Back in August, Alex Vidal and Zachary Weiner kicked off a weekly X Space called CoinGeek Discussions. I’ve had the pleasure of recapping these and listening to some of the leading minds in Bitcoin and other blockchains discussing the latest happenings.
It’s been one heck of an educational experience. Each week, I come away with at least one insight, and I always feel like I’ve learned something new. So, to wrap up 2023, I want to share seven insights from the CoinGeek Discussion spaces. Some of these might be obvious, but I think they sum up the zeitgeist of the BSV blockchain nicely. Enjoy!
August 11, 2023 – The Metaverse has to be interoperable
This discussion touched on the Metaverse and the failure of tech visionaries like Mark Zuckerberg to make it work so far. David Case says that if the Metaverse is going to work out, it has to be interoperable.
Case notes that the internet changed the world because it connected communities, places, and systems. It enabled systems to talk to each other and apps to connect with APIs. The Metaverse should do the same.
Author’s note: Once again, we see the importance of free, open, and interoperable systems. Centrally controlled systems and walled gardens will not cut the mustard in Web3.
August 21, 2023 – Ordinals are uniting the tribes
This discussion heavily focused on the Ordinals. Nicolas Ryan-Schreiber describes Ordinals enthusiasts as “Nomadic” noting their willingness to move between blockchains. User JPEG Wars notes how they unite people, and even the BTC and BSV camps are talking.
Daniel Krawisz describes Ordinals as mere altcoins on Bitcoin. Artist Schwonk agrees with this view, but he says it doesn’t matter. The point is that the Ordinals have unleashed a new wave of innovation and have demonstrated what is possible on Bitcoin, uniting people in a way that hasn’t been seen in a long time.
Author’s note: Ordinals are the biggest thing to happen on Bitcoin in 2023. It will be interesting to see how BTC Core’s attempt to kill them off plays out. As a massive fee generator for miners, the Core cult may find itself with less support time around.
September 18, 2023 – The real world doesn’t care
Co-founder and CEO of Instasize, Hector Lopez, reminds us that “the real world doesn’t care” about what we do in the digital currency and blockchain space. It’s largely irrelevant and only interests people who are already here.
We need to solve real problems at scale, Lopez says. In his view, the real value of Bitcoin is that it’s an immutable record of truth. He thinks Sentinel Node by CERTIHASH is the most compelling use case so far.
Author’s note: Lopez’s app, Instasize, has 200 million downloads and helps people quickly and easily resize images for the popular social media app Instagram. He’s right that nobody cares what we’re up to yet and that we’re not solving many real problems. However, the tools that will allow innovation are still being built, and things are coming together piece by piece.
September 22, 2023 – BlackRock might not decide BTC is Bitcoin
This discussion covered many topics, but it got super interesting when RiceTVX shared his thoughts on the BlackRock Bitcoin ETF. He notes that BlackRock has stated its right to choose what fork is Bitcoin. The filing caught his attention, as did a large wallet stacking BSV.
However, Rice TVX warns that BlockRock has the clout to steer things in its desired direction. It may choose to use its influence to push for BTC as Bitcoin. He warns that even if Dr. Craig Wright wins against COPA in London, the rest of the world doesn’t have to follow what the judge rules.
Author’s note: Reading the BlackRock ETF filings has been interesting. They are clearly aware of what is going on regarding Dr. Craig Wright’s legal fights, and they’re aware of the risks it poses. As Crypto Voyager said in this discussion, London is a major financial center, and others will take heed of the verdict.
October 20, 2023 – Bitcoin has undergone a reset
In this discussion, podcaster Craig Mason shared his views on how the BSV blockchain is extremely useful for content creators like himself. He says while there’s a perception that the BSV blockchain is failing because of its token price, that notion is mistaken.
Mason knows a thing or two about being censored, and it’s in censorship resistance for content creators that he sees as the true power of Bitcoin. On top of that, some back-of-the-envelope math reveals that creators like him could earn a lot more than YouTube pays by earning just five cents per view via micropayments.
Author’s note: In this discussion, Rae and Jay from Gibeo talked about their BSV blockchain-powered video platform. In time, videos will be on the blockchain, and then content creators will experience a new era of freedom outside the clutches of corporations like Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL). They’ll own their data and will not have to rely on advertisers for revenue.
October 25, 2023 – People are quickly rediscovering Bitcoin’s capabilities
Co-host Zachary Weiner expresses surprise at how quickly people are rediscovering Bitcoin’s innate capabilities. He says he expected this to happen, but not at the pace it has.
Rafael La Verde agrees, noting that the leaders in the BTC Ordinals space are all BSVers. They’re teaching others and have many of the leading wallets and marketplaces. He laughs at how some on the BTC camp are trying to act like they discovered Bitcoin’s Turing Completeness when Dr. Craig Wright said this back in 2015.
Author’s note: All that time experimenting and working on the original Bitcoin protocol is clearly paying off for some fast-acting entrepreneurs. Hopefully, in time, they’ll be able to lead people back to BSV blockchain. This may happen sooner than we think if BTC Core has its way and kills off Ordinals.
November 17, 2023 – It won’t be easy for COPA this January
Health and wellness guru Gavin Mehl has closely followed Dr. Craig Wright’s legal cases. He says it won’t be easy for COPA to beat Dr. Wright in January 2024.
COPA is essentially alleging fraud, but to prove that, they must establish five things:
- That Dr. Wright made false representations.
- He had knowledge of the falsity—he knew.
- He had the intent to deceive.
- Reliance – COPA relied on this information.
- Damages – COPA must establish it is entitled to damages.
Any of these things would be difficult to prove, but proving reliance will be especially difficult. On the other side, Dr. Wright has his previous victory in Kleiman v Wright to go on. Mehl thinks this may be all he needs but looks forward to seeing some of the other evidence.
Author’s note: I, too, am optimistic about Dr. Craig Wright’s chances against COPA. I have believed he is Bitcoin’s inventor for some time, and the probability of that not being true at this stage is slim. Judges are rational, and unlike online trolls, they will weigh up the evidence and reach a conclusion based on what’s likely. I bet Dr. Craig Wright wins more easily than people think.
CoinGeek Discussions 2023 wrapup
There are so many other things I wanted to include, from Xiahoui Liu’s thoughts on how tokens have been the missing piece to Todd Price’s stories about the work his team is doing in Nigeria and the Philippines, and Casey Hamilton’s efforts to onboard clients and teach them how to use BSV blockchain apps. There’s so much more going on in the BSV blockchain, but sadly, I can’t cover it all in one article.
Rest assured, there will be a lot more awesome insights in the CoinGeek Discussions in 2024. There’s so much to cover that the frequency may even increase. Until then, enjoy these gems from Bitcoin’s thought leaders!
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