InFi: the Future of Finance - podcast cover

InFi: the Future of Finance

Welcome to INFI: the Future of Finance, hosted by American economist and author Dr. Robert P. Murphy. Each week tune in for dynamic discussions with business pioneers about emerging trends in finance, life insurance, asset management, technology, and more.
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Episodes

Ep. 101: The Economics of Global Bitcoin Adoption

Murphy first cites some news items showcasing the Trump Administration's pro-blockchain initiatives, and explains that this will foster even greater institutional adoption. He then explains the long-run economics of Bitcoin adoption, contrasting the different motivations of speculation versus hedging and use as a medium of exchange. Related: - https://infineo.ai/an-upper-bound-on-bitcoins-appreciation - https://mises.org/mises-daily/worst-recession-25-years - https://cdn.mises.org/understanding_...

Aug 15, 20251 hr 5 min

Ep. 100: Yes, Stablecoins are Like "Free Banking" in US History—and That's a Good Thing

Tyler Watts returns to the podcast to give an economic history lesson on how "free banking" worked in the US in the decades before the Civil War. Contrary to Barry Eichengreen's warnings in the NYT, stablecoins shouldn't scare us—freedom in banking is just as good as freedom in other industries. Related: - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/17/opinion/genius-act-stablecoin-crypto.html - https://cooperative-individualism.org/rockoff-hugh_the-free-banking-era-a-reexamination-1974-may.pdf - https://co...

Aug 08, 20251 hr 10 min

Ep. 99: Does the GENIUS Act Pave the Way for CBDCs?

Murphy continues his economic analysis of the GENIUS Act, seeking to answer the question: Does it—as many critics allege—pave the way for a central bank digital currency, or does it protect Americans from such a fate? Related: - https://infineo.ai/97 - https://infineo.ai/98 - https://www.mitrade.com/insights/news/live-news/article-3-933919-20250703 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNlcjnvzyX4 Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/OgwUNuuK4x0 Subscribe to our YouTube cha...

Aug 01, 202550 min

Ep. 98: Why the GENIUS Act Is Stricter on Stablecoins than Banks

In recent commentary, Murphy has said that the GENIUS Act—by imposing 100% reserve requirements on USD stablecoins—is much stricter than the regulations on conventional banks. In this episode, he spells out his argument. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/kQoG-qhL22g Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3XXfmGS Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/infineogroup Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/infineogroup Learn more about Infineo ...

Jul 25, 202543 min

Ep. 97: Nicki Sanders on the GENIUS Act and the Future of USD Stablecoins

Nicki Sanders has worked in the blockchain space since 2015. She is currently leading engineering for Porto, which is Anchorage Digital's institutional self-custody platform. She joins Bob to discuss the GENIUS Act (which recently passed the Senate), its implications for the USD stablecoin industry, and the broader future of tokenized real-world assets. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/ZcnECZJho18 Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3XXfmGS Follow us on...

Jul 18, 202543 min

Ep. 96: Bob Murphy Lays Out an Aggressive Yet Feasible Fiscal Reform

In the wake of the arguments over the Big Beautiful Bill, Bob walks through a hypothetical fiscal reform to push partisans on the Right to reform their frameworks. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/VAscLqJCJ4w Related: - https://content.infineo.ai/articles/an-aggressive-plan-for-us-fiscal-reform - https://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/y2017/Murphysocialsecurity.html - https://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/y2011/Murphyprivatization.html - https://mises.org/mises-d...

Jul 11, 20251 hr 5 min

Ep. 95: Robert Bryce Explains Chinese Domination of the Magnet Market

Journalist and author Robert Bryce discusses the Chinese near-monopoly over critical rare earth supplies, necessary for auto production and other critical industries. He argues that Trump's tariff strategy didn't adequately consider the Chinese counterresponse. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/u5_Fnc8e9oQ Related: - https://robertbryce.substack.com - https://infineo.ai/14 Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3XXfmGS Follow us on Instagram: https://www.in...

Jul 04, 202545 min

Ep. 94: Does Saving Equal Investment? Economics vs. Accounting

Charles DuBois is currently an advisor to Spring Valley Asset Management, with an MBA in Finance from New York University. He joins Murphy to discuss a seemingly obscure but nonetheless important concept, for investors who want to understand the connection between macroeconomic theories and accounting tautologies. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/A4alQfPE1uM Related: - https://themountaingoateconomics.com/2021/01/01/si-the-most-misunderstood-equation-in-economics - ...

Jun 27, 20251 hr 1 min

Ep. 93: Refereeing the Conservative/Libertarian Battle Over the Big Beautiful Bill

Bob breaks down the arguments for and against the so-called Big Beautiful Bill. Proponents like Stephen Miller are correct when they claim it contains record spending and tax cuts, while opponents like Thomas Massie and Elon Musk are right when they say it doesn't do nearly enough. Either way, Bob provides actual numbers for viewers to make an informed decision. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/Ae8YWW9m3hA Related: - https://content.infineo.ai/articles/the-conservat...

Jun 20, 202535 min

Ep. 92: George Selgin on Bitcoin as Store of Value or Medium or Exchange, and What Ended the Great Depression?

Economist George Selgin has a new book, False Dawn, from the University of Chicago Press, explaining the latest research on how the New Deal did—and didn't—promote US recovery from the Great Depression. But first, he and Bob discuss George's arguments with the HODLers on whether Bitcoin is a store of value or medium of exchange. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/garIhEFlb0o Related: - https://x.com/Swan/status/1928536748415758507 - https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/book...

Jun 13, 202555 min

Ep. 91: Moody's Was Right to Downgrade the US Treasury

Bob explains what happened with the recent Moody's downgrade of US Treasury bonds, summarizes the precarious US fiscal position, and then critiques the argument that Uncle Sam can't possibly default. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/rLFTjWWH7pg Related: - https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/moodys-downgrades-us-aa1-rating-2025-05-16 - https://www.heritage.org/markets-and-finance/commentary/the-united-states-debt - https://ratings.moodys.com/ratings-news/443154 - http...

Jun 06, 202547 min

Ep. 90: Cade Bergman on the Utility of X Spaces and the Future of Crypto

Cade is the Head of Content at @WOLF_Financial, and Co Owner & Host of @WOLF_Crypto_X the Crypto Division. WOLF is a social media marketing firm primarily on X, and hosts the largest financial Spaces in the world. Cade discusses WOLF's business model and the future of digital assets, ranging from Bitcoin to NFTs to tokenized life insurance. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/-Ezt5ynRsdM Related: - https://x.com/WOLF_Financial - https://x.com/WOLF_Crypto_X Subscrib...

May 30, 202551 min

Ep. 89: Tom Pyle on Trump's Energy Agenda, and Why the Tech Bros Flipped on Climate Change

Tom Pyle is president of the Institute for Energy Research (where Murphy was Senior Economist for 13 years). He joins Bob for a fast-paced discussion on Trump's energy policies, why major players in the tech sector have dropped their messaging on climate change, and what to expect in the global economy. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/saSElAfp4Fg Related: - https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/fossil-fuels/2024-north-american-energy-inventory - https://www.ec...

May 23, 202544 min

Ep. 88: Explaining the LifeNotes Advantage for Split-Dollar Life Insurance Plans

Jay Rogers is Chief Revenue Officer and Steve Baillargeon is VP of Support Services at infineo. They join Bob to explain the LifeNotes Trust solution for institutional owners of split-dollar life insurance policies taken out on key executives. With pooled assets approaching $500 million in its first fund, the LifeNotes program provides more certainty and safety for both employer and employee than the original split-dollar plan. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/61JOy...

May 16, 202548 min

Ep. 87: Oren Cass Challenges Free Traders on American Manufacturing

Oren Cass is one of the leading right-of-center scholars challenging free trade orthodoxy, specifically as it relates to US manufacturing. Bob asks clarifies questions to tease out Oren's views under various hypothetical scenarios. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/Z8nttX90IuI Related: - https://x.com/oren_cass/status/1912501114429129129 - https://x.com/oren_cass/status/1908877102150975731 - https://americancompass.org Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly...

May 09, 20251 hr 1 min

Ep. 86: Could the Trump Administration Revalue the Treasury's Gold?

Murphy analyzes a popular video describing proposals to use the Treasury's gold stock to boost the government's finances. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/mdO39LMRU7Q Related: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUDJn1NQU9k - https://cdn.mises.org/understanding_money_mechanics _with_cover_image_attached.pdf - https://www.amazon.com/Politically-Incorrect-Guide-Depression-Guides/dp/1596980966 Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3XXfmGS Follow us on Instagra...

May 02, 202538 min

Ep. 85: Ricardo's Assumptions Don't Hold, But Trade Still Makes US Richer

Sophisticated critics of free trade argue that David Ricardo's demonstration of "comparative advantage" had valid assumptions in the early 1800s, but those no longer hold in our age of labor and capital mobility. Murphy demonstrates that this critique doesn't hold up; the US still benefits from specialization and trade. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/QxMJvjEjRK4 Related: - https://mises.org/podcasts/human-action-podcast/trumps-tariffs-triffin-wrong-ron-paul-right ...

Apr 25, 202544 min

Ep. 84: Abe Lincoln and John Carney Are Wrong About Tariffs

Murphy samples from two recent debates on Trump's tariffs to explain why the protectionists are wrong in their view of international trade. Specifically, Murpy rebuts claims made by Abraham Lincoln (quoted by Spencer Morrison in a recent ZeroHedge debate) and Breitbart's John Carney (in a recent debate on the Tom Woods Show). Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/_imXxm1KpVM Related: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUTLCDBONok - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ve87--h...

Apr 18, 202554 min

Ep. 83: Everybody's Wrong About Trump's Tariffs

Murphy first dissects the dubious constitutional and economic justifications for Trump's new tariff regime. Then he explains why the US decision to leave the gold standard has more to do with trade deficits than foreign barriers. Finally, he critiques the "Triffin paradox" defense of US trade deficits. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/7WWbvmjKa3o Related: - https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/regulating-imports-with-a-reciprocal-tariff-to-rectify...

Apr 11, 202549 min

Ep. 82: Economic Problems Made in the USA: Analyzing Lighthizer Trade Talk With Tucker

Bob dissects a recent appearance of former Trump trade representative Robert Lighthizer on the Tucker Carlson show. While agreeing with the description of US economic problems, Bob disagrees with Lighthizer's blame on foreign governments, but instead says the problem is Made in the USA. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/bAupkcLAtPY Related: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0IUh8kNSqY - https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2024-03/59711-Long-Term-Outlook-2024.pdf Subscr...

Apr 04, 202556 min

Ep. 81: Did the Department of Education Boost American Test Scores?

In light of President Trump's recent Executive Order abolishing (though it has no teeth) the Department of Education, Bob presents statistics for 3 separate federal initiatives—namely the Clean Air Act/EPA, the so-called War on Poverty, and the Department of Education—to show that they should not be given credit for improving US life in their respective areas. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/bSIBOMkAlu8 Related: - https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/uncatego...

Mar 28, 202537 min

Ep. 80: Did Silk Road Founder Ross Ulbricht Try to Hire Hit Men?

Having just been interviewed for a documentary on the topic, Bob gives some of the details on the trial of Ross Ulbricht. Even if one endorses the Drug War, there were many absurdities in Ulbricht's trial that helps to justify President Trump's decision to pardon him as one of his first acts in office. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/QhPDqbOibvk Related: - https://mises.org/podcasts/human-action-podcast/perfecting-libertarian-argument-dealing-drug-cartels - https:/...

Mar 21, 202537 min

Ep. 79: Financing the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, and How Private Sector Could Deal with ETH Heist

Bob goes solo to explain why the libertarian objections to a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve are overblown. He then comments on the recent $1.4bn ETH heist, and explains how private organizations could help organize boycotts of stolen coins without State-sponsored regulations. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azp1D4RWHas Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3XXfmGS Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/infineogroup Follow us on Twitt...

Mar 14, 202543 min

Ep. 78: Explaining Elon: Social Security as a Ponzi and Government Spending Distorting GDP

Bob elaborates and defends Elon Musk's recent claims that (1) Social Security is the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time and (2) government spending distorts GDP calculations. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTUNNA1ZYNM Related: - https://x.com/MorePerfectUS/status/1895655463255248904 - https://infineo.ai/77 Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3XXfmGS Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/infineogroup Follow us on Twitter: https...

Mar 07, 202553 min

Ep. 77: DOGE and Social Security Fraud

Bob addressees the recent tweets from Elon Musk, indicating that there are millions of people who have been long dead receiving Social Security. Although Bob agrees with the critics that Musk was misleading with his tweets, there is nonetheless extensive fraud associate with the poorly maintained SS database. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPIhwlRBuvM Related: https://x.com/JustinWolfers/status/1890836472174924143 https://x.com/elonmusk/status/18913...

Feb 28, 202550 min

Ep. 76: Jack Farley on Why Money Matters and the Contribution of the MMT Camp

Jack Farley is host of the podcast "Monetary Matters," and was recently the moderator of Bob's debate on ZeroHedge against Nathan Tankus. Farley sticks up for the MMT camp and forces Bob to drill down to the essential differences between the Austrians and MMTers. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MzQ3vyYZU4 Related: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF1JIT9kcpw - https://www.youtube.com/@Monetary-Matters - https://mises.org/podcasts/human-action-podca...

Feb 21, 202554 min

Ep. 75: Alex Tabarrok on the History and Economics of Life Insurance

Alex Tabarrok is an economics professor at George Mason University and (with Tyler Cowen) co-host of a popular podcast. He and Tyler recently discussed the history and economics of life insurance, and in addition Alex has written extensively on blockchain finance. He was thus an obvious guest for Bob to interview. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z24Z0eo9IEI Related: - https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2025/02/the-licensing-racket.html...

Feb 14, 202550 min

Ep. 74: Brian Domitrovic on the Supply-Sider Support for Tariffs Over Income Taxes

Brian Domitrovic is the Richard S. Strong Scholar at the Laffer Center, who holds a PhD in history from Harvard. He joins Bob to discuss his recent articles explaining why the economics profession is so opposed to tariffs but not income taxes. Why are there "free traders" but not "free laborers"? Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/_fbPGGDR-FQ Related: - https://lawliberty.org/forum/why-economists-loathe-tariffs/ - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/free-money-brian-domi...

Feb 07, 202544 min

Ep. 73: The ZeroHedge MMT vs. Austrian Debate: Does the Treasury Need to Issue Safe Assets?

On the heels of his recent ZeroHedge debate against MMTer Nathan Tankus, Bob elaborates on one key issue: Does it help the private sector if the government issues more "safe assets" to bolster private balance sheets? Watch the video version of this episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYpy7AsHsHY Related: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHoPf3OZzQY - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUTLCDBONok - https://mises.org/podcasts/human-action-podcast/murphy-and-newman-do-postgame-analysis-zer...

Jan 31, 202551 min

Ep. 72: Tyler Watts' Proposal for Opting Out of Social Security

Tyler Watts is a professor of economics at Ferris State University. In an analysis for the Indiana Policy Review Foundation, he proposes a plan for allowing citizens to opt out of Social Security in a way that helps the program's finances. Related: - https://www.pageturnpro.com/Indiana-Policy-Review-Foundation/112062-Winter-2025/sdefault.html#page/6 - https://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/y2017/Murphysocialsecurity.html Watch the video version of this episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watc...

Jan 24, 202551 min
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