Separation of Money & State with Matt Stoller & Peter Van Valkenburgh

“People are running from a system that’s clearly organised by cynical malevolent types in the financial system and they’re running straight into the arms of a system which is organised by a different group of predators… that’s the fear I have with crypto.”— Matt StollerLocation: Washington D.C.Date: Saturday 4th DecemberProject: American Economic Liberties Project & Coin CenterRole: Director of Research & Research Director2021 has been a monumental year for Bitcoin for many reasons. As a result, Bitcoin has matured in the minds of casual observers: it is now seriously viewed as a viable alternative to other forms of money. Whilst this is a validation for proponents, such a situation is like a fever dream for those who believe in the primacy of the state.China has banned private digital assets. The IMF is concerned about the impact of digital assets on financial stability. On Wednesday, the lead economist at the IMF stated that urgent international coordination is required to implement regulation. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has echoed these comments.There are also concerns from more vocal advocates for democracy. Such people argue there is no such thing as deregulation: someone is always making the rules. The decision is whether such rules are made within the purview of collective agreement, or by unelected and unaccountable powers. This community thinks Bitcoin undermines the state and thereby democracy.Bitcoin is rightly or wrongly associated with an anarcho capitalist ideology. Yet, the Bitcoin community is a broad church. There is a growing sense that a silent majority who still believe in government, but also see Bitcoin as a powerful check on centralised control. They view Bitcoin as second amendment rights for money. In this interview, I talk to Matt Stoller: author of ‘Goliath: The 100-Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy’, about his recent newsletter post ‘Cryptocurrencies: A Necessary Scam?’. To make the case for Bitcoin I am joined by Coin Center’s Peter Van Valkenburgh. We discuss the issue of power consolidation, the current crisis with democracy, and the monopoly of money. This episode’s sponsors:Gemini - Buy Bitcoin instantlyBlockFi - The future of Bitcoin financial servicesSportsbet.io - Online sportsbook & casino that accepts BitcoinCasa - The leading provider of Bitcoin multisig key security.Exodus - The world's leading Desktop, Mobile and Hardware crypto wallets.Ledger - State of the art Bitcoin hardware walletCompass Mining - Bitcoin mining & hosting-----WBD438 - Show Notes-----If you enjoy The What Bitcoin Did Podcast you can help support the show by doing the following:Become a Patron and get access to shows early or help contributeMake a tip:Bitcoin: 3FiC6w7eb3dkcaNHMAnj39ANTAkv8Ufi2SQR Codes: BitcoinIf you do send a tip then please email me so that I can say thank youSubscribe on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | YouTube | Deezer | TuneIn | RSS FeedLeave a review on iTunesShare the show and episodes with your friends and familySubscribe to the newsletter on my websiteFollow me on Twitter Personal | Twitter Podcast | Instagram | Medium | YouTubeIf you are interested in sponsoring the show, you can read more about that here or please feel free to drop me an email to discuss options.