Blocco: Recent Episodes
Hamza
In this episode we look at how and why ordinary Afghans are using bitcoin for saving and daily transactions, rather than for trading and speculation.
We look at the role peer-to-peer platforms play in providing access for Afghans to the global economy, and why this matters to a country steeped in economic instability.
Twitter: @bl0cco
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Further Reading:Chainalysis: Global crypto adoption index
CNBC: Bitcoin in Afghanistan
Reuters: Western Union suspends service in Afghanistan
Janey Gak (on Medium): Bitcoin adoption in Afghanistan
Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/fe77a/lucidity
License code: LOTGV4EVLMO7VLLQ
This week we look at how bitcoin is being used amidst a monetary crisis in Lebanon. We look at how a shortage of USD reserves led to a failed financial engineering project by the Central Bank, and how that disrupted Lebanese people's trust in their policies.
Rather than placing judgment on the rise of the black market for dollars and bitcoin that we find arising, we look at how builders and entrepreneurs in the region can view these informal markets as an opportunity to introduce formal solutions that acknowledge the reality on the ground, from the Lebanese perspective.
Twitter: @bl0cco
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Further Reading:Coindesk: How bitcoin fits into Lebanon's banking crisis
Al Jazeera: Distrust in Lebanese banks spurs bitcoin boom
The Nation: Behind the crisis in Lebanon
Reuters: Lebanese government, Central Bank clash over fuel subsidies
Reuters: Nobody's running Lebanon
Arabian Business: Lebanese crypto remittances
Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/fe77a/lucidity
License code: LOTGV4EVLMO7VLLQ
This episode looks at the cost of cross-border payments in Nigeria. We cover the solutions presented by cryptocurrencies in a country held back by strict capital controls.
We also discuss the young Nigerian entrepreneurs, who are building payments solutions to the following problems:
- Rising inflation of the local currency versus the USD
- High transaction fees
- Lack of self-custody in a country with little trust in governance
Twitter: @bl0cco
Newsletter: Subscribe here
Further Reading:
Reuters: Capital controls on USD transactions in Nigeria
Guardian: Bitcoin adoption in Nigeria
Chainalysis: Remittances and Fiat currency devaluation in Sub-Saharan Africa
Coindesk: How crypto can help Nigeria's economy
BitKE: Interview with Co-Founder of Buycoins, Ire Adenirokun
Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/fe77a/lucidity
License code: LOTGV4EVLMO7VLLQ
This episode covers some issues that arise when Bitcoin is adopted by a cash-based informal economy. It looks at El Salvador's famous "Bitcoin Beach" as a case study to assess issues such as:
- Mobile-first as a bottleneck for access to wealth
- Issues of connectivity in non-urban emerging markets
- Price volatility as a hurdle for daily users of bitcoin
This episode also looks at some of the opportunities that arise from these challenges, and the broader implication they have for emerging markets in general.
Twitter: @bl0cco
Further Reading
How bitcoin became El Salvador's currency: https://bit.ly/2VDcTa1
Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/fe77a/lucidity
License code: LOTGV4EVLMO7VLLQ
In this episode I tell the story of Wences Casares. He is one of the early figures in bitcoin, credited with bringing the idea of bitcoin as an investment to Silicon Valley in its early stages.
This episode discusses how blockchain technology, particularly bitcoin is:
- Apolitical and accessible for anyone
- A network with low barriers to entry
- Allows full ownership of one's assets
And the implications this holds for citizens from nations with poor governance and infrastructure.
Twitter: @bl0cco
Further ReadingDigital Gold, by Nathaniel Popper
Wences Casares chats with Microsoft CTO
Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/fe77a/lucidity
License code: LOTGV4EVLMO7VLLQ
