EP 9: Privacy Coins vs. Private Money (featuring Meltem Demirors, chief strategy officer at CoinShares)

Meltem Demirors, chief strategy officer at CoinShares, is passionate about cryptocurrency, financial technology, and civil rights - and she wants to share her knowledge as well as her enthusiasm with the world. In 2019, she testified before the House Financial Services Committee for a hearing on Facebook's proposed digital currency project, Libra. Demirors has appeared on Bloomberg, CNBC, CoinDesk, and the MIT Technology Review - now, she joins us to discuss privacy, mining, and regulation - and of course, Facebook's Libra.

Topics:

00:59 What's your favorite altcoin?
01:55 What are you and CoinShares' current goals?
3:37 What is the value of bitcoin as an asset class? 
07:35 How is the value of bitcoin as an asset class different from other digital assets?
12:39  Since the majority of the bitcoin network's hash rate comes from machines concentrated in China, what are the chances this will cause problems down the line?
16:53  Is the frustration felt by many in the crypto/blockchain space regarding regulation warranted, or is the current 
21:46 Do you think stablecoins or cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are more likely to play a significant role in the future of finance?
22:25 Do you think Libra pushed institutions like the Fed to consider the potential applications of stablecoins more seriously?
25:42 Why do you think people keep calling Libra a "cryptocurrency?" 
28:57 At this point, what do you think Libra has to do to make regulators happy?