Key Takeaways

The conversation opens with a discussion on Bitcoin's price behavior, likening it to the "Bart Simpson" pattern of volatility where the price spikes and then drops back down in a pattern reminiscent of the character's haircut. The speakers note that Bitcoin is still prone to volatility, but it is gradually becoming less volatile each year.

The focus then shifts to Argentina's economic situation, highlighting the devaluation of the Argentine peso and the new president's efforts to address the country's economic challenges. The black market rate for the peso is compared to the official rate, showing a significant discrepancy. The peso has experienced a steady devaluation over the years, with a recent official devaluation of more than 50% to 800 pesos per dollar.

The speakers discuss an interesting method to determine the black market rate for the peso using Bitcoin. By dividing the price of Bitcoin in Argentine pesos by the global rate in dollars, one can approximate the black market rate without relying on traditional sources. This method has been found to closely match the actual black market rate published in Argentina.

The conversation then turns to privacy concerns in the United States, specifically a new law requiring the disclosure of beneficial owners of companies. This law contrasts with the privacy previously afforded by certain states like Wyoming or Delaware. The speakers express concern over the erosion of privacy and the challenges it presents to individuals and companies seeking to protect their ownership interests.

The discussion also touches on the potential of public-private key cryptography as a means to maintain some level of privacy, with mention of a zero trust initiative within the Biden White House that could involve the IRS and validate information without full disclosure.

Finally, the conversation covers the launch of Haven X, a new entity focused on private sector strategy, intelligence products, open source intelligence, due diligence investigations, reputation management, and brand and community building. The goal is to help individuals and companies create a community and narrative around their brand to achieve social proof and market success.

Best Quotes

• "Bitcoin is still getting less and less volatile every year, so doesn't bother me too much anymore."
• "The very interesting thing that I think people should be aware of is even if you were halfway across the world, if you were Argentinean and you didn't sort of know what to do online, or you weren't trading with cash on the ground, you couldn't hear what was going on, you could actually find another way to back into the black market rate."
• "The challenge there is there's lots of people, including myself and our clients, who use that [company privacy] to buy assets, typically residential properties, and then protect themselves from being in a county property registry where anyone can find out who lives somewhere."
• "The tools of the trade of privacy and the tools of the trade of criminality sometimes overlap, the motives don't, but the tools sometimes overlap. And what we're doing is we're just pushing privacy into the smallest, darkest corner of available options."
• "If you have a brand or you have an incumbent product, or you just want that social proof to be wrapped around whatever your market is that you're trying to enter, then there's ways to cultivate that."

Conclusion

The conversation offers a blend of insights into Bitcoin's volatility, the economic turmoil in Argentina, privacy concerns in the U.S., and the potential for bitcoin to provide alternative solutions. The launch of Haven X signifies a strategic move towards leveraging intelligence and reputation management to build strong brands and communities in the digital age. Overall, the dialogue underscores the importance of privacy, the innovative use of cryptocurrency to navigate economic instability, and the evolving landscape of brand management in a world increasingly driven by social proof.