In today’s episode Saifedean talks to former investment banker and author of Heaven’s Bankers, Harris Irfan. They discuss Harris’ decades of experiences in Islamic finance and what sparked his interest in bitcoin as a Muslim. Harris explains why bitcoin might be the most sharia-compatible money, why the decentralized nature of bitcoin should be appealing to Muslims, and what Islamic scholars get wrong about bitcoin. We then discuss whether a hard free market money like bitcoin would make finance...
May 27, 2021•1 hr 24 min
In this episode Saifedean talks to libertarian author and comedian Dominic Frisby about the history of taxation, the rise of Bitcoin and whether we are moving towards a more or less statist world. They cover the story of how Dominic first found out about Bitcoin in December 2010, how voluntary taxation worked in ancient Greece, the rise of digital nomads, and whether land value tax represents the “least bad tax”. Links National Debt Clock of the United States: https://www.usdebtclock.org/ Domini...
May 24, 2021•1 hr 24 min
In this episode Saifedean talks to regular seminar attendees about Elon Musk’s recent bitcoin comments, and what they teach us about him & his business empire. Saifedean compares Elon Musk to John D. Rockefeller – both the richest men in the world in their eras – and discusses the extent to which their innovations have had an impact on the lives of everyday people, to give us an idea of how fiat alters society. To become the richest man in the world, Rockefeller built the modern industrial w...
May 20, 2021•1 hr 2 min
In this episode Saifedean talks to Rahim Taghizadegan, the president of the Free Private Cities Foundation, and one of the few Austrian School economists still operating in Austria. They discuss the history of the Austrian School, the problems of modern fiat academia and why Rahim sees Bitcoin as an essential part of the monetary infrastructure that would support Free Private Cities. Resources The Raven of Zurich: The Memoirs of Felix Somary: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Raven-Zurich-Memoirs-Felix-S...
May 17, 2021•1 hr 58 min
In today’s seminar Saifedean talks to regular attendees about whether increasing a nation’s exports should be seen as a desirable policy goal, and why countries that devalue their currencies don’t necessarily export more. The discussion focusses on the post-war experience of Germany and Switzerland and how these countries grew prosperous through maintenance of a strong currency. Books referenced during the discussion include: Gold Wars: The Battle Against Sound Money as Seen From a Swiss Perspec...
May 12, 2021•59 min
In this podcast Saifedean and Lyn discuss Bitcoin and trends taking place in the macroeconomy. Lyn starts by giving her view on the investment case for Bitcoin, PlanB’s Stock to Flow model, and whether Bitcoin can be characterized as a Ponzi scheme. They then move on to discuss global macroeconomic conditions and why Bitcoin represents a more attractive investment in a world where fiat currency supply expansion is accelerating. They touch on long-term debt cycles, 1970s stagflation, CBDCs and wh...
May 09, 2021•1 hr 44 min
Described by Jordan Peterson as "frighteningly smart", Allen Farrington is a member of saifedean.com who has written some excellent essays on bitcoin, and also spent an enormous amount of time studying the work of various fiat intellectuals, so you don't have to. He joins us for a deep dive into why fiat intellectuals have such a hard time understanding bitcoin, why it triggers them so much, and whether there is anything important or profound in the ramblings of angry fiaters like George Selgin,...
May 04, 2021•2 hr 53 min
Saifedean and seminar regular Peter Young discuss what price indeces such as CPI tell us about inflation. They discuss whether ageing demographics lead to inflation or deflation, whether inflation measurements are even theoretically possible, and the historical failure of central bank attempts to manage the economy based on price index data. 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.c...
May 01, 2021•1 hr 11 min
Experienced high-yield credit trader Greg Foss joins Saifedean Ammous for a discussion on why bond investors should own Bitcoin. They talk about why Bitcoin represents insurance against sovereign debt defaults, how Greg’s values Bitcoin using data from the Credit Default Swap markets, and why those same markets suggest that Canada’s official credit rating is too high. Greg makes reference to: This table showing the implied default risk of different countries based on CDC markets: http://www.worl...
Apr 28, 2021•2 hr 3 min
We compare the precautionary principle approach of obsessing over avoiding one negative outcome to the economic way of thinking, which entails examining the seen and unseen consequences of each action, and is a much more sane, safe, and intelligent way of approaching complex issues. We examine two contemporary episodes of global mass hysteria to see how dangerously reckless and counterproductive using the precautionary principle is. Enjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, ac...
Apr 22, 2021•1 hr 27 min
We discuss the economics of electric cars, and what the heavy subsidies they receive tell us about their future potential. Will they save earth from CO2 emissions? Is eliminating emissions possible? Is it even desirable? 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 . THE BITCOIN STANDARD TOOLKIT/SPONSORS NYDIG - https://nydig.com Cyphersafe - https://cypher...
Apr 19, 2021•1 hr 47 min
In this seminar, we apply the economic way of thinking to figure out the opportunity cost of a century of fiat money. How would the world look like if it had hard money over the past century? What would be the impacts on capital accumulation, international trade, poverty alleviation? 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 . THE BITCOIN STANDARD TOOLKI...
Apr 16, 2021•1 hr 31 min
In this episode we discuss the link between fiat money and fiat food, based on the latest chapter from The Fiat Standard, available to subscribers on saifedean.com . We discuss: fiat's encouragement of high time preference thinking causing soil depletion and bad food choices; why fiat governments heavily subsidize fiat foods to make inflation look better; and how a hard monetary standard incentivizes eating real food and regenerating soil. Enjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast semin...
Apr 13, 2021•34 min
I joined Tom Woods to discuss current trends in Bitcoin, whether it’s in a “bubble,” what its advantages are, what the future may hold, and why all of this should matter to libertarians. THE BITCOIN STANDARD TOOLKIT The Bitcoin Standard Toolkit is a selection of the Bitcoin services I recommend to readers and learners on saifedean.com, as they upgrade from The Fiat Standard to The Bitcoin Standard. NYDIG NYDIG is a leading full-service financial services firm dedicated to Bitcoin, applying insti...
Apr 11, 2021•39 min
Peter Young hosts a debate between Saifedean and gold investor Mark Valek on the monetary status of precious metals. Has bitcoin obsoleted gold as money? Is gold being demonetized? Do gold's uses in jewellery and industry help or hinder its monetary status? 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 . THE BITCOIN STANDARD TOOLKIT/SPONSORS NYDIG - https://...
Apr 08, 2021•1 hr 29 min
We discuss the economics of energy, based on the chapter on the topic in my Principles of Economics textbook, which is available to subscribers on saifedean.com . What is the economic rationale for consuming energy? How has energy use increased the value of human time, helped end slavery, and improved living standards? What does this teach us about bitcoin's energy consumption? What are the real costs of low-energy alternatives to bitcoin? Enjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast semin...
Apr 05, 2021•1 hr 29 min
We look at the economic problems of cracking down on bitcoin, and how that's working out for governments trying it. What can we learn from prohibition of drugs & alcohol? Will India's recent ban on bitcoin be as big a historic mistake as staying on the silver standard in the nineteenth century? 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 . THE BITCOIN ...
Apr 02, 2021•49 min
Are markets efficient? How do we think of this question from an Austrian perspective? We discuss how the absence of constants in economics has always been the problem with all quantitative approaches to economic questions, and what bitcoin means for this. 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 . THE BITCOIN STANDARD TOOLKIT/SPONSORS NYDIG - https://ny...
Mar 29, 2021•1 hr 15 min
Professor Steve Hanke has many decades of experience studying currencies and fighting inflation, but does not see value in bitcoin. He joins Saifedean and Hong Fang, the CEO of OKCoin, to discuss Bitcoin's value, whether bitcoin has intrinsic value, if bitcoin is just a speculative bubble, and if a currency board would work for a digital currency. THE BITCOIN STANDARD TOOLKIT/SPONSORS NYDIG - https://nydig.com Cyphersafe - https://cyphersafe.io/ OKCoin - https://okcoin.com/ Nodl - https://www.no...
Mar 25, 2021•56 min
In this seminar we discuss chapters 4 to 7 from my book The Fiat Standard, the forthcoming sequel to The Bitcoin Standard, available to subscribers on saifedean.com . How does the fiat standard work internationally? We look at how mining fiat by lending it incentivizes international financial institutions, how it shapes international politics and the domestic politics of developing countries, and how it has prevented economic growth in poor countries. Enjoyed this episode? You can take part in p...
Mar 22, 2021•44 min
As insurance industry giants begin to enter the bitcoin space, we discuss the implications for bitcoin’s proposition as a store of value. Will the satoshi rate become the new risk-free rate? Are there any good reasons for bonds to exist in a world in which bitcoin works? What is the case for holding gold in a bitcoin world? Links: NYDIG Announces Appointment of New York Life Chairman and CEO Ted Mathas to its Board of Directors NYDIG Raises $200 Million from Strategic Partners Institutional Bitc...
Mar 18, 2021•50 min
This week we host the poster child for carbohydrate deficiency, carnivore elite athlete, orthopedic surgeon, author, and bitcoiner Dr. Shawn Baker! We discuss Shawn's personal experience as an athlete, and his professional experience as a surgeon, on the carnivore diet, the rationale for eating meat-only, the health benefits, and why dietary interventions are far more effective than public health interventions. We also ask Shawn's views on sourcing meat, the environmental impact of meat producti...
Mar 14, 2021•1 hr 25 min
This week we discuss: What are shitcoins good for? Can shitcoins help bitcoin scale? Do shitcoins take market share from bitcoin, or from each other? Plus, find out why backing gold with bitcoin is far more likely than backing bitcoin with gold! 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 . THE BITCOIN STANDARD TOOLKIT/SPONSORS NYDIG - https://nydig.com Cy...
Mar 09, 2021•1 hr 7 min
Should you borrow fiat to buy bitcoin? Is it better to sell bitcoin or borrow against it? In this seminar we discuss optimal fiat strategies for bitcoiners, and the risks involved, based on Michael Saylor's comments in seminar 34 , and the early chapters of 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 . THE BITCOIN STANDARD TOOLKIT/SPONS...
Mar 04, 2021•1 hr 11 min
In this seminar we are joined by Stephen Chow, founder of Chow Art Fund, whose mission is to embrace the bitcoin standard in order to sponsor living artists to create masterpieces, and @FractalEncrypt, an artist who has produced a magnificent bitcoin full node sculpture. We discuss my book, The Bitcoin Standard, and how its discussion of time preference was influential in their artistic journeys; how they see art evolving in a bitcoin world; and the problem with "art on blockchain" nonsense. We ...
Feb 27, 2021•1 hr 17 min
In this podcast we discussed last week seminar with Microstrategy CEO Michael Saylor. We go over his strategy for buying bitcoin and wether it works for everyone. Then we discuss wether his actions and analysis contradict the bitcoin stock to flow model. Finally, we move on to discuss how we can reconcile the stock to flow model with praxeology and the Austrian economics we cover in our courses on saifedean.com Enjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s cours...
Feb 24, 2021•1 hr 17 min
We are rejoined by Microstrategy CEO Michael Saylor, who has read the first part of The Fiat Standard and shares some fascinating feedback on it, including how to think of time preference and bitcoin. We also discuss Bitcoin for Corporations, the conference Microstrategy organized, and how he sees the bitcoin corporate wave advancing. What are the assets obsoleted by bitcoin? What are Michael's mental models for thinking about bitcoin's price, his thoughts on price prediction models, and whether...
Feb 16, 2021•2 hr 15 min
In this seminar, we look closely at the concept of stock-to-flow, comparing it across bitcoin, gold, silver, other metals, and altcoins. We go over the data from The Bitcoin Standard, and look at more recent numbers for silver, and explain why attempts to monetize silver and platinum failed, why mining asteroids would not eliminate gold’s monetary role, and what actually could do it. Enjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s courses and read chapters of his ...
Feb 10, 2021•1 hr 8 min
How would the free market have handled a respiratory illness? After a year of evidence, including my personal experience with the illness, we discuss the effectiveness of individual and public health precautions and interventions. We examine the difference in approach through the lens of Mises' calculation problem. What economic problems face public health authorities, and what would we have done without them? We are also re-joined by Philipp Bagus, who has just published a paper on the politica...
Feb 07, 2021•1 hr 24 min
This week we host Philipp Bagus, the economist who wrote the definitive Austrian treatment of deflation, In Defense of Deflation. We discuss the history of anti-deflation thought in economics, the different kinds of deflation, the consequences of deflation, and whether this is a problem for bitcoin. We also discuss Philipp's views on bitcoin, as well as his work on the Euro. Enjoyed this episode? You can take part in podcast seminars, access Saifedean’s courses and read chapters of his forthcomi...
Feb 02, 2021•1 hr 23 min
