The Crypto Conversation

Jeff McDonald is the co-founder of the NEM Foundation. Jeff was one of the first members of the NEM community and has helped build the NEM project to where it is today. NEM is preparing for the launch of Symbol (codename Catapult), the second generation of the NEM blockchain.

Why you should listen:

Jeff McDonald shares recollections of the NEM journey to date. NEM was one of the earliest enterprise blockchains and began life as a thread on the BitcoinTalk forums before growing into a top 5 market cap asset with NEM communities all over the globe. Symbol (codename Catapult) represents a full rewrite of the NEM protocol. NEM core dev Jaguar recently published an update that unifies the governance plans for all NEM ecosystem entities to support one goal - the launch of Symbol later in 2020.

Key takeaway:

In building Symbol, Jeff says NEM has applied all the learning that comes from running version 1 of their blockchain in production for four years. Symbol is a more performant, scalable, and feature-rich protocol as a result. It will become the core NEM engine, powering both private and public blockchains. Jeff says the 3 other blockchain projects that he sees as the most formidable competitors are Libra, Hyperledger, and Ethereum.

Supporting links:

Symbol Roadmap

Nem Ecosystem Updates

Nem.io

Nem on Twitter

Jeff on Twitter

Andy on Twitter

Brave New Coin on Twitter

Brave New Coin

BNC Pro

The Crypto Conversation is sponsored by BNC Pro, the new digital wealth platform featuring an all-in-one suite of customizable, institutional-grade applications that help you manage your crypto investments. Research, chart, screen, analyze, optimize, report, and more. BNC Pro is the ultimate portfolio tool for individual or enterprise use. Streamline your workflow, manage your crypto, and master this brave new asset class with BNC Pro. Go to BNC-Pro.com to create your free account.

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Chris Brookins is the founder of Valiendero Digital Assets, a quantitative cryptocurrency investment fund. Chris is the co-author of a new report titled Safe Havens - How gold and bitcoin can adapt to a new paradigm. In the current global crisis - the world is trending towards negative interest rates, money printing, and a decline in cash - traditional safe-haven assets are being turned on their head. The report explores what the function of a 21st-century safe haven should be.

Why you should listen:

Bitcoin is on the path to becoming a store of value. The narrative of bitcoin being uncorrelated with any other asset class, and being a safe haven store of value took a hit on March 12, black Thursday when it crashed along with other global markets. However, Bitcoin has since recovered, proving itself surprisingly resilient, and its recovery didn't require central bank intervention or a government bailout.

Key takeaway:

The COVID-19 pandemic is a black swan event that will impact all industries. It will affect the economy, supply chains, and political and social systems. Bitcoin is antifragile and may benefit from the current global uncertainty. However, as a risk asset, due to rising unemployment retail investors will likely have less income to buy Bitcoin.

Expectations of risk to the global economy based on historical events are underestimated because events are inherently fat-tailed and because the tail has become fatter with increased connectivity. In other words high impact, low probability events are becoming more probable.

Supporting links:

Safe Havens - How gold and bitcoin can adapt to a new paradigm

Valiendero Digital Assets

Chris on Twitter

Andy on Twitter

Brave New Coin on Twitter

Brave New Coin

BNC Pro

The Crypto Conversation is sponsored by BNC Pro, the new digital wealth platform featuring an all-in-one suite of customizable, institutional-grade applications that help you manage your crypto investments. Research, chart, screen, analyze, optimize, report, and more. BNC Pro is the ultimate portfolio tool for individual or enterprise use. Streamline your workflow, manage your crypto, and master this brave new asset class with BNC Pro. Go to BNC-Pro.com to create your free account.

If you enjoyed the show please subscribe to the Crypto Conversation and give us a 5-star rating and a positive review in whatever podcast app you are using.

DJ J-SCRILLA is a critically acclaimed hip-hop producer and illustrator from Washington DC. His discography includes hall of fame rappers Killer Mike, Raekwon, and Smif N Wessun. DJ J-SCRILLA has released a new hip-hop album called Sound Money that tells the story of Bitcoin, and samples John Mcafee, Hotep Jesus, and Andreas Antonopoulos. Why you should listen:

Sound Money by DJ-SCRILLA is a body of Bitcoin art combining audio clips, samples, dirty drums, and some of the hip-hop underground's best rappers. The album serves as a soundtrack for Bitcoiners and serves up audio inspiration for no-coiners interested in the future of decentralized money. This podcast features music highlights from the album including the new crypto anthem 'Faith In My Money (Money Printer Go Brrr)'.

Key takeaway:

On the hip-hop edition of the Crypto Conversation podcast, we discuss the lockdown trend that has seen top rappers engage in Instagram battles, such as the recent soundclash between DJ Premier and RZA.

DJ J-SCRILLA says "the album is not a foolishly positive take on Bitcoin. It's a rational angle that condemns the abuses of central banking and portrays Satoshi Nakamoto's currency as an alternative."

Following the Crypto Conversation hot take round, DJ J-SCRILLA shares his top 5 hip-hop albums. Sound Money is available on major streaming services.

Supporting links:

Rarescrilla.com

Money Printer Go Brrr

DJ J-Scrilla on Twitter

Sound Money on Spotify

Andy on Twitter

Brave New Coin on Twitter

Brave New Coin

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Hugo Renaudin is the CEO and co-founder of LGO Group, a digital asset exchange for institutions. Hugo says that Bitcoin has a fascinating market infrastructure. It is both revolutionary, but imperfect. Hugo says the Black Thursday crash revealed underlying problems with Bitcoin's market infrastructure. The crash triggered a wave of liquidations that could have sent BTC to zero. What can be done to avoid this risk?

Why you should listen:

The Bitcoin and crypto markets have a fascinating market infrastructure that is potentially revolutionary, and a vital part of the capital markets 2.0. However, there are serious problems with Bitcoin's market infrastructure due to the centralization of existing trading platforms. These problems surfaced on Black Thursday, March 12, when the global markets crash triggered a wave of liquidations that could have sent BTC to zero on Bitmex.

Key takeaway:

Volatility is a natural part of markets but the potential for volatility remains extreme in the crypto markets. The current financial crisis means that the months and years ahead are a make or break time for Bitcoin and the digital asset space. Bitcoin emerged out of the 2008 financial crisis and it now has the potential to establish itself in the current COVID-19 economic crisis. Bitcoin is not controlled by governments, it has a fixed supply, limited inflation, and it is decentralized. That makes Bitcoin uniquely positioned as a hedge when central banks are forced to inject new fiat into the system.

Supporting links:

LGOGroup on Twitter

Hugo on Twitter

Andy on Twitter

Brave New Coin on Twitter

Brave New Coin

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Loong Wang is the CTO and co-founder of Ren, a DeFi protocol that enables the private, permissionless transfer of value between any blockchain. Ren is solving the blockchain interoperability problem.

Why you should listen:

Loong studied computer science and distributed systems and then became increasingly interested in the potential of blockchain and decentralized finance. The goal of Ren is generic interoperability to enable the trustless, permissionless transfer of value between blockchain. Ren is part of the DeFi ecosystem but Loong sees Ren as helping to build out the decentralized future internet.

Key takeaway:

Ren will make it possible to exchange value between different blockchains. The launch of the Ren mainnet is one month away. The goal of interoperability is to make it possible for users to exchange value on any chain, without even knowing that they are interacting with a blockchain. Everything should happen seamlessly in the background. Blade Runner is Loong's favorite sci-fi movie, a masterpiece of patient world-building and story-telling.

The Crypto Conversation is proudly sponsored by DeFi leaders NEXO

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Supporting links:

Ren Project

Ren on Twitter

Loong on Twitter

Andy on Twitter

Brave New Coin on Twitter

Brave New Coin

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Marco Streng is the CEO of Genesis Mining, one of the largest Bitcoin cloud-mining companies. Genesis has mining locations in Iceland, Greenland, Norway, and Europe. Marco studied mathematics at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. He set up a Bitcoin mining operation in his dorm room that ended when the electricity bill arrived.

Why you should listen:

Bitcoin mining is a contest for cheap energy and efficient mining rigs. Miners who are able to operate for long time frames at low costs are in the best position. All other miners are at risk of being buffeted by external market forces.

Key takeaway:

Any professional miner is well prepared for the Bitcoin halving in May. It is a known event therefore competent miners are able to prepare for all scenarios well in advance.

Marcos says that worries about Bitcoin's energy footprint are overblown due to Bitcoin mining's increasing use of cheap renewable energy.

The Crypto Conversation is proudly sponsored by DeFi leaders NEXO

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Supporting links:

Genesis Mining

Genesis on Twitter

Marco on Twitter

Marco on VICE

Life 3.0

Andy on Twitter

Brave New Coin on Twitter

Brave New Coin

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Diogo Monica is the president and co-founder of Anchorage, the leading crypto custodian for institutional investors. Anchorage was selected as a founding member of the Libra Association and recently completed a $40m Series B fundraise, led by Visa.

Why you should listen:

Diogo says that custody needs have evolved beyond simple cold storage. With proof-of-stake assets allowing on-chain governance and 24/7 trading opportunities, there's a need for a custody solution that allows institutional-grade security as well as near-instant access to assets. Anchorage aims to be the leading provider of that solution.

Key takeaway:

Anchorage uses multiple types of biometric signals and behavioral analytics about the client and device to verify their identity. This is the cutting edge of crypto custody.

Digo thinks that Facebook's Libra stablecoin will launch in some form in 2020. Anchorage is a founding member of the Libra Association.

The Crypto Conversation is proudly sponsored by DeFi leaders NEXO

Click here to borrow instantly in 45+ fiat currencies

Click here to earn daily interest on your idle assets

Supporting links:

Anchorage

Anchorage on Twitter

Diogo on Twitter

Glacier Protocol

The Way of Kings

Andy on Twitter

Brave New Coin on Twitter

Brave New Coin

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Muneeb Ali is the co-founder and CEO of Blockstack, a decentralized computing network that gives users control of their data. Muneeb talks about the limits of Web 2.0 and how that led to an intrusive ad model, and how web 3.0 changes this model by giving individuals control of their digital sovereignty.

Why you should listen:

Muneeb explains that over a dinner with Balaji S. Srinivasan in February, Balaji convinced him that COVID-19 was about to crash the world and all precautions should be taken. Balaji was right.

The simple but robust protocol design for the Internet Protocol (IP) took the internet to 15B connected devices through the period of the fastest technological change in history. Muneeb says Bitcoin's protocol has the same properties - it is simple and robust - that's why Bitcoin is the ideal narrow waist for Web 3.

Key takeaway:

Blockstack completed its capital raise six months ago and rebalanced its portfolio in February - leaving them in a strong position to keep building in these turbulent times.

Blockstack aims to be simple and powerful - like Bitcoin. Blockstack can be thought of as the inverse of the world computer - or platform blockchains such as Ethereum and EOS.

Muneeb says that in trying and uncertain times - it is important for individuals to have a sense of purpose to help them keep pushing forward.

Snow Crash is Mnueeb's fav sci-fi novel and it informs his thinking about Web3 and Web4.

The Crypto Conversation is proudly sponsored by DeFi leaders NEXO

Click here to borrow instantly in 45+ fiat currencies

Click here to earn daily interest on your idle assets

Supporting links:

Blockstack

Blocktack Blog

Bitcoin as the narrow waist for Web3

Fireside chat with Balaji S. Srinivasan

Snow Crash

Simulation Theory

Why Decentralization Matters

Google creepily records you

Muneeb on Twitter

Andy on Twitter

Brave New Coin on Twitter

Brave New Coin

If you enjoyed the show please subscribe to the Crypto Conversation and give us a 5-star rating and a positive review in whatever podcast app you are using.

Trent McConaghy is a data and statistical modeling expert. Alarmed at the exponential spread of COVID-19, Trent became concerned that if the virus followed the same trajectory as in Wuhan and Lombardy - other cities would be similarly overwhelmed. Trent created a model to answer the question - how long before hospital capacity gets overwhelmed; at which point the death rate jumps? The focus of the modeling is on the hot zones of the U.S. and Germany: Washington state (WA) and Berlin. According to the model WA will hit capacity by March 25, and Berlin by April 5.

Why you should listen:

There are things we can do now, as citizens, organizations and governments, to slow the spread of COVID-19 and to bound the downside. If we don't, the downside could be severe. Trent has a Ph.D. in EE from KU Leuven, Belgium. He undertook machine learning research for the Canadian Department of National Defense. He is the founder of Ocean Protocol, a decentralized data marketplace.

COVID-19 is a Black Swan. It's gone from highly unlikely, to likely, to happening. No one has perfect models of how it will unfold, exactly. But, we can identify possible worst-case scenarios and take action to minimize the negative impacts if those scenarios do occur. The most rational thing that we can do is to bound the downside.

Key takeaway:

The virus will not hit nations in a uniformly spread fashion. It will take out one city at a time, not one country at a time. In China, Northern Wuhan was taken out first. In Italy, it was Lombardy, Venice, and Milan. So while we can start with analyses at the national level (USA, Germany), it's critical to drill into specific hotspots (Washington state, Berlin) which will experience capacity constraints sooner than the national average.

What can be done? For starters, get more beds. Cancel large gatherings, start remote work, and accelerate universal testing. We should act now. We can learn a lot from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

The Crypto Conversation is proudly sponsored by DeFi leaders NEXO

Click here to borrow instantly in 45+ fiat currencies

Click here to earn daily interest on your idle assets

Supporting links:

When does hospital capacity get overwhelmed

What we can do about Coronavirus

Systemic Risk of Pandemic via Novel Pathogens

Ocean Protocol

Trent on Twitter

Andy on Twitter

Brave New Coin on Twitter

Brave New Coin

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Catherine Coley is the CEO of Binance.US - the San Francisco based digital asset marketplace that serves American traders under the blue-chip Binance brand. Catherine says that CZ led Binance to the top by adopting a remote-first, decentralized approach.

Why you should listen:

Catherine says Binance U.S. is the perfect mix for the 'ambitious trader', someone who knows markets, wants to see order depth and market structure, and wants to use the best trading tools available. Binance executed flawlessly in its first year of operation, growing at a scale beyond any other exchange. By adopting a remote-first, decentralized approach, CZ allowed the Binance team to be their best selves.

Catherine also talks about her time as the head of XRP Institutional Liquidity at Ripple during the 2017 bull run. There was a button on the Ripple website that traders could push to find out where to buy XRP that sent an auto-email to Catherine. She says at the peak of the rally, she received 17,000 emails in a six-hour window.

Key takeaway:

The U.S. exchange market is competitive, but Catherine is confident to be the CEO of the leading exchange brand in crypto and working with the best trading engine available. While some see the U.S. as falling behind in the global crypto market, Catherine sees an incredible opportunity to get it right. She says crypto represents freedom and we are at the very beginning of the crypto revolution globally.

Catherine still does customer support which gives her invaluable insight into Binance customer needs. Catherine is a major Star Wars nerd, a mega Mandolorian fan and she proudly wears her Darth Vader costume every year for May the 4th and Halloween.

The Crypto Conversation is proudly sponsored by DeFi leaders NEXO

Click here to borrow instantly in 45+ fiat currencies

Click here to earn daily interest on your idle assets

Supporting links:

Binance.US

Binance.US on Twitter

Catherine on Twitter

Andy on Twitter

Brave New Coin on Twitter

Brave New Coin

The Bitcoin Halving

NEXO

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