Bitcoin Tech Talk #335
Interesting Stuff
Housing Analysis - The post is written as an analysis of using housing as an investment. The right questions are being asked in it. For example, how do you get houses to people that want to live in them and not invest in them? He likens housing to a pyramid scheme based on the scarcity of land. The conundrum is that new buyers can’t get in because it’s used too much as an investment vehicle, but making prices go down would destroy a lot of wealth. What he’s describing without knowing it is that houses have too much of a premium due to its being a store of value. I honestly think Bitcoin Fixes This.
Being Known - Having had an actively following on Twitter for 6 years, I related a lot to this one, though, I’m probably not as sensitive to criticism as the author is. The main gist of the article is that there’s a lot of benefits and drawbacks to showing yourself online, but that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks as you show more of yourself. I’m thankful that I’ve been able to become friends with so many people in this community and being known in that way. The post is an excellent summation of what it means to find a tribe, though the author doesn’t put it that way.
Christian COVID Analysis - I’ve been pretty frustrated with Christian leaders basically genuflecting to the state on everything without the least hesitation. Especially as I’m reading Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s book, I can’t help but think that the emphasis on compliance to authority was horribly mistaken at best and devilish at worst. The article was a welcome counterexample to what I’ve seen and gave voice to what I had been thinking about for the last 3 years. The brain-twisting biblical justifications were not the final word on Christian responses to COVID and you can be Christian while opposing unjust state mandates.
What I'm up to
Global Level Incentives - My latest article for Bitcoin Magazine is the final one of a four-part series. I wrote about the dollar’s dominance and hegemonic control it has over the rest of the world, the consequences economically for the whole world and how it changes the incentives for different nations. The article was sobering for me to write, being an American, as I’ve come to realize that so much of what’s wrong with the world today can be squarely laid on the centralized control of the dollar.
LightningCon Vietnam - I will be in Da Nang next week for the first Lightning Conference in this region! As with most places in the world, the altcoin conferences vastly outnumber the Bitcoin-only conferences and they’re about as slimy as you’d expect. This one will hopefully start the trend of better conferences around the world. It’s also very affordable, so I’d encourage you to come if you can.
Indonesia - I’m in Bali this week and we have another meetup here on Thursday. The meetup in Kuala Lumpur was a lot of fun and we had a lot of good conversation, coffee and tea. The Bali meetup will be a blast near the beach and we’ll figure out the program the next couple of days. Looking forward to seeing you if you can make it!
Nostr Note of the Week
One of the advantages of the Nostr platform is that I can write longer pieces (and not have to pay Twitter for the privilege!) and this one is something I’ve had to clarify my own thoughts from about a year ago.
Books I’m Shilling
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