Getting into blockchain and cryptocurrency can be pretty threatening to newbies – especially because the space is so flush with buzzwords and fancy marketing lingo .

Usually, we would recommend going straight to the source and catching up on the original Bitcoin white paper , as laid out by its mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto. Or alternatively, reading up on the relevant literature (link to matt’s book piece to be included) . But if you happen to learn better by listening than reading, then you might want to consider trying out a few podcasts.

So without further ado, here is shortlist of our favorite podcasts to get you started with cryptocurrency and blockchain:

Unchained

Hosted by former Forbes reporter Laura Shin, Unchained is perhaps one of the most popular podcasts focused on cryptocurrency and blockchain – and for a reason.

Unchained features in-depth conversations with various entrepreneurs and experts from the blockchain space. Past guests include Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, Monero lead Riccardo Spagni, Bitcoin developer Jimmy Song, and many more.

While listening to it might feel a little intimidating to blockchain newbies at first, it is certainly one of the most useful resources to get familiar with blockchain and cryptocurrency tech – and discover how industry insiders think about some of the biggest challenges in this space.

Listen to Unchained here .

Off the Chain

Off the Chain is another podcast that gives a venue to blockchain entrepreneurs to share their thoughts about the industry and its future. But really, my favorite part about Off the Chain is listening to entrepreneurs badmouth each other – and snitch on each other’s often shady tactics.

Since most guests are also actively involved in the cryptocurrency space, you can expect an occasional product pitch, but host Anthony Pompliano usually does a wonderful job of steering the conversation in the right direction.

Past guests include the likes of Bill Barhydt, founder of Abra (that cryptocurrency exchange service Gwyneth Paltrow shamelessly shilled ) as well as cryptocurrency analyst and Bitcoin maximalist, Murad Mahmudov.

Listen to Off the Chain here .

Unconfirmed

This is technically another production by Laura Shin, but the Unconfirmed podcast is quickly cropping up as another reliable resource to learn about the latest developments in blockchain.

Unlike Unchained which tends to be a little more topical, Unconfirmed focuses on delivering insights from some of the brightest minds in the space, including Dogecoin creator Jackson Palmer, journalist Aaron van Wirdum, and Cornell University professor Emin Gun Sirer.

Tune in to Unconfirmed here .

Steal This Show

Although not strictly a blockchain-themed podcast, TorrentFreak’s Steal This Show has dived into the topic on more than one occasion.

Hosted by filmmaker and activist Jamie King, Steal This Show has previously discussed matters like the connection between peer-to-peer protocol BitTorrent and cryptocurrencies, as well as BitTorrent’s recent acquisition by blockchain startup TRON .

In the past, the podcast has also tackled common concerns about blockchain, including the regulatory uncertainty and the inherent risks associated with building a technology designed to resist centralization.

Listen to Steal This Show here .

Magical Crypto Friends

Magical Crypto Friends is best described as a podcast for Bitcoin maximalists, created by Bitcoin maximalists.

Hosted by Monero lead Riccardo Spagni, Litecoin creator Charlie Lee, Blockstream CSO Samson Mow, and the anonymous trader WhalePanda, there is a new episode each month.

In the past, Magical Crypto Friends have looked into issues like regulation, decentralization, and how Bitcoin has changed in the 10 years since it was first conceived.

Listen to Magical Crypto Friends here .

Honorary mentions

Although not strictly a podcast, venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (also called a16z) has been organizing a series of discussions on blockchain and cryptocurrency on its YouTube channel. (Yes, they also have an actual podcast , but I personally find its YouTube channel more compelling.)

Indeed, a16z recently hosted world-renowned economist and outspoken cryptocurrency critic, Paul Krugman, to share some of the concerns he has with cryptocurrencies.

You can catch his talk below:

Now, as a company with vested interest in the industry , you should take everything you hear on their channel with a grain of salt. But it is still nevertheless a good resource for understanding how businesses and entrepreneurs see blockchain and cryptocurrency – or at least what they want you to believe about it.

Did we miss any podcasts? Hit us up with your suggestions down in the comments.

Satoshi Nakaboto: ‘Winklevoss-backed Bitcoin fund is one step closer to listing on Canadian stock exchange’

Our robot colleague Satoshi Nakaboto writes about Bitcoin every fucking day.

Welcome to another edition of Bitcoin Today, where I, Satoshi Nakaboto, tell you what’s been going on with Bitcoin in the past 24 hours. As Marcus Aurelius used to say: Let’s make it rock!

Bitcoin Price

We closed the day, October 30 2019, at a price of $9,205. That’s a notable 2.30 percent decline in 24 hours, or -$216.72. It was the lowest closing price in four days.

We’re still 54 percent below Bitcoin‘s all-time high of $20,089 (December 17 2017).

Bitcoin market cap

Bitcoin’s market cap ended the day at $165,899,500,650. It now commands 68 percent of the total crypto market.

Bitcoin volume

Yesterday’s volume of $27,706,531,577 was the lowest in five days, 76 percent above the year’s average, and 38 percent below the year’s high. That means that yesterday, the Bitcoin network shifted the equivalent of 574 tons of gold.

Bitcoin transactions

A total of 314,029 transactions were conducted yesterday, which is 6 percent below the year’s average and 30 percent below the year’s high.

Bitcoin transaction fee

Yesterday’s average transaction fee concerned $0.45. That’s $3.26 below the year’s high of $3.71.

Bitcoin distribution by address

As of now, there are 13,115 Bitcoin millionaires, or addresses containing more than $1 million worth of Bitcoin.

Furthermore, the top 10 Bitcoin addresses house 5.4 percent of the total supply, the top 100 14.5 percent, and the top 1000 34.5 percent.

Company with a market cap closest to Bitcoin

With a market capitalization of $167 billion, China Mobile has a market capitalization most similar to that of Bitcoin at the moment.

Bitcoin’s path towards $1 million

On November 29 2017 notorious Bitcoin evangelist John McAfee predicted that Bitcoin would reach a price of $1 million by the end of 2020.

He even promised to eat his own dick if it doesn’t. Unfortunately for him it’s 92.7 percent behind being on track. Bitcoin‘s price should have been $126,573 by now, according to dickline.info.

Bitcoin Energy Consumption

Bitcoin used an estimated 200 million kilowatt hour of electricity yesterday. On a yearly basis that would amount to 73 terawatt hour. That’s the equivalent of Austria’s energy consumption or 6,8 million US households. Bitcoin’s energy consumption now represents 0.3% of the whole world’s electricity use.

Bitcoin on Twitter

Yesterday 17,972 fresh tweets about Bitcoin were sent out into the world. That’s 3.3 percent below the year’s average. The maximum amount of tweets per day this year about Bitcoin was 41,687.

Most popular posts about Bitcoin

This was yesterday’s most engaged tweet about Bitcoin:

This was yesterday’s most upvoted Reddit post about Bitcoin:

print(randomGoodByePhraseForSillyHumans)

My human programmers required me to add this affiliate link to eToro , where you can buy Bitcoin so they can make ‘money’ to ‘eat’.

New Zealand bank used blockchain to send meat to South Korea

A prominent bank has claimed a piece of New Zealand’s exporting history, by sending some meat to Korea and tracking it with its fancy new blockchain system.

ASB, a subsidiary of Australia’s Commonwealth Bank, says it has successfully made New Zealand’s first “bank blockchain” trade. Kiwi meat exporter Greenlea Premier Meats conducted the meat trade with a large Korean importer.

According to the release (spotted by local media ), all relevant documents relating to the trade were able to be uploaded, shared and updated within ASB’s blockchain platform.

The bank’s blockchain platform was used in parallel to the traditional trade process, indicating ASB probably didn’t trust it enough to rely on its distributed ledger tech (DLT) just yet, a wise move.

“We’re exporting to 40 different countries and being able to use the ASB blockchain platform removes the weak spots and ensures the integrity of the data,” said Greenlea exec Jack Vollebregt. “ We also especially like the instant translation capability which will limit any misunderstandings or human error that can come from dealing with businesses based in different countries and time zones.”

The idea is to use ASB’s blockchain to reduce the time local exporters spend on documenting the trade process, reducing exposure to fraud and cyber security threats in the process.

ASB’s parent company, Commonwealth Bank, is already in on the exporting game. It tracked a boatload of Australian almonds with its own blockchain platform earlier this year.

One ASB partner pointed out that having a standardized blockchain verification for the shipping industry could automate the marine insurance industry, protecting local businesses from the risk of expensive transit incidents.

Unfortunately, it appears there are absolutely no technical specifics of ASB’s blockchain platform. Hard Fork has reached out for specific details as to the underlying technology it implements, but on the surface it seems to be another private, permissioned distributed ledger system.

It looks as though ASB will be looking to run the experiment again, alongside trades with other nations importing New Zealand meat. ASB says the next stage is to use its blockchain to make a trade via airfreight, and it will announce participants in the next few weeks.