Alex Gladstein on Bitcoin & Human Rights: The Liberation Currency of the Internet

Alex Gladstein is the Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) and an expert on the subject of bitcoin for human rights. On today's episode we go deep, exploring the many human rights challenges of the world's current financial system and how bitcoin offers a solution. ——— Bitcoin aims to be the world’s new reserve currency and medium of exchange. It offers a store of value that is resistant to inflation and seizure and a way for individuals to transact without any intermediaries, from anywhere across the world. Whereas tyranny thrives by consolidating power, bitcoin is decentralized and thereby offers a tool of individual empowerment that cannot be repressed. ——— If this sounds intriguing, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Alex and I also discuss a nuanced understanding of Bitcoin’s energy consumption, relative to the petrodollar arrangement that drives our global financial system today.  He also helps us understand how the unique features of bitcoin (that distinguish it from other cryptocurrencies) are integral to its human rights value proposition. ——— Finally, we dive into the prospect of Bitcoin promoting financial freedom in a world without cash. One challenge here is to design for privacy in a way that keeps the currency auditable. Another challenge is payment efficiency. On both fronts, Alex introduces innovations that are underway.  As the threats of digital authoritarianism loom large, bitcoin may be one of the best structural solutions that we have to protect human rights. ——— If you’re familiar with bitcoin, I hope this conversation helps to crystallizes its relationship to human rights.  And if you’re new to bitcoin, I hope these ideas inspire you to understand the challenges and opportunities of our digital world just a little differently than before. Follow Alex: https://twitter.com/gladstein Learn more about HRF: https://hrf.org *See show notes for more links to Alex's work.