Epicenter – Podcast on Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed Technologies

When invented the concept of prediction markets almost thirty years ago, he felt he had stumbled on a concept with huge implications. By allowing people to bet on the likelihood of future events, prediction markets promise to allow better forecasts and better decision making. Research into the area has been vibrant, culminating in Hanson’s concept … Continued

Support the show, consider donating: 39c9iyKAAssTZLbdtPRBQLEaDct7h9v17s (http://bit.ly/1NRFydR) When Robin Hanson invented the concept of prediction markets almost thirty years ago, he felt he had stumbled on a concept with huge implications. By allowing people to bet on the likelihood of future events, prediction markets promise to allow better forecasts and better decision making. Research into the area has been vibrant, culminating in Hanson's concept of Futarchy: A prediction-market based governance system. At the same time, the real-world applications have been few and far. Hanson, an associate professor of economics at George Mason University, joined us to discuss his invention, futarchy and the challenges of disruptive technology. Topics covered included: - How prediction markets can surface information - The history of prediction markets - How futarchy works - Whether futarchy could settle the blocksize debate - Why prediction markets failed to get wide adoption - How Bitcoin is facing a similar adoption challenge Links mentioned in this episode: - Science 'The Promise of Prediction Markets' http://bit.ly/1PJ2bAn (PDF) - Futarchy: Vote Values, But Bet Beliefs http://bit.ly/1KFhx7v - Robin Hanson's Blog Overcoming Bias http://bit.ly/1KFhwAx Sponsors: - Shapeshift: Buy and sell alt coins instantly at http://ShapeShift.io - Hide.me: Protect your privacy and personal data with a free VPN account at http://Hide.me/epicenter Show notes: http://epicenterbitcoin.com/podcast/098 YouTube: https://youtu.be/mUUk0jSndoc Epicenter Bitcoin is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain & Sébastien Couture. - Visit our website: http://epicenterbitcoin.com - Subscribe to our newsletter: http://epicenterbitcoin.com/newsletter - Twitter: http://twitter.com/epicenterbtc

Prediction markets are considered one of the most promising applications of blockchain technology. Although the concept and some early implementations have existed for years, decentralized prediction markets present a number of advantages to their centralized counterparts. joins us to discuss Truthcoin, a “Peer-to-Peer Oracle Protocol which absorbs accurate data into a blockchain so that Bitcoin-users … Continued

Support the show, consider donating: 1HEnttVsVbxrC4tKXxB2xVYuXBoZh4mhcD (http://bit.ly/1L0svbe) Prediction markets are considered one of the most promising applications of blockchain technology. Although the concept and some early implementations have existed for years, decentralized prediction markets present a number of advantages to their centralized counterparts. Paul Sztorc joins us to discuss Truthcoin, a “Peer-to-Peer Oracle Protocol which absorbs accurate data into a blockchain so that Bitcoin-users can speculate in Prediction Markets”. We dive deep to explore the advantages of decentralized prediction markets, their various real-world applications, and their potential to revolutionize the creation and propagation of knowledge in our society. On this episode, we are thrilled to introduce a new co-host on Epicenter Bitcoin, Meher Roy. He has a biochemical engineering background and previously worked as an adviser to HyperLedger. Since discovering Bitcoin, he spends most of his free time understanding blockchain technology and its potential impact on our lives. We’re confident that Meher will bring a high level of understanding and critical thinking to the topics we cover, and we’re certain our listeners will be as happy as we are to have him on the show. Topics covered include: - What are prediction markets and why they are useful - The mechanics of prediction markets - The potential for prediction markets to provide useful aggregation to today's abundant information - The parallels between crowd intelligence and artificial intelligence - The different components of Truthcoin and the state of the project - How Truthcoin differs from other decentralized prediction markets Links mentioned in this episode: - Truthcoin Website: http://bit.ly/1V5pOcY - Truthcoin Whitepaper: http://bit.ly/1JkkIgY - The Win-Win Blocksize Solution: http://bit.ly/1j2nUsE - Blocksize Markets: http://bit.ly/1LHXi74 Sponsors: - Ledger Nano: Smart card security for your Bitcoins - Get 10% off your first order when you use the code EB09 at http://ledgerwallet.com (valid until 09/30/15) Show notes: http://epicenterbitcoin.com/podcast/097 YouTube: https://youtu.be/qNeX_5jvAI0 Epicenter Bitcoin is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain & Sébastien Couture. - Visit our website: http://epicenterbitcoin.com - Subscribe to our newsletter: http://epicenterbitcoin.com/newsletter - Twitter: http://twitter.com/epicenterbtc

It is often said that technology is neutral. It’s certainly commonplace for Bitcoin to be thought of as such. In reality, technologies may be characterized as an embodiment of human intention, and therefore, cannot be considered as culturally or politically neutral. At least, this is the opinion of our guest, . A research scientist at … Continued

Support the show, consider donating: 1BmJ7sdqBofkgNrnQmH3hFPSxVEc4AMrbV (http://bit.ly/1TySQfd) It is often said that technology is neutral. It’s certainly commonplace for Bitcoin to be thought of as such. In reality, technologies may be characterized as an embodiment of human intention, and therefore, cannot be considered as culturally or politically neutral. At least, this is the opinion of our guest, John Clippinger. A research scientist at MIT Media Lab and CEO of ID3, a nonprofit which aims to deploy a new generation of trusted digital institutions, John has spent the last seven decades researching the interaction between technology and society. He joins us for a fascinating discussion on the flaws of our institutions in present day society and how we can leverage technology to build a new social ecosystem. Topics covered include: - The political values of Bitcoin - The idea of cooperative currencies - The current state of identity and data ownership, and how it may be improved - The governance of decentralized technologies - How cybernetics and self-organizing systems may be applied to governance - The Open Mustard Seed framework Links mentioned in this episode: - ID3 Institute for Data-Driven Design: http://bit.ly/1NrWFTe - From Bitcoin to Burning Man and Beyond: http://bit.ly/1NzwKLh - From Bitcoin to Burning Man and Beyond (Amazon) http://amzn.to/1VXZoqw - Open Mustard Seed http://bit.ly/1M7939J - Talk by John Clippinger: Bitcoin and Beyond http://bit.ly/1M795hL Sponsors: - Shapeshift: Buy and sell alt coins instantly at http://ShapeShift.io - Vaultoro: Trade gold to Bitcoin instantly and securely starting at just 1mg at http://vaultoro.com Show notes: http://epicenterbitcoin.com/podcast/096 YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZvNJaJlY5L8 Epicenter Bitcoin is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain & Sébastien Couture. - Visit our website: http://epicenterbitcoin.com - Subscribe to our newsletter: http://epicenterbitcoin.com/newsletter - Twitter: http://twitter.com/epicenterbtc

As the debate about forks, the blocksize and decision making in Bitcoin continues, we are joined by Adam Back. Adam is best known for his invention hash-cash which became one of the fundamental building blocks of Bitcoin. He is also the inventor of the sidechains concept and founder and president of Blockstream, the single biggest … Continued

Support the show, consider donating: 13pzV8heDZD9sfRmDWrYQLdsThyTZLL3Qc (http://bit.ly/1Kk0wwF) As the debate about forks, the blocksize and decision making in Bitcoin continues, we are joined by Adam Back. Adam is best known for his invention hash-cash which became one of the fundamental building blocks of Bitcoin. He is also the inventor of the sidechains concept and founder and president of Blockstream, the single biggest employer of Bitcoin core developers. With Adam we talked about the different blocksize proposals and how a decentralized cryptocurrency should be governed in general. He is an influential conservative voice in the current debate and has been warning that a rapid increase of the blocksize could undermine the decentralization of Bitcoin. Topics covered included: - Adam's concerns with Bitcoin XT and the approach by Gavin Andresen and Mike Hearn - Why Adam favors a slower blocksize increase to preserve decentralization - How Bitcoin will function as a settlement network in the medium-term with the bulk of transactions going through the Lightning Network or sidechains - Why forks are in Bitcoin are different from forks in other open source projects - The upcoming Scaling Bitcoin workshop in Montreal Links mentioned in this episode: - Scaling Bitcoin Montreal Event http://bit.ly/1Qk6Qt2 - Blockstream http://bit.ly/1KAn8zf - Gavin Andresen's BIP 101 http://bit.ly/1WZZlw5 - Jeff Garzik's BIP 100 http://bit.ly/1iakV0M - Adam Back's blocksize proposal http://bit.ly/1K18XwC - List of different blocksize proposals http://bit.ly/1LTs4fI Sponsors: - Vaultoro: Trade gold to Bitcoin instantly and securely starting at just 1mg at http://vaultoro.com Show notes: http://epicenterbitcoin.com/podcast/095 YouTube: http://youtu.be/wYHyR2E5Pic Epicenter Bitcoin is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain & Sébastien Couture. - Visit our website: http://epicenterbitcoin.com - Subscribe to our newsletter: http://epicenterbitcoin.com/newsletter - Twitter: http://twitter.com/epicenterbtc

As the debate about the blocksize continues to roar through the Bitcoin community, Gavin Andresen joins us to take a step back and ask the big questions: How should these decisions be made in the first place? What does the governance of Bitcoin look like now and what do we want it to look like … Continued

Support the show, consider donating: 13pzV8heDZD9sfRmDWrYQLdsThyTZLL3Qc (http://bit.ly/1Kk0wwF) As the debate about the blocksize continues to roar through the Bitcoin community, Gavin Andresen joins us to take a step back and ask the big questions: How should these decisions be made in the first place? What does the governance of Bitcoin look like now and what do we want it to look like in the future? In a challenging time for Bitcoin, it's a critical discussion to have with the Chief Scientist of the Bitcoin Foundation and successor of Satoshi. We cover everything from the current blocksize debate to the nature of forks to how decisions will be made in Bitcoin XT. Topics covered included: - MIT Digital Currency Initiative - The way Gavin thinks about Bitcoin - How were decisions made throughout Bitcoin's history - What the Nakamoto/market consensus is - Forking the software vs a fork of the blockchain - Who should make decisions in Bitcoin and how the interest of different stakeholders should be reconciled - Why the desirable state is to move towards many different implementations - How decisions will be made for the Bitcoin XT code base Links mentioned in this episode: - Eli Durado: How should Bitcoin be governed? http://bit.ly/1Vm7JnM - Arvind Narayanan: Bitcoin faces a crossroads, needs an effective decision-making process http://bit.ly/1LCq8bf - Matt Asay: Why you should fork your next open-source project http://tek.io/1N2bk9i - Robles & Gonzalez-Barahona, A comprehensive study of software forks http://bit.ly/1JDCtwB - Chinese Mining Pools Call for Consensus; Refuse Switch to Bitcoin XT http://bit.ly/1Ukpph6 - Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies - Chapter 7: Community, Politics, and Regulation http://bit.ly/1PZVZo5 - BIP 100 Proposal http://bit.ly/1iakV0M Sponsors: - Ledger Nano: Smart card security for your Bitcoins - Get 10% off your first order when you use the code EB09 at http://ledgerwallet.com (valid until 09/30/15) - Vaultoro: Invest in the gold-Bitcoin trading platform on Bank to the Future http://bit.ly/1ER5gIo Show notes: http://epicenterbitcoin.com/podcast/094 YouTube: http://youtu.be/B8l11q9hsJM Epicenter Bitcoin is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain & Sébastien Couture. - Visit our website: http://epicenterbitcoin.com - Subscribe to our newsletter: http://epicenterbitcoin.com/newsletter - Twitter: http://twitter.com/epicenterbtc

Ever since the financial system collapsed in 2007, the call for alternatives has grown louder. Bitcoin itself can be seen as such an alternative. Simon Dixon’s search for a way to put capitalism on a sounder financial footing began before Bitcoin with a focus on equity crowdfunding. Since then he has built Bank to the … Continued

Support the show, consider donating: 3CacUB46kZxxJi1zf9ipo5pAB3JhBaHw4e (http://bit.ly/1Ief0Qu) Ever since the financial system collapsed in 2007, the call for alternatives has grown louder. Bitcoin itself can be seen as such an alternative. Simon Dixon's search for a way to put capitalism on a sounder financial footing began before Bitcoin with a focus on equity crowdfunding. Since then he has built Bank to the Future into an innovative crowdfunding business that takes an aggressive contrarian stance. He has also launched an investment fund focused on cryptocurrencies together with Max Keiser called Bitcoin Capital. He joined us for a fascinating discussion about the flaws of the banking system, Bitcoin and the search for alternatives. Topics covered included: - Why capitalism is built on a broken banking system - The problems Bitcoin solves - The flawed ways banks approach blockchain technology - How Bank to the Future is a contrarian bet on the financial system - Bitcoin Capital, the fund he started with Max Keiser - How Bitcoin Capital and BnkToTheFuture work together Note: Our sponsor Vaultoro is raising an equity crowdfunding round on Bank to the Future. Read about the details and invest here: http://bit.ly/1ER5gIo Links mentioned in this episode: - Bitcoin Capital Tranche 2 http://bit.ly/1fBrAPu - 'Bank to the Future' Book on Amazon http://amzn.to/1h9cDoW - Bitcoin Capital on the Keiser Report http://bit.ly/1I8M3lB - Simon Dixon TEDx Talk http://bit.ly/1NwvOa2 - Money Creation in the Modern Economy http://bit.ly/1fBs9sT - Naked Capitalism http://bit.ly/1JrVrBJ Sponsors: - Ledger Nano: Smart card security for your Bitcoins - Get 10% off your first order when you use the code EB09 at http://ledgerwallet.com (valid until 09/30/15) - Vaultoro: Trade gold to Bitcoin instantly and securely starting at just 1mg at http://vaultoro.com Show notes: http://epicenterbitcoin.com/podcast/093 YouTube: https://youtu.be/4paSZXA47UY Epicenter Bitcoin is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain & Sébastien Couture. - Visit our website: http://epicenterbitcoin.com - Subscribe to our newsletter: http://epicenterbitcoin.com/newsletter - Twitter: http://twitter.com/epicenterbtc

In a long-overdue episode, we finally had the chance to dive into one of the most known but poorly understood cryptocurrency/blockchain project: Ripple. Reviled by many in the Bitcoin space, we put aside any prejudices and sat down for a fascinating conversation with Ripple Labs CTO Stefan Thomas. We talked about his early days in … Continued

Support the show, consider donating: 3DD22464EcibJksVGJh5CGR767SNpmmioZ (http://bit.ly/1IpY86t) In a long-overdue episode, we finally had the chance to dive into one of the most known but poorly understood cryptocurrency/blockchain project: Ripple. Reviled by many in the Bitcoin space, we put aside any prejudices and sat down for a fascinating conversation with Ripple Labs CTO Stefan Thomas. We talked about his early days in the Bitcoin space, how Ripple came about, what the Ripple network looks like today and how its consensus protocol works. Topics covered included: - Stefan Thomas' early experiences in the Bitcoin space - How Ripple was created - The problem Ripple is trying to solve - How the Ripple consensus algorithm works - Whether Ripple is decentralized or not - What the correspondent banking system is and how Ripple wants to disrupt it - The recent FinCen fine and what it means for Ripple Links mentioned in this episode: - Ripple http://bit.ly/1hgMTaV - Ripple Labs http://bit.ly/1Msvnfe - Ripple Labs Fined $700,000 by FinCen http://bit.ly/1WwHyMx - Richard Gendal Brown: The Deep Insight at Ripple's Cores http://bit.ly/1UMG7YC - Peter Todd Ripple Protocol Consensus Algorithm Review http://bit.ly/1hgN0U0 - Ripple Consensus Protocol Whitepaper http://bit.ly/1HQ4202 Review us on iTunes and WIN a Free T-Shirt! Each week we will be giving away an Epicenter Bitcoin t-shirt to one lucky listener! All you need to do is leave us a review on iTunes. Then send us an email at show@epicenterbitcoin.com with the review text so we can identify you and we’ll draw one winner per week who will get a t-shirt. Sponsors: - Shapeshift: Buy and sell alt coins instantly at http://ShapeShift.io Show notes: http://epicenterbitcoin.com/podcast/092 YouTube: https://youtu.be/KMydq_m9f_4 Epicenter Bitcoin is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain & Sébastien Couture. - Visit our website: http://epicenterbitcoin.com - Subscribe to our newsletter: http://epicenterbitcoin.com/newsletter - Twitter: http://twitter.com/epicenterbtc

Close to two years after the initial whitepaper, the revolutionary Ethereum network has finally launched. The decentralized smart contract platform is, without a doubt, the most exciting cryptocurrency project since Bitcoin. The versatile platform with its turing-complete scripting language aspires to power the distributed applications of the future. Ethereum Founder Vitalik Buterin joined us for … Continued