Defending Bitcoin in DC with David Zell - WBD601
The Peter McCormack Show
Peter McCormack
4.7 • 2.8K Ratings
🗓️ 5 January 2023
⏱️ 98 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
David Zell is a co-founder of the Bitcoin Policy Institute and Director of Policy at BTC Inc. In this interview, we discuss how the Bitcoin Policy Institute engages to educate politicians in DC through combating FUD, distinguishing Bitcoin from crypto, and aligning Bitcoin with US National Security interests and American values.
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Bitcoin was developed on the shoulders of the cypherpunks building new forms of money outside of government control and oversight. Permission was not sought, as permission would not have been granted. Government actively disrupted the cypherpunk vision, seeking to destroy it. Bitcoin's emergence was therefore antithetical to the concerns and endorsement of decision-makers.
But, some believe that the initial battle has been won. Bitcoin is now 14 years old. It has spread to all corners of the globe, and radically changed the mindset of those who have interacted with it. This includes some of those in the corridors of power, who have been won over by its ideology and technical resilience. The question now is how Bitcoin development continues.
Bitcoin could continue to evolve without seeking to engage with the levers of the state. Experience suggests that this would marginalise Bitcoin and Bitcoiners within the US. In the meantime, other protocols and blockchains would continue to curry favour with lawmakers and mould the regulatory framework to their needs. Who would win in this situation?
Or, through advocacy and education and cooperation with those in DC, Bitcoin could be allowed to develop openly within the United States. Much like the internet, the risks posed by this new innovation wouldn't be allowed to throttle the huge benefits it has to offer both individuals and society.
In a grand scenario, Bitcoin could allow the United States to continue to compete for hegemonic power whilst continuing to champion individual freedom and sovereignty. This is a huge prize. Perhaps the biggest prize. This is why there are people willing to put in the hard graft to develop and nurture bodies like the Bitcoin Policy Institute. The future owes them gratitude.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | In much the same way that the internet changed the world and changed how we interact with information, |
| 0:11.0 | Bitcoin has changed how humanity interacts with value and money. |
| 0:15.0 | Hello there from Nashville and Tennessee, how are you all? You're having a good week? |
| 0:19.0 | I'm out here in the US for a couple of weeks making some shows and also making film which is going to be very cool. |
| 0:23.7 | Anyway welcome to the What Bitcoin did podcast which is brought to you by Gemini, the only place I'm using for buying |
| 0:28.7 | Bitcoin. I'm your host Peter McCormack and today I've got David Zell back on the show. Now you've probably, well you |
| 0:35.0 | maybe heard a couple of shows I've made with David Zell before. He works out and founded the |
| 0:39.5 | Bitcoin Policy Institute and I wanted to get an update on all the work he's been doing, especially |
| 0:43.6 | with all the crazy shit that's been going on this year. I know he's been down in DC, trying to influence |
| 0:48.4 | policy, trying to work for Bitcoiners, so I just wanted an update from him, find out about |
| 0:52.1 | what's been going on. |
| 0:53.2 | Also, we made a donation towards the Bitcoin Policy Institute, believe their work for |
| 0:57.3 | Bitcoin is very important, so we've added some links in the show notes about that. |
| 1:00.6 | If you've got some Bitcoin, you've got some additional you got some additional Bitcoin you want to |
| 1:03.2 | support what they're doing please check that out right you got any questions |
| 1:06.6 | about this or anything else please do reach out to me my email addresses hello |
| 1:10.0 | at what Bitcoin did dot com. I was taking a calculus class over the winner interim just like for fun and |
| 1:19.0 | you what I was taking a calculus class like like a multivariate calculus class. |
| 1:23.5 | For fun, over when? |
| 1:25.0 | Over like the last two and a half weeks, |
| 1:26.5 | so like Alabama offers like a winter interim semester, |
| 1:29.4 | so it's like a whole semester in like two and a half weeks. |
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