I’ve been casually investigating Bitcoin Lightning for a while. Lightning is a Layer 2 network on-top of Bitcoin and promises nearly free instantaneous transactions. Apps like Strike and Cash support Lightning, but I got frustrated with them because it wasn’t clear where …
Keep reading · 5 minutes: Bitcoin Lightning: Fun, Fast, and Free-ishI got my Blockclock Mini at Bitcoin 2023 in Miami and have it setup at my desk. I’ve wanted one of these for a while and now I can remember the conference with it.
At Bitcoin 2023 we were talking with some folks from New York at our table while enjoying some Cuban chicken and rice. At the end of the conversation one of the guys showed everyone his phone with a QR code for his LinkedIn profile so we could connect. Everyone loved it — very …
Keep reading · 1 minute: My QR CodesOh no! 😲 Neeva is shutting down. I’m saddened by this — I’ve enjoyed not having advertising alongside search results and seeing what an innovative search company would do. Sadly they didn’t make it.
This Bitcoin ATM is one of my favorite things I’ve seen at Bitcoin 2023. You put coins in the device, I put 3 pennies. You tap the screen and it gives you a Lightning code to scan and I got 99 sats in my wallet. 🤩 Update (May 23):
Keep reading · 1 minute: Worlds Smallest Bitcoin Hobby ATMHaving free, and reasonably performant WiFi on flights is a real game changer. Paired with a small device like an iPad with a good keyboard it is very workable.
I had a good time learning new topics and connecting with other technology leaders at the MnTech Tech Connect event today. My sessions: Technological Disruption: A Futurist’s Perspective with Matt Versaggi Exploring OpenAI: Practical Applications for Real-World Problem Solving …
Keep reading · 1 minute: MnTech Tech Connect 2023A thesis I’ve pondered for years and won’t go away…
The real “threat” to capitalism isn’t socialism or communism. The thing that may break capitalism is technology.
Give me a place to stand, and a lever long enough, and I will move the world. — Archimedes
Technology is leverage. Technology allows a small number of people to create immense output. The potential present in AI will allow new kinds of output that were never before possible, in some cases with no people at all. Technology has brought efficiency improvements for as long as it has existed, and we should assume that will continue.
With so much leverage the labor market fails. There is no market to exchange your abilities for. There may be no buyer for human capacity. It isn’t a question of retraining if there isn’t anything to train to.
Wasn’t planning on it but walked by B&H Photo Video and had to go in and experience the most amazing electronics store I’ve ever been to. It’s like a candy store for gear!
From The Economist Espresso on March 11, 2023.
American regulators closed Silicon Valley Bank amid a run on the tech-focused lender. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation took control of SVB’s $175bn-worth of deposits and said insured depositors would have access to their money on Monday. America’s 16th-largest bank, having seen its deposits shrink during the VC winter, had failed to raise enough cash to stay afloat. The S&P 500 dipped by 1.5% on Friday to finish its worst week since September.
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Signs of the stress at SVB were spilling over into other parts of the financial world late on Friday. The price of cryptocurrency USDC, a stablecoin which is pegged to the value of the dollar, fell to as low as $0.88. Circle, the payments company which manages USDC, confirmed that around $3.3bn of its $40bn in reserves was deposited with SVB.
