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Worldview

For architecture, the result is visibly obvious; we prioritise quarterly profit (to capture 'value' and survive in this fiat environment) at the expense of enduring beauty, which takes more time, consideration and effort to create. Consider the shoddy, uninspiring landscapes that developers have thrown up for the last 40+ years, all in the name of the quick sale. And now contrast with some of the Art Deco masterpieces that we still revere decades later. Is it just coincidence that the 1920s represented the last hoorah of the gold standard, and the start of our path towards flimsy money?

Tag

Motivation

3 mins
All Things Bitcoin; Incentive Structure
August 13, 2021
Property rights are established by consensus. Time and energy is converted into security. Transactions are transparent. This creates a formidable flywheel; legitimacy encouraging growth, which in turn generates trust, resulting in more legitimacy. And so on. But Bitcoin cannot survive alone on impressive technical credentials. After all, there is a cost to all of this auditing, blocking and chaining. So for the flywheel to keep spinning, we must introduce an economic reward for participation.
All Things Bitcoin; Under The Hood
August 10, 2021
In essence, Bitcoin is the perfect marriage between long established record-keeping systems, cryptographic genius and networked computing. Add a sprinkling of economic incentive (scarcity, mining, fees) and we have something rather tangible. But it can still take a leap of faith to imagine a bunch of ones and zeros as the basis for our financial future. For me it clicked when I (rightly or wrongly) visualised Bitcoin as a far more sophisticated version of Kazaa or LimeWire; a peer-to-peer network for payments rather than music.
Vervaeke's Meaning Masterclass
July 23, 2021
How do you perceive reality? What patterns are you picking up? Is our worldview a product of emotion or conscious, rational thinking? John Vervaeke's series, Awakening from the Meaning Crisis, seeks to answer those quandaries. It's a big beast - 50 hour long discussions covering philosophy, religion and cognitive science. But John's delivery, bombastic and subtle in equal measure, keeps you coming back for more.
The Focus Question
July 6, 2021
I know where I'll be directing my mental faculties. But I'll also be exposing myself to optionality too. I can't guarantee how all this pans out, and neither can you. I express that by holding (very) nominal amounts of the other projects in this space. In the event they become flavour of the month - then I recycle that good fortune straight back into the asset I have most faith in; Bitcoin.
2 mins
Assets are Energy
June 29, 2021
Assets are proof of accrued work. Of time. Of effort. Of attention. To me, that is what Bitcoin's true calling is; verifiable ownership of energy. That is why I am so god damn motivated to acquire it. But assets must offer so much more than a mere storage facility (much like a house, bond or stock offers a yield - albeit a diminishing one). That is why I also find myself drawn to Ethereum; where we can draw up smart contracts and create aesthetic experiences demonstrating our creativity.
2 mins
Entering The Fray
June 25, 2021
We are now at a critical juncture for the digital asset class. Bitcoin is proven. It is working. It carries a prestige that no other cryptocurrency can match - a truly decentralised store of value. Ethereum can never offer the same narrative of the immaculate conception, digital gold or mythical creator(s). But it can certainly offer value in other ways (see my recent notes on the Metaverse). So why expend so much precious energy on fighting this network (and others)?
2 mins
Highway to the Metaverse
June 16, 2021
The digital arena has become far more interesting. Much like a developed country offers property rights via law and order, metaverse platforms can offer property rights through code. And with rights we acquire value. With value we attract motivation. To build. To sell. To buy. To cooperate. To do anything. It begins to sound much more like a functioning economy rather than a mere game.