A volatile week but crypto marches on with developments across a wide range of projects from Bitcoin to OmiseGo and beyond. Not all changes were positive with Bitcoin cash imposing a 12.5% ‘developer’ tax on its miners. Nonetheless, the cryptosphere continues to evolve and mature – exciting times ahead just don’t expect it all to happen this week/year. This a multi-decade process – starting from that point may save you a lot of frustration and money over the journey.
Picks of the Week
2020 is exciting and all but patience is still a core requirement if you plan to invest in this space. Also fascinating -this account of one Bitcoin enthusiast’s journey beyond pure Bitcoin minimalism and this podcast discussion outlining what money actually is.
How a Bitcoin maximalist came to embrace a broader view of what is possible with crypto (highly recommended):
https://twitter.com/binaryFate/status/1220494020637528064
BTC has room to grow:
https://twitter.com/BitcoinTina/status/1218599125559709697
Satoshi Nakamoto on trust in fiat:
https://twitter.com/Bitcoin/status/1218929861399441408
Crypto has come a long way:
https://twitter.com/nlw/status/1219718325950976010
Remember – self-custody is a core crypto value:
https://twitter.com/stephanlivera/status/1219132678668046336
Ethereum certainly has market reach (recommended):
https://twitter.com/AdamScochran/status/1217524744909660162
Bitcoin Cash taking a sharp turn towards centralization and imposed taxation:
https://twitter.com/CharlieShrem/status/1220443320691908608
Binance recently made a little known change to their whitepaper (highly recommended):
https://twitter.com/lawmaster/status/1219497678587027456
Deciphering options (recommended):
https://twitter.com/ceterispar1bus/status/1216894454444916736
Gold is literally on the move:
https://twitter.com/GMoneyResearch/status/1218669446417518595
Articles
Bitcoin, not crypto (short and to the point):
https://www.ministryofnodes.com.au/2020/01/07/dont-get-into-crypto-get-into-bitcoin/
BTC upgrades on the horizon:
https://www.theblockcrypto.com/post/52408/bitcoins-taproot-schnorr-upgrade-proposal-is-nearly-ready-as-it-moves-through-developer-feedback-phase
Highlighting this golden age for cryptographic proofs (recommended):
https://nakamoto.com/cambrian-explosion-of-crypto-proofs/
An outline of the path to ‘progressive’ decentralization (recommended):
https://a16z.com/2020/01/09/progressive-decentralization-crypto-product-management/
Social media and blockchain – a natural match:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/01/08/using-blockchain-to-eliminate-social-media-challenges/#37017b9b7722
2020 from hype to product?:
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/blockchain-predictions-2020/
So what is blockchain? (recommended for folks new to crypto):
https://www.binance.vision/blockchain/what-is-blockchain-technology-a-comprehensive-guide-for-beginners
Is this you – a survey of those who crypto (recommended):
https://dailyhodl.com/2020/01/18/who-are-you-study-reveals-deep-traits-of-the-average-male-crypto-user/
An examination of the China-USA contest and why it’s not about to go away anytime soon (recommended for market context):
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/01/13/the-future-of-americas-contest-with-china
Podcasts
Wouldn’t it be great if 2020 saw a crypto blast off? Yes, but don’t count on it:
A wide-ranging discussion of the rabbit hole that is Bitcoin (highly recommended):
What is money? A question worth asking (highly recommended):
YouTube
An insightful discussion of the bull market thesis (recommended):
Looking ahead to 2020:
A practical explanation of how Bitcoin works under the hood (highly recommended):
A broad overview of the upcoming BTC halving (recommended):
Now your downtime can revolve around Bitcoin too (thank me later):
Infographics
The crypto top 20 through the years:
https://twitter.com/ceterispar1bus/status/1216394538459090945/photo/1
Sometimes, it really is just like this:
https://twitter.com/finrekt/status/1215439342967148546/photo/1
Website / Utility
A bellwether into the much-touted security token market (specific to Polymath):
https://scout.cool/polymathnetwork/mainnet
As per usual, a whale of a week for those interested in the crypto space as a whole. As always, looking forward to your comments and suggestions.
Note on Sources:
Twitter & Reddit (cryptos current meta-brains) / Medium / Trybe / Hackernoon / Whaleshares / TIMM and so on/ YouTube / various podcasts and whatever else I stumble upon. The aim is a useful weekly aggregator of ideas rather than news. Though I try to keep the sources current – I’ll reference these articles and podcasts etc. as I encounter them – they may have been published just a couple of days ago or in some cases quite a bit earlier.
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