum article “In 2020 Bitcoin will consume more power than the world does today” and Newsweek article “Bitcoin Mining on Track to Consume All of the World’s Energy by 2020”, both published in 2017
• Bitcoin Net Zero paper by Nic Carter and Ross Stevens. See page 38 for comparison of bitcoin network versus tumble driers
• Darin recommended account Burn the Bridge on Twitter
• Saifedean’s first book, The Bitcoin Standard
• Saifedean’s second book, The Fiat Standard
   

Can we eliminate the use of fossil fuels? Can electric cars replace gasoline cars? Is a transition to wind and solar energy possible? At what cost? What impact will a forced transition have on economic development? How do the costs of eliminating fossil fuels compare to the dangers of increased CO2 emissions? What evidence is there for a pending climate catastrophe? The Mises Institute's Jeff Deist and Bob Murphy host Saifedean for a fascinating discussion of these and many more questions!

Resources

• Saifedean’s PhD thesis Energy Systems and the Knowledge Problem: The Case of Biofuels
• The St Louis Fed compares the cost and protein content of turkey and soy.
• Wikipedia article on dietician Lenna F Cooper.
• The Ultimate Resource 2 by Julian Simon for an analysis of resource scarcity.
• The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels and Fossil Future by Alex Epstein.
• The Bitcoin Standard Podcast episodes with Alex Epstein here and here.
• The Bitcoin Standard Podcast episode Is CO2 the Climate Control Knob? with Tom Nelson.
• The Bitcoin Standard Podcast episode Fake Invisible Catastrophes with Patrick Moore with Patrick Moore.
• Saifedean’s first book, The Bitcoin Standard
• Saifedean’s second book, The Fiat Standard

Enjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s courses and read chapters of his forthcoming books by becoming a Saifedean.com member. Find out more here.

April 27th 2022.

Without government who would build the roads? Should prostitution, speculating and price gouging be outlawed? In this episode Saifedean discusses these questions with eminent Austrian School economist Dr Walter Block. They cover fundamental issues in economics such as whether there is such a thing as a “public good”, whether economics is an empirical science, and whether it is ethical to outlaw “victimless crimes”. Dr Block also shares the story of he became a libertarian and Austrian economist, including the roles played by Ayn Rand and Murray Rothbard in his intellectual journey.

Resources

• Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
• Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt
• Dr Block’s paper “The Minimum Wage Once Again” debunking a well-known 1994 study by Card and Krueger.
• Mises Institute article “The Phillips Curve Myth” on the relationship between inflation and unemployment
• Dr Block’s book The Privatization of Roads and Highways
• Dr Block’s book Defending the Undefendable
• Principle of non-aggression explained on Mises Wiki
• List of Walter Block’s publications online
• Dr Block’s book Water Capitalism (2015)
• Saifedean’s first book, The Bitcoin Standard
• Saifedean’s second book, The Fiat Standard

March 28th 2022.

What is the case for monarchy? Why are monarchies better at long-term thinking? Why do monarchies outcompete republics in protecting property rights, promoting peace, raising living standards, and protecting the value of money? Would a return to hard money bring back the age of monarchies? We discuss all these questions with HRH Prince Philip of Serbia, who became the first monarch to publicly announce being a bitcoiner. Their conversation touches on the story of the Karađorđević dynasty, the factors that led to communist seizure of power in Yugoslavia, and whether a restoration of monarchy is likely, or desirable. In the Q&A, Prince Philip answers questions on his career in finance, ESG, the European Union and whether other monarchs in Europe could serve as allies in bringing about a return to sound money.

Resources

• Prince Philip on Twitter
• Three-minute Tonight with Ivan Ivanović interview highlight here and full appearance (Philip appearance starts from 23:49.)
• Wall Street and the Bolshevik Revolution by Antony Sutton
• Paper by Mauro F Guillén, based on a study of 137 countries, arguing that monarchies provide greater protection of property rights and higher standards of living study than republics.
• The State in the Third Millennium by Prince Hans Adam of Lichtenstein
• Democracy – The God That Failed: The Economics and Politics of Monarchy, Democracy, and Natural Order by Hans-Hermann Hoppe.
• Saifedean’s episode with Tom Nelson whether CO2 the Climate Control Knob? with Tom Nelson
• Saifedean’s first book, The Bitcoin Standard
• Saifedean’s second book, The Fiat Standard

Enjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s courses and read chapters of his forthcoming books by becoming a Saifedean.com member. Find out more here.

March 22nd 2022.

In a country dominated by statist politicians, what it is like to campaign for freedom, personal responsibility, and limited government? In this episode, Saifedean talks to leader of the People’s Party of Canada, Maxime Bernier about Canadian politics and whether bitcoin can protect Canadians from government overreach. They discuss Maxime’s journey into politics as a libertarian, why Canadian inflation is so high, and why Maxime supported recent protests by Canadian truckers. They also talk about the merits of gold versus bitcoin as money, and how Maxime would change Canada’s monetary policy. Saifedean pitches Maxime on the advantages of bitcoin for Canada, and Maxime announces that he's looking to accept donations in bitcoin!

Resources

• Maxime on Twitter
• Official website of the People’s Party of Canada
• Alternative measures of inflation on Shadow Stats.
• Official inflation statistics in Canada
• Mises Institute article on Canadian trucker protests by Lew Rockwell
• Saifedean’s first book, The Bitcoin Standard
• Saifedean’s second book, The Fiat Standard

Enjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s courses and read chapters of his forthcoming books by becoming a Saifedean.com member. Find out more here. 

March 21st 2022.

Is earth too hot? Is the weather getting worse? Are we experiencing a climate crisis? Is CO2 the control knob for the earth's climate? Is climate science basic physics? Do all scientists agree on these questions? Tom Nelson is an independent researcher who has spent many years studying these questions in-depth. He joins us to give us a rigorously researched perspective that contradicts the hysterical groupthink in fiat academia and media. He and Saifedean discuss how fiat funding of science creates incentives for groupthink and for bad ideas to survive unchallenged. They also talk about why fiat inflationism creates a strong incentive for researchers to support any pseudoscience that concludes you should avoid price-sensitive essential fuels in favor of less effective, cheaper alternatives.

Resources:

• Tom on Twitter
• Tom’s article Useful Notes for Climate Sceptics on Substack
• The Politically Incorrect Guide to Climate Change by Marc Morano
• Fake Invisible Catastrophes and Threats of Doom by Patrick Moore
• Watts Up with That blog by Anthony Watts
• The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels by Alex Epstein
• Steve McIntyre’s website Climate Audit website.
• The spiral structure of the Milky Way, cosmic rays, and ice age epochs on Earth by Shaviv, Nir J. and speech discussing the paper.
• Saifedean’s podcast episode with Patrick Moore
• Saifedean’s podcast episodes with Alex Epstein in Nov 2021 and Dec 2020, and his appearance on Alex’s Power Hour podcast.
• Saifedean’s first book, The Bitcoin Standard
• Saifedean’s second book, The Fiat Standard

March 17th 2022.

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the US confiscated the Russian central bank’s significant monetary reserves, and banned some Russian banks from the SWIFT network. Serious questions are being asked about the survival of the postwar dollar-based world monetary order. Will Russia, China, and other countries actually build an alternative international settlement system, after years of threatening to do so? Will global central banks stop accumulating US treasury bonds and replace them with gold and commodities? Will we witness the birth of a new commodity or gold-based monetary order? In this seminar, we use the insights from The Bitcoin Standard and The Fiat Standard on temporal and spatial salability to explain why reports of the death of the dollar and the emergence of a new gold standard may be exaggerated.

Resources

• Bretton Woods III memo by Credit Suisse analyst Zoltan Pozsar
• Arthur Hayes’ blog Energy Cancelled
• Reuters report on commodities crisis
• America’s Quiet Default by Nic Carter
• Saifedean’s first book, The Bitcoin Standard
• Saifedean’s second book, The Fiat Standard