Category: Op-Ed
-
Central Bank Blockchains and Corporate Ledgers Are Still Vaporware
There’s been a resurgence of blockchain discussion this year, especially after China’s President Xi Jinping lauded blockchain and told Chinese citizens the country needs to accelerate distributed ledger technology development. Despite the lack of producing anything worthwhile, for some odd reason mainstream pundits believe government-endorsed blockchains will destroy legacy cryptocurrencies. Also Read: Billion Dollar Bitcoin…
-
Andrew Yang’s ‘Freedom Dividend’ Is Not Only Unnecessary, It’s Unethical
Andrew Yang has taken to Twitter in dynamic fashion as of late, advertising his universal basic income (UBI) proposal known as the “Freedom Dividend.” While throwing money at people out of pocket always generates a buzz, there’s a mathematically and ethically broken side to the plan few are talking about. Also Read: Do You Know…
-
Argentina’s Example Shows That You Don’t Own Your Money
Cash shortages, bank closures and ATMs running out of funds seems to be the new norm for many countries, and recently increased capital controls in Argentina are further testament to this unsettling trend. Sunday’s election of president Alberto Fernández has resulted in Argentine account holders being limited to USD purchases of $200 via bank account…
-
Why Central Banks Are Not Designed for Democracies
Through their policies, central banks exert tremendous influence over the socio-economic conditions in a country and its business environment. Their decisions are so powerful that it’s obvious they are part of the government. But most people would be surprised to find out that central banks are almost never part of the due democratic process. Also…
-
The Big Lie Perpetuated by Central Banks
The central banking system controls monetary policy within a given jurisdiction, including the creation of money itself. The system is a lie and a denial of reality. The lie is political in motivation and content, and the denial of reality is rooted in culture and philosophy. Also read: Bitcoin Is a Weapon for Free Speech…
-
Is China’s New Fascination With Blockchain Really Good for Bitcoin?
Blockchain development has kind of become an element of the party line in the world’s largest officially communist state. The General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping, recently told a Politburo meeting that the People’s Republic has to gain an edge in the emerging field. Some say Xi’s statement brought back the…
-
Rare Joint Statement From U.S. Regulators Proves Crypto Centralization Is Here
The U.S. SEC, Fincen and CFTC issued a rare joint statement Friday addressing regulation of “activities involving digital assets.” Citing crypto’s perceived role in money laundering and terrorism, the regulatory power trio prescribed stricter adherence to anti-money laundering (AML) policies and know your customer (KYC) protocols. The statement is a highly visible product of the…
-
Bitcoin Is a Weapon for Free Speech in the Face of Government and Corporate Censorship
The latest skirmishes in the bruising trade war between the U.S. and China have led to the unlikely politicization of the NBA. But how did the views of a basketball executive become such a political football? And what does China’s ideological commitment to censorship say about the value of free speech and of free speech…
-
Turkey Throws Another Wrench Into the USD’s Works and Joins Russian Swift
The dominance of the U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency is being robustly challenged on all fronts. Other geopolitical powers and smaller but important players are unwilling to accept the political influence Washington exerts through its fiat money. And in times of trade wars, sanctions, and even tensions between allies, the push to dethrone…
-
Why the Maximalist Narrative of Just Hodl and Wait Is Unsustainable
It’s encountered all over the crypto space these days — the idea that the only correct way to “Bitcoin” is to hold and not spend, and to desperately lash out on crypto Twitter at anyone who thinks differently. But what ever happened to Satoshi’s original call for an “electronic payment system based on cryptographic proof…