Reads
People Power
A Dive into Decentralised Finance (DeFi)
This article explores the current Decentralised Finance (DeFi) landscape, as well as the existing opportunities and risks. DeFi refers to an alternative, distributed ledger based, financial infrastructure. Most DeFi infrastructure is built on Ethereum, though increasing competition from alternative platforms, such as Cardano, Tron and…
Counting on Bitcoin
Here’s an easy one. Which is more powerful – the pen or the sword? Or to update it a little, an assault rifle or an idea? I’ve been thinking about this eternal philosophical question a great deal recently, especially in light of recent reports…
Doubletalk of the town
There is only one thing worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about. Well, that’s one problem Bitcoin has never had to contend with. Over the last 13 years, Bitcoin has been roundly ridiculed by all the wise heads of classical…
I See Fire
For anyone still unsure what the El Salvador news the El Salvador news means, I’ll tell you. It means Bitcoin has won: completely, finally, and irrevocably. Less than thirteen years ago, Bitcoin was just an idea in an obscure whitepaper. Today, it is set to…
Never enough
Plenty of people fancy themselves a Frank Sinatra or Celine Dion, especially after a few drinks. But I don’t need a stiffener to get me up on the mic: I love karaoke, and on any given Thursday evening you’ll hear me singing classics such as…
Come all ye faithful
Of all the shocks in the last few years, from Trump and Biden to Brexit to Covid-19, perhaps nothing has been as bizarre as seeing the Catholic Church apparently agreeing with the Chinese Communist Party. What could possibly have brought two such different worldviews together…
Bitcoin Market Dominance and Altcoin Returns
This article aims to investigate the relationship between Bitcoin market dominance, measured as the market capitalisation in US dollars of Bitcoin relative to the total universe of cryptoassets, and the dynamics of returns for non-Bitcoin assets, also known as “altcoins”. Introduction The textbook definition of…
Tragedy and farce
Historians have always wanted us to read more history. Few surprises there, perhaps. But we shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking they’re just trying to shift more of their books. Because history isn’t just the sterile occupation of telling tales of the past: they are…
False Gods, False Dogs
Words are constantly changing their meaning, but “cult” has always been a four-letter one. In today’s divided, at times venomous discourse, “cult” has become just another snarl world, thrown at opponents as a way to invalidate their politics, opinions and interests. But sometimes it retains…
Bitcoin as a Store of Value
Can Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies serve as a store of value? We discuss the economic rationale behind this basic function of money and under which conditions it can be fulfilled. While it does show that something intrinsically worthless can rationally be used to store value,…
All you need is Bitcoin
Mr George Harrison didn’t get into the film business to make money. The former Beatle set up Handmade Films in 1978 for one reason only: to finance Life of Brian after Monty Python had struggled to raise the required funds. And it wasn’t just because…