Podcast
Bitcoin Macro: A Pop-up Podcast from CoinDesk
Hosted by CoinDesk · ENGLISH
Is bitcoin a macro asset? Over the course of 2019, there has been growing focus on the role of bitcoin in the larger global economy. Is it becoming a safe haven asset, akin to digital gold? Is it something even larger - a generational hedge against the rise of modern monetary theory? This pop-up podcast, produced in conjunction with CoinDesk's Invest: NYC conference, talks to some of the markets leading thinkers to explore bitcoin in the macro economic context.
To hear more from these speakers and many others about where bitcoin meets macro, join us at Invest: NYC on November 12, 2019 in New York City. https://www.coindesk.com/events/invest-2019/register
6episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Meltem Demirors on the Future Fetish and the Challenges of a New Asset Class
Nov 7, 201900:38:44Tap to summarizeMeltem Demirors is the CSO of Coinshares a digital asset investment firm, and one of the most salient and prolific voices in the bitcoin space. In this episode of Bitcoin Macro, CoinDesk’s head of strategy Nolan Bauerle talks with Meltem about: Why bitcoin and crypto seems all encompassing to the people in the space, but barely registers on the radar for most investors Why bitcoin actually refers to (at least) three things at once: a technology, a network, and an asset - and why this makes categorization in traditional investment frameworks difficult Why Libra is in many ways the antithesis of bitcoin Why the US dollar remains the most desired asset in troubled regions and why part of the key for bitcoin playing a similar role is education Why speculation is a gateway for deeper engagement with bitcoin Why the bitcoin recession narrative is enticing to people but full of “unknown unknowns” How the global “hunt for yield” is shaping the bitcoin narrative The “future fetish” era of blockchains Why the idea of bitcoin as “unregulated” isn’t quite accurate The new battles around central bank digital currencies Why the most interesting metric in the crypto space is the percentage of bitcoin held by third party institutions
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Josh Brown on Protest Assets, Bitcoin Pessimism and Possibility
Nov 7, 201900:20:44Tap to summarizeJosh Brown is the CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management and a regular contributor to CNBC. In this episode of Bitcoin Macro, CoinDesk’s head of strategy Nolan Bauerle talks with Josh about: Why bitcoin feels like a protest asset but doesn’t see huge amounts of capital flowing into it from turbulent regions Why US dollars and assets like Manhattan real estate are still the preferred choice for moving wealth out of countries Why it’s impossible to know how bitcoin will react in a recession given the unique set of circumstances around the market’s last 11 years Why the bitcoin and crypto spaces have veered back and forth between overly optimistic and overly pessimistic Why true technology disruptions tend to happen long after their earliest promoters have left the stage Why the impact of bitcoin may be something very different than the macro, non-sovereign money narrative in favor today.
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Ambre Soubiran on What Makes Bitcoin Unique as a Financial Asset
Nov 7, 201900:34:25Tap to summarizeAmbre Soubiran is the CEO of Kaiko, a leading provider of institutional grade cryptocurrency market data. In this episode of Bitcoin Macro, CoinDesk’s head of strategy Nolan Bauerle talks with Ambre about: The “macro” origins of bitcoin The uniqueness of a financial asset that has what amounts to a diminishing supply over the long term The shifts in the bitcoin narrative over time Why the ICO boom was a seminal moment for external markets to gain more interest in the cryptocurrency space Why the role of bitcoin as a safe haven is contextual to local politics and economics Why HODLing behavior shows the promise of bitcoin as a future safe haven The immediate-term risks to bitcoin in the case of a global recession What order book data suggests about the state of the markets.
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Caitlin Long on Bitcoin as an Insurance Policy on the Mainstream Financial Industry
Oct 24, 201900:28:57Tap to summarizeFrom high profile Wall Street defector to pro-crypto regulatory trailblazer, Caitlin Long is an unstoppable force. In this episode, she discusses: Why she believes her early interest in bitcoin could have gotten her fired from Morgan Stanley. Why bitcoin is a macro asset, but only for a very small niche (and why it isn’t ready for mainstream institutions just yet). Why bitcoin isn’t likely to represent a safe haven asset in short-term blips – but could be powerful in the context of a major shock. Why more traditional financial institutions are dipping their toes in, but only through VC and other risk structures (not through self-custody). Why Wyoming is poised to do for the crypto industry what South Dakota did for the credit card industry. Emerging issues with bitcoin lending. Why the most interesting chart to Long is the bitcoin hashrate and the spread between household net worth and non-financial sector debt in the United States. To hear more from these speakers and many others about where bitcoin meets macro, join us at Invest: NYC on November 12, 2019 in New York City. https://www.coindesk.com/events/invest-2019/register
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Nic Carter on Bitcoin’s Evolution as a Heterogenous Safe Haven Asset
Oct 24, 201900:22:47Tap to summarizeAs founder of Coinmetrics and founding partner of Castle Island Ventures, Nic Carter is one of bitcoin broadest and most heterodox thinkers. In this episode, he discusses: Why bitcoin is undeniably related to the larger political and economic climate Why the emergence of Libra piqued the interest of central banks and sovereigns in bitcoin and the cryptocurrency industry more broadly Why bitcoin’s status as a safe haven asset is highly correlated to the specific political and economic context of the holder Why the fact that everyone is expecting a recession means that we might not get a traditional recession Japan as a rebuttal to the idea that the stock market always goes up The type of behind-the-scenes questions previously crypto-green institutions are starting to ask about bitcoin data, valuation and more The power inherent in the fact that anyone with an internet connection can start to exit their local currency system. Why the realized capital of bitcoin is at an all time high, even if market cap is far off. To hear more from these speakers and many others about where bitcoin meets macro, join us at Invest: NYC on November 12, 2019 in New York City. https://www.coindesk.com/events/invest-2019/register
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Travis Kling on Why Bitcoin is a Baby X-Man
Oct 24, 201900:25:19Tap to summarizeAs founder and CIO of Ikigai Asset Management, Travis Kling has exploded onto the bitcoin scene over the past year. Spending ten years in traditional finance before moving to crypto, Kling has become a mainstay for his clear-headed analysis of larger market trends - which he has called “the longest monetary policy experiment in history.” In this episode of Bitcoin Macro, he discusses: Why bitcoin is a fledgling macro asset that has significantly increased its footprint on the global stage Why bitcoin is currently a risk asset, but why people think it’s showing signs of a future safe haven asset Why how bitcoin reacts in a recession might be based on what type of recession it is Why he believe Fed Repo market intervention has impacted the recent Bitcoin price down tick. Why every time the bitcoin price crashes and recovers, it brings more recalcitrant institutions into the fold Why the most interesting charts of the year to him are those comparing bitcoin to other safe haven assets To hear more from these speakers and many others about where bitcoin meets macro, join us at Invest: NYC on November 12, 2019 in New York City. https://www.coindesk.com/events/invest-2019/register
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