Bitcoin, Blockchain, And The Technologies Of Our Future

The Senate is taking aim at something called Section 230.Elizabeth Nolan Brown, a senior editor at Reason Magazine, says:“Section 230 is more important than the first amendment for online speech”That’s because Section 230 protects online platforms from getting in trouble for publishing your opinion. It’s basically the law that made the internet what it is today. Without it platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, Hacker News and others wouldn’t be able to operate as they do. So of course, both the left and right want to destroy it.One bipartisan attempt to reform the law is called the "See Something Say Something Online” Act, which is a really scary piece of legislation that would put the DOJ in charge of filtering internet content, and allow everyone to file a “suspicious activity report” against any website. This would not only be weaponized against those with views others don’t like, but it would also create a mountain of bureaucracy on the internet, and essentially eliminate free speech. Furthermore

This beginner’s crypto series starts with 4 reasons more and more people use cryptocurrency everyday.- ECONOMIC HEDGEThe first reason is the most well known: a hedge against economic instability. 27% of all money ever created by the FED was created in the past 12 months. This is staggering, and a big reason why the likes of Microstrategy, Square, and Tesla are pouring billions into bitcoin. They want a hedge against inflation of the US dollar.But there are 3 other VERY important reasons you might want to use cryptocurrency every day instead of your bank card.- PRIVACYCash is great, but you can’t use it on the internet. And it’s not possible to use your bank card without everything you do being tracked and recorded. Cryptocurrency allows you financial privacy in the digital age. - CONTROLWhen your money is in a bank account, you don’t control it. Someone else decides who can access it, and what the money can be used for. In 2010 banks decided people could no longer donate to wikileaks. In 2013, people in Cypru

Sec just announced a lawsuit against LBRY for “selling unregistered securities.”SEC is classing LBRY’s LBC token as a “a security”, but by their definition, almost every crypto project would also be considered a security.They say it’s a security because it lacks sufficient utility… I literally use LBC every day, you can’t post videos on the LBRY blockchain without it.They also say it’s a security because the blockchain is being “actively developed”. I don’t know of any tech platform that isn’t being actively developed!Initially the SEC was giving blockchain projects a slap on the wrist, but now they’re ramping up. LBRY inc. tried to settle with them in private for 3 years, and they refused. If the SEC wins, the LBRY network would continue to run, but LBRY inc. would effectively cease to exist. This would affect users too! Anyone who posted videos or tipped someone on LBRY would now be guilty of “trading securities without a license.”This lawsuit puts the whole crypto industry at risk. LBRY had best win their

We’re on the cusp of a new internet revolution. There's a race to provide super fast satellite internet to every inch of the world, and SpaceX's Starlink is in the lead.My Starlink Satellite Dish just arrived!!The results of my speed test comparing Starlink to my old internet connection were... surprising.I show you the setup, compare costs, and talk about why low-earth-orbit satellite internet is important!Edited by Lee RennieIf you would like to send me a message and support my channel, visit https://cointr.ee/naomibrockwellSupport the show

Apple's new "Tracking Transparency" feature will add a pop-up to your iPhone whenever an app wants to track you. It's to let people know when their "IDFA" system is being used.Cybersecurity and privacy journalist Kate O'Flaherty explained to me in this latest video that the IDFA, or ID for Advertisers, is a way for iPhone apps to determine when things like advertising campaigns have been effective, by allowing the apps to monitor a user's activities across the phone. It is a more private way of tracking than cookies in browsers, but Apple says that more transparency is needed. They argue that many people don't realize this kind of tracking is going on, and that users should be made aware of it and given the option to opt out. That's why they've added this feature, and also things like privacy labels to their app store.A great step forward for privacy! Facebook isn't happy, because their entire business model is built on being able to track users. The

NFTs are taking the world by storm.A video highlight of a LeBron James dunkshot went for over $200,000.Kings of Leon released their album as an NFT.People are selling NFTs of their tweets.And the most expensive NFT to date: Artwork by Beeple, which sold for over 69 million dollars!But what is an NFT, and what's all the hype about?I explain how blockchain and art have merged to create this phenomenon, and show you how to get involved.If you would like to send me a message and support my channel, visit https://cointr.ee/naomibrockwellSupport the show

Many video makers are angry. Angry for being demonetized, deplatformed, or angry because major video platforms prioritize corporate content over independent creators.Fortunately, people have alternatives, and one that is really huge right now is called Odysee. With over 20 million active monthly users, it's the hot new place to upload video content. And the technology it's base on... is decentralized.Visit my Odysee channel here:https://odysee.com/@NaomiBrockwell:4?r=8UVj5QBBgxcaVjrhCaCmpdQ6PqctTN7NChannels mentioned:Josiah Zaynor, Bio-hacker:https://odysee.com/@BiohackThePlanet:3?r=8UVj5QBBgxcaVjrhCaCmpdQ6PqctTN7NJohn Stossel:https://odysee.com/@johnstossel:7?r=8UVj5QBBgxcaVjrhCaCmpdQ6PqctTN7NNaomi Wu:https://odysee.com/@Naomi-SexyCyborg-Wu:b?r=8UVj5QBBgxcaVjrhCaCmpdQ6PqctTN7NDeepak Chopra:https://odysee.com/@DeepakChopra:b?r=8UVj5QBBgxcaVjrhCaCmpdQ6PqctTN7NFord Fischer:https://odysee.com/@news2share:f?r=8UVj5QBBgxcaVjrhCaCmpdQ6PqctTN7NEditing: Nate SorrentinoIf you would like to send me a message

I watched the live Mars landing last week, excited to see a rocket touchdown, live, on the red planet.Instead, I was underwhelmed.The live stream only showed an animation of the landing, not the real thing, and some reaction shots from NASA personnel.It's not that landing on Mars isn't super cool -- it is! It's just that I've been spoiled by SpaceX, who provide awesome livestreams of everything they do, and always put on such a good show. NASA eventually came through with the goods, and shared some breathtaking visuals, so in the end I was happy.But what a time to be alive, when I can see incredible achievements like this, and feel like they’re NOT the best we’re capable of.Meanwhile, I'm hanging out for that first commercial flight to Mars...To make a tax-deductible (in the US) donation to NBTV, visit https://www.nbtv.media/supportSign up for the free CryptoBeat newsletter here:https://cryptobeat.substack.com/Watch on Odysee/LBRY: https://open.lbry.com/@NaomiBrockwell:4/SpaceX-Spoile

Searched the dark web using Tor recently? Your information may have been leaked, if you were using the Brave browser. Coindesk Privacy reporter Ben Powers shares all the details.Don’t forget to update your Brave Browser!!To make a tax-deductible (in the US) donation to NBTV, visit https://www.nbtv.media/supportSign up for the free CryptoBeat newsletter here:https://cryptobeat.substack.com/Support the show

The Australian government passed a law that would force Facebook to pay every time someone shares a news article on their platform. Facebook decided that this was not a privilege they were willing to pay for, and in response have instead blocked Australian Facebook users from sharing or viewing news content.As a result, they have also inadvertently blocked many charities or government pages which are not news sites, which has made people very angry. It does beg the question of how they were meant to be expected to identity news sites in order to pay for them, if they couldn’t identify them to shut them down.Is this a David Vs Goliath story with Facebook being expected to pay “their fair share”, or is this just a Goliath vs Goliath story, with the Rupert Murdoch juggernaut News Corp using the government to get money from Facebook, and small, independent journalists are just the collateral? To make a tax-deductible (in the US) donation to NBTV, visit https://www.nbtv.media/supportSign up for the free CryptoBeat

Today the price of bitcoin exploded past 46k after Tesla announced their purchase of $1.5 billion worth of Bitcoin."Moreover, we expect to be accepting Bitcoin as a form of payment for our products in the near future," they said.Juggernauts like Microstrategy, Square, and Telsa are making bitcoin part of their reserve assets, as a hedge against inflation and economic instability.This is a dramatic move, cheered by those who value financial sovereignty, and derided by those who feel it was reckless for their shareholders, and ties the stock too closely to the price of Bitcoin.But given the TSLA stock price just after the news, the question is, which S&P500 company is next?If you would like to send me a message and support my channel, visit https://cointr.ee/naomibrockwellTo make a tax-deductible (in the US) donation to NBTV, visit https://www.nbtv.media/supportSign up for the free CryptoBeat newsletter here:https://cryptobeat.substack.com/Support the show

We have a newly minted US Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen. She is the US political establishment’s insider’s insider, and the crypto ecosystem is now grappling with what her appointment to Treasury will mean.I go over the history of Treasury Secretaries throughout Bitcoin’s lifespan, and what we can expect from a Yellen Treasury.From C. Edward Kelso and Naomi BrockwellSupport the show

Janet Yellen was just unanimously approved by The U.S. Senate Finance Committee for Treasury secretary. She’s taking over from Mnuchin, and is so far not off to a good start regarding cryptocurrency. Earlier this week she said that cryptocurrencies are “a particular concern” when it comes to criminal activity and terrorist financing.“I think many [cryptocurrencies] are used, at least in a transaction sense, mainly for illicit financing."Forbes contributor Hailey Lennon noted in a recent article that Yellen is just plain incorrect. The money laundering tool of choice is still the good old US Treasury.Including archival footage of me on the Stossel Show in 2014 talking about BitcoinFollow Hailey here:https://twitter.com/HaileyLennonBTCTo make a tax-deductible (in the US) donation to NBTV, visit https://www.nbtv.media/supportSign up for the free CryptoBeat newsletter here:https://cryptobeat.substack.com/Support the show

The request for extradition to the United States of Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange, was denied by a UK judge.This is fantastic news, because the US wants to put Assange on trial basically for being an investigative journalist. The indictment from the DOJ against Assange is one of the single biggest threats to freedom of the press of the last decade. I explain in detail what it all means.But the judge didn’t deny the extradition request based on freedom of the press, it was based on Assange's mental condition. The danger of journalists being persecuted for challenging power is greater than ever. What happens to us when no dissent from the press against government is allowed anymore? Huge shout out to Glenn Greenwald, the Freedom of the Press Foundation, and journalists like Richard Medhurst and Kevin Gosztola who have been  covering this case in detail and are staunch advocates of freedom of the press.Support the show

Recently Snowden was awarded the Thomas Szasz Award from the Center for Independent Thought, which was presented to him by my boss John Stossel. During the call I was able to ask Snowden about Bitcoin and the need for anonymous digital payments. Bitcoin played an important role in the 2013 Snowden leaks: the servers that Snowden used to transfer information to journalists were paid for using bitcoin, because he didn’t want those records connected to his name.Snowden explained to me that Bitcoin is superior to credit cards, because it's at least pseudonymous. But steps need to be taken to add privacy.He once tweeted: "Bitcoin is great, but "if it's not private, it's not safe,"” and he said that Zcash's privacy tech makes it the most interesting Bitcoin alternative. I asked him about all of this when we spoke.Watch Stossel's full interview with Snowden here:https://youtu.be/ZSu4rCizyUMSupport the show

According to The Daily Beast this week: "Trump Is Considering Clemency for Silk Road Founder: Two sources tell The Daily Beast that the president has expressed sympathy for the situation of Ross Ulbricht, who is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole."The attempt to get Ross’s case in front of Trump has been ongoing for the last 4 years. Ulbricht’s court appeals were denied, so the focus for those fighting for justice on his behalf switched to presidential pardon. A petition was started on change.org, which has since garnered 367 thousand signatures. By C. Edward Kelso and Naomi BrockwellIf you would like to sign the petition, visit: https://www.change.org/p/clemency-for-ross-ulbricht-condemned-to-die-in-prison-for-a-website?hpTo learn more about Ross's case, visit:https://freeross.org/case-overview/To make a tax-deductible (in the US) donation to NBTV, visit https://www.nbtv.media/supportSign up for the free CryptoBeat newsletter here:https://cryptobeat.substack.com/Beware o

The inevitable war between government and crypto is getting started.German Finance Minister on Monday:“We must do everything possible to make sure the currency monopoly remains in the hands of states.”The G7 this week: "We want to regulate digital currencies."European Central Bank President: "Stablecoins threaten monetary sovereignty.”Between the STABLE Act, which would ensure that only banks could issue stablecoins and would make all others illegal, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin’s plan to go after crypto, and the French Finance Minister trying to fight anonymous crypto transactions, things are getting heated up. We’ll get to see if bitcoin and other decentralized innovation can hold their own in an arms race against the most powerful entities in the world.Support the show

Yesterday a disastrous new bill was introduced to congress:The STABLE Act, which stands for Stablecoin Tethering and Bank Licensing Enforcement.Under the guise of "protecting people" it will require stablecoin issuers to obtain a banking charter. Meaning, only banks will be able to issue stablecoins.They said: “Digital currencies, whose value is permanently pegged to or stabilized against a conventional currency like the dollar, pose new regulatory challenges while also represent a growing source of the market, liquidity, and credit risk.”Indeed it does seem highly suspicious that the act seems to further entrench the interests of juggernauts like JP Morgan Chase, a bank that already has its own stablecoin, to the detriment of those who are looking for alternatives to the banking system rather than forced participation in it.By C. Edward Kelso and Naomi BrockwellSupport the show

Many companies are forced to hand over customer data, or weaken their security, and they can’t tell you about it. The FBI has a thing called a National Security Letter, which is a request for information and gag orders rolled into one. Although judges have ruled them to be unconstitutional, they are more common than you realize, and each branch and agency in the US government has something similar.Recipients of the letter are forced to comply with requests, whether they be weakening security or handing over data, and companies face serious criminal sanctions if they publicly discuss what is being done to their company. You can’t even tell anyone you received a National Security Letter.The letter from the FBI is signed by an attorney, and you can’t even tell a lawyer about it. How many platforms that we use, which we think are secure and private, are under gag orders? Probably a lot more than we think. One tool that privacy platforms use to warn people if their site has been compromised is a “warrant canary”.

Treasury Secretary Mnuchin plans to rush out new regulation regarding self-hosted crypto wallets before the end of his term.Apparently the proposed regulation would  “require financial institutions like Coinbase to verify the recipient/owner of the self-hosted wallet, collecting identifying information on that party, before a withdrawal could be sent to that self-hosted wallet” according to Coinbase CEO Brian ArmstrongSo what would this ruling mean? Don’t want to have to KYC a store before buying groceries? Want to participate in DeFi? Then move your money out of financial institutions and into non-custodial wallets. Remember: not your keys, not your coins.Happy thanksgiving everyone!Reporting by C. Edward Kelso and Naomi BrockwellSupport the show