Jim Epstein on Bitcoin, the Blockchain, and Freedom in Latin America

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4.7 • 4.4K Ratings

🗓️ 13 February 2017

⏱️ 60 minutes

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Summary

Writer, reporter, and film producer Jim Epstein talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about mining Bitcoins in Venezuela as a way to import food. Venezuela is a tragicomic example of how policy can lead to strange and presumably unexpected outcomes. Epstein also discusses how Bitcoin is being used elsewhere in Latin America and the potential for the blockchain technology to lower the costs of owning and transferring property.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Econ Talk, part of the Library of Economics and Liberty.
0:09.3	I'm your host, Russ Roberts of Stanford University's Hoover Institution.
0:13.8	Our website is econtalk.org where you can subscribe, comment on this podcast, and find
0:18.9	links and other information related to today's conversation.
0:21.7	You'll also find our archives where you can listen to every episode we've ever done going
0:26.1	back to 2006.
0:28.3	Our email address is mailadycontalk.org.
0:30.8	We'd love to hear from you.
0:34.6	Today's January 20th, 2017.
0:36.6	I want to thank those who participated in Econ Talk's annual survey, which is now closed.
0:41.6	I'll discuss the results and your favorite episodes of the year next week.
0:46.0	Now for today's guest, writer, reporter and film producer, Jim Epstein, of Reason, whose
0:51.8	recent crazy article on what is happening in Venezuela really fascinated me.
0:55.9	That's our topic for today.
0:57.0	Jim, welcome to Econ Talk.
0:58.8	Thanks, Russ.
0:59.8	It's a thrill to be on my favorite podcast.
1:02.6	I also want to say right at the outset that I actually first heard about Bitcoin by listening
1:08.7	to your 2011 interview with Gavinien Dreson.
1:12.3	Oh, cool.
1:13.3	I remember standing in my kitchen, listening to that interview, thinking, this can't possibly
1:18.7	work.
	...

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