Together let’s count all the votes

Carlos Torriellos is changing the political system in Latin America. He is the face of a volunteer group, consisting of concerned citizens in Guatemala, called Fiscal Digital. This translates to, “The Digital Witness”. Their goal is to certify post-election paper ballot results in a corrupt and broken system.

Last year, in mid 2019, Guatemala held an election. Everything was going fine, until doubt was cast on the official results through social media. The situation escalated quickly and no one seemed to have a solution. The election officials began searching for a solution.

Back in 2018, Carlos and some colleagues built the system that is now being utilized by the Guatemalan government. The platform wasn’t originally built for certifying election results. Their plans to gain traction and revenue diminished and they tabled the project temporarily. Then it happened. Opportunity came a knockin’.

The stage was set. The Guatemalan government was in quite a predicament. Unrest was at hand. The election officials were in a tough spot and like a knight in shining armor, Fiscal Digital appeared. Fortunately, their solution was simple. Authenticate election results in real time.

Carlos gets into the details around the 07:46 mark.

Something as simple as having multiple people check the digital signatures of the images and tally the votes on those images while arriving at the same conclusion is enough to authenticate election results. The system is live now. You can see results and participate yourself on the Fiscal Digital website.

The US Government needs this tech

Governments should consider using Fiscal Digital is an inexpensive process to determine election authenticity in near real time. The code is already available. Instead of UBI, give out election audit jobs. Reward people for doing the audit work and tallying votes. It’s cheaper and builds a more sustainable economy if you pay the citizens to act as the witness. Not to mention giving the people the transparency they so desperately deserve.

Their motivation is nearly as impressive as their solution. If you know people in governments who can give this project visibility, please make sure to contact Carlos. His information is below. What they are doing has the ability to bring back the sanctity of democratic elections. Give the power to the people and let them check the results.

Quote your favorite moment and tag @CoinStructive, @djkinkle, @carlostoriello, #Fiscal_Digital & #LABradio.

Enjoy!

Further Reading and Resources

Carlos Torriellos Herrerrias, Volunteer & Champion at Fiscal Digital – LinkedIn – Twitter

Fiscal Digital – Website – Email – YouTube – Facebook – Github – Use hashtag #Fiscal_Digital

Darknets Rising

The Darknet is powered by cryptocurrency. On episode 82 of LAB Radio we speak with Cedric Dahl of 1000X Group about this controversial place. Most people have heard of the Darknet, but know what really goes on or how it operates. We dispel some myths and provide insight to why crypto is used predominantly on darknet markets.

Cedric, like most of us, shrugged off Bitcoin when first told by a friend. The only difference for most us the is when the clock first starts ticking. For Cedric it was 2010. By the time he became a believer, he was farther ahead of the game than most.

His first fascination was when he was told that it was being used on the Darknet for drugs and other nefarious activities. His shock came from realizing the power of a non-state controlled medium of exchange. Power to the people.

The money use case was interesting, but after the Silk Road trial it was obvious that Bitcoin was not nearly as anonymous as we all thought. So why are the majority of Darknet markets still using Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is still the predominant currency used for these markets because its ease to acquire, ease of sending and inability to stop two people from transacting. The casual user is not worried about being traced to Darknet markets, but operators are.

Governments use the Darknet too

How are they getting around this. Cedric believes the increased anonymity from tools like CoinJoins plays a part. A CoinJoin is the Mixers and Tumblers advanced and distant cousin. Mixers were the first tools people had to combat the deanonymizing blockhain forensics companies. They are simple software that takes bitcoin and breaks it into small pieces, shuffling it around through other transactions and mixing it with other people's bitcoins in hopes of causing ambiguity.

There is a lot of good information in this podcast. If you're in Law Enforcement or other types research, they offer a report. You can follow the link to sign up in the section below. Their insights are pretty amazing.

Quote your favorite moment and tag @CoinStructive @djkinkle @cedricmakes & #LABradio.

Enjoy.

Further Reading and Resources

Cedric Dahl, Founder of 1000X Group - LinkedIn - Twitter

1000X Group - Website - Email - Report

The Creation of a New Nation

Welcome to the Free Republic of Liberland. Wait you've never heard of this country? "Well, that's a pretty normal response", says Joey Langenbrunner, Deputy Head of Mission to the United States.

Liberland is new. The micronation, like Somaliland, will have existed for 5 years on April 13th, 2020. The delegation is planning a big celebration. They are launching they're own blockchain for governance and a cryptocurrency called Merits. Although, they are starting to get recognition internationally, they are still not recognized by the UN.

This micronation lies along the Danube river, between Serbia and Croatia. The land lay unclaimed after the dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1991. The Danube is an international waterway and lends to many interesting trade and commerce opportunities.

Liberland is will act as a testing ground for new models of governance. Additionally, they are planning an e-residency program like Estonia. After the launch of their blockchain in April 2020 they will start issuing citizenships too. As a result, these announcements caused them to receive over 600,000 applications for citizenship.

We've had over 600K applications for citizenship.

There are still many issues to sort out, but Joey is confident the last 5 years of work Liberlanders have put in will pay off. His path to become a citizen is one of perseverance and dedication. All things have led him up to this point.

Joey is very passionate about the goals of Liberland and it will be interesting to watch this nation grow. We encourage you to support Liberland. Why, you ask? Experimentation is needed in governance and what better way to accomplish this than by letting a real sovereign and peaceful nation attempt it.

Nevertheless, numerous lessons are to be learned.

Quote your favorite moment and tag @CoinStructive @djkinkle @joeyyusef & #LABradio.

Enjoy.

Further Reading and Resources

Joseph Langenbrunner, Deputy Head of Mission to USA, Free Republic of Liberland - LinkedIn - Email - Twitter

The Free Republic of Liberland - Website - Wiki

 

This episode is LAB Radio's "Best of 2019". It's composed of several clips from guests over the past year. For many, 2019 will be one of those years in crypto that won't stand out in people's minds much. It wasn't flashy. There wasn't a lot fanfare. CNBC wasn't pumping XRP. It was quiet and people were busy building great things.

I was fortunate to sit down with many amazing people this year to discuss their thoughts and contributions on the industry. Unfortunately, I had to narrow it down to just a hand full of clips but, trust me, all of our guests were fire. I know you'll enjoy hearing perspectives from the likes of:

• Alex Mashinsky & Leah Jonas, Celsius Network
• Jan Čapek, Braiins
• Hannah Rosenberg, Velas Commerce
• Hailey Lennon, Coinbase
• Xan Ditkoff, Blockstack
• Uri Klarman, bloXroute Labs
• Alyse Killeen, Stillmark Capital
• Alex Adelman, Lolli
• Caitlin Long, Lawyer
• R0ckstar Developer, BTC Payserver

So no matter how awful a year in crypto seems, try to remember we are just getting started. Building a foundation for the next quarter millenia of finance, while simultaneously breaking down the current one, is no small feat.

The Crypto and Blockchain industry isn't just about changing finance, it's about creating a better world to live in. Whether you're new to crypto or have been following along for years, it's not too late to join the movement. For these technologies to succeed in allowing humans to participate in free global trade without the interference of governments, we need all people, from all walks of life to start by asking the question, "What is money?"

We do this show for you, our listeners. Please like, subscribe, share and follow.

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Brought to you commercial free by CoinStructive.

Caitlin Long knows Blockchain Law

Caitlin Long joins LAB Radio host Chris Groshong, just days after resigning from the Wyoming Blockchain Taskforce. I had asked her specifically to come on the show to comment on concepts the newly formed California Blockchain Taskforce can glean from her pioneering efforts.

We waste no time getting into the issues around the Uniform Law Commission's (ULC) Uniform Regulation of Virtual Currencies Businesses Act or URVCBA. Particularly the supplemental portion which strips the property rights of owners. Ms. Long says if we're not careful we may only recognize people's rights "...in digital assets if you are in a debtor/creditor relationship with your intermediary."  

This ties in nicely into a discussion of the Uniform Commercial Code(UCC) with respect to Virtual Currencies. Currently, it is being worked on by members of the special subcommittees of the ULC. Meanwhile, the California Lawyers Association is considering creating legislature for Commercial transactions at the state level parallel to the California Blockchain Taskforce. It's important that communication between these two entities needs to take place.

 

The biggest problem is we are still defining the concepts and applications of these new technologies. Without proper definitions, it's nearly impossible to predict the outcomes of future litigations. Judges, like many, just don't understand. I know this from first hand experience while providing expert witness testimony in Federal Court this summer.   

Banks play an important role in the crypto industry. The major problem Wyoming is trying to solve is to make it easier for crypto businesses to gain access to banking relationships. There are currently 7 banks who've identified themselves as being interested in applying for a Wyoming Banking license. 

There are still many boundaries at the Federal level. Least of which is receiving a Banking Charter. We still have the SEC and CFTC to consider. The ongoing delays with creating true Federal regulation is an opportunity for the states to take advantage of the situation.  

Surround yourself with smart, talented and humble people willing to future proof legislation without hindering innovation.

Special thanks to Trace Mayer, Christopher Allen, Jesse Powell, Joseph Pitluck, Amy and Devon James and many, many more.  

Some of the other topics I asked Caitlin to discuss with respect to Wyoming law were:  

• Exchanges
• Crypto ATMs
• Foundations 
• AML and Compliance
• Series LLC

I wrap up the show with a final question about what she would change about the crypto and blockchain industry if she could wave a magic wand. 

Tweet your favorite quote and tag @CoinStructive @djkinkle @CaitlinLong & #LABradio

 

Further Reading and Resources

Caitlin Long | Twitter | LinkedIn | Website

Wyoming Blockchain Taskforce| Website

 

The Crypto Curator, Paul McNeal 

The first person I met at the Avantpay |19 conference was the always smiling,  Crypto Curator, Paul McNeal. I had no idea Paul was the host of a crypto news show, but after talking to him, I knew he had the chops and would make a great guest for LAB Radio.

Paul's path into crypto took a circuitous route to say the least. Like many, he was able to leverage a previous skillset to help him land where he is today. Initially Paul heard about Bitcoin from the Bitcoin Knowledge podcast by Trace Mayer. 

This officially made him the "go-to" Bitcoin guy when the monthly Chamber of Commerce Tech Committee Meeting took place in Loudoun County, VA. Back in 2012 it was tough to make a case for its uses, but Paul always spoke about it in a positive light and defended it against its critics. However, the Chamber would not put on a Bitcoin event.

Paul's background in the military has helped him in many ways. He was an ROTC Army member in High School and then went into the Navy. He was on a submarine and was doing IT work, which helped him transition after leaving the military. Also, Paul picked up lots of real world skills which was surprising to me. The story of how he actually joined the Navy is quite interesting and worth a listen (@14:02)

At this point we transition into the Avantpay19 Conference. Initially he heard about the conference because he knows Joshua and Peter, the organizers and founders of the event. It's not every day you see Legislators, Bankers, Payments people, Cannabis Entrepreneurs and Crypto enthusiasts all in one space talking about the same thing. Since this conference is truly one-of-a-kind, I asked Paul for his take on the event and his other thoughts:  

• What was the most eye opening part of the event
• The difficulties bringing crypto and cannabis together
• What would he change about the conference
• What he learned by moderating the Tax panel
• The SAFE (Secure And Fair Enforcement) Banking Act
• The quality of the Speakers

Finally, we run through the Crypto Curators biggest fears in the industry, as well as what he would change if he had a magic wand. 

Tweet your favorite quote and tag @CoinStructive @djkinkle @_CryptoCurator & #LABradio

 

Further Reading and Resources

 Paul McNeal , The Crytpo Curator, Founder | Twitter | LinkedIn 

 

The Crypto Curator| Website | Twitter | LinkedIn 

 

Money Launderers Beware 

Cryptocurrency Analyst and Financial Crimes Investigator, Lourdes Miranda joins us for episode 77 on LAB Radio. 

  Lourdes’ expertise lies in her years working from a compliance and financial crimes angle. Her knowledge of the Bank Secrecy Act led her to a career in the intelligence community, primarily the CIA. She knows the ins and outs of how money launderers operate. So when she was approached to join, admittedly she didnt know much about cryptocurrencies. That didnt bother the Agency one bit. She told their cyber security teams, if they taught her how crypto worked, she’d show them how it was being used to launder illegal proceeds.

 

Lourdes speaks to and teaches both local and federal law enforcement communities across the country. She also consults banks and financial institutions. More recently Lourdes tells us about an interaction with a Bank and a Bitcoin ATM operator. The advice she gives seems obvious to me, but it just goes to show the Banks disparate view of this asset class.

 

We further discussed the future of the crypto and blockchain industry and how it will impact banks. Ultimately, Lourdes feels banks will end up going the route of the newspapers during the proliferation of internet. The small banks react the slowest and are most vulnerable, but also have an advantage the bigger banks don’t. They posses the agility big banks can’t. So if a Credit Union or small bank decides to take a proactive approach they might actually avoid extinction. Sadly, these institutions dont realize they’re eventually going to lose their customers to crypto exchanges as they add more services and products, with lower fees.

 

Lourdes and I also have differing opinions on whether cryptocurrency illegal activity will increase or decrease. Let’s just say, we agree to disagree, but we both might be right. You’ll just have to listen and give us your opinion.

 

Tweet your favorite quote and tag @CoinStructive @djkinkle & #LABradio

 

Further Reading and Resources

Lourdes C. Miranda, CAMS, CFE, Financial Crimes Investigator and Crytpocurrency Analyst at Miranda FinIntel Consulting,  | Email | LinkedIn 

 

  Chicago's Queen of Crypto 

When I noticed the talented Hannah Rosenberg would be speaking at the Avantpay |19 conference, you have no idea how happy I became. I had recently visited Chicago at the end of August and I was able to sit down with Hannah and record an episode. Unfortunately, the recording had some technical issues and it was unusable. I wasn't going to let a second opportunity slip by. 

Hannah got started in crypto back in 2014 and is one of the most involved and passionate people in the industry. She is the Managing Director of the Blockchain Institute, the Lead Organizer of the B.O.B. meetup (Bitcoin and Open Blockchain),  an adjunct faculty member at UIC (University of Illinois Chicago) and the founder of Velas Commerce. 

Hannah was representing Velas Commerce at the Avantpay conference. So I asked her what she was hoping to get out of this event. She was really curious to hear the Cannabis Industries thoughts on crypto. Additionally, Hannah shares with us her take on the intersection of cannabis, crypto and payments. She also identifies why it is important to get out of the crypto bubble. As a full time crypto person, Hannah needs to remind herself that obvious solutions to her, are not obvious to others. 

For the rest of us that don't live in Hannah's bubble, we dig into what the Chicago seen is like. She starts with the B.O.B. meetup group and tells us how thankful she was to have pioneers like Brooke Mallers and Pamela Morgan. 

"I really see crypto as 'Power to the People' via technology." -Hannah Rosenberg

Hannah started out holding events and creating trustworthy information during the 2017 crypto rush. After one of her events a woman from her Alma Mater, UIC, reached out to her. They began talking and the next thing she knew, she was creating a curriculum. She loves teaching because she gets to emphasize the potential impact the technology has on the world.

Additionally, you'll hear topics like: 

• Crypto Commerce & Lightning Network
• Gresham's Law 
• Velas Commerce Crypto Payment Integrations
• What a world with crypto for her children will look like
• Her thoughts on the trajectory of the industry
• What she would change about the crypto industry

Tweet your favorite quote and tag @CoinStructive @djkinkle @hmichellerose & #LABradio

 

 

Further Reading and Resources

 

Hannah Rosenberg , Blockchain Institute, Managing Director | Twitter | LinkedIn 

 

The Blockchain Institute| Website | Twitter | LinkedIn 

 

Velas Commerce - | Website | Twitter |LinkedIn

 

B.O.B. Chicago Meetup - | Website | Meetup

 

 

    Celsius Network is changing the game

I was thrilled to interview, not only one of the Celsius Network top brass, but two at the same time. We rarely get a duo as dynamic as CEO, Alex Mashinsky and Head of Global Partnerships, Leah Jonas. I knew this was going to be fun and informative.

You don’t have to go deep into a search for the name Alex Mashinsky before you uncover a plethora of amazing feats. Not only does Alex have an eye for the future, but he understands what it takes to get there. A big part of “getting there” is surrounding yourself with amazing people and one of those people on this journey with Alex is Leah Jonas. 

“Are you part of the problem or part of the solution” – Alex Mashinsky

With Leah’s energetic and inviting personality it’s no wonder she’s the head of partnerships. Now living in Tel Aviv, she is helping expand the reach of the Celsius Network. As a previous part of the core team in New York, she has a unique perspective on remote teams and how to keep them focused. 

Celsius’s most well known feature is their ability to for individuals to receive interest on the crypto they deposit. Twenty years ago it was commonplace for the average person to expect to earn interest on their money deposited at a bank. In this day and age, people never have to go into a branch, yet parts of the world are now experiencing negative interest rates. Additionally, there are still entire populations and geographies with access to banking of any kind, let along the concept of earning on your savings. 

Gain Interest on your Crypto

Celsius Network is bringing to the masses a new way to let your money make money. You’ll hear stories from both Leah and Alex reinforcing their beliefs on how blockchain technology can be applied to the world.  

Additionally, you’ll hear topics like: 

• How providing benefit out weighs education
• Alex’s position on how blockchain can disrupt the fintech sector 
• Leah’s stance on Venture Capital and the ICO model
• Why they give 80% back to the depositors
• How Leah has done a 180 since joining crypto
• The importance of diversity and taking chances on people
• Alex’s position on the future for his children
• What each would change about the crypto industry

Tweet your favorite quote and tag @CoinStructive @CelsiusNetwork and @LeahNJonas @Mashinsky

 

Further Reading and Resources

Alex Mashinsky , Celsius Network, Founder & CEO | Twitter | LinkedIn 

Leah Jonas , Celsius Network, Head of Global Partnerships | Twitter | LinkedIn 

 

Celsius Network – | Website | Facebook | Twitter |Telegram

 

 

Our guest on episode 74 of LAB Radio is InsureYourBit’s founder, Doug Moeller. Doug is passionate about providing crypto related insurance to individuals and entities who regularly use uninsured third party custodians as a regular part of their business. 

Stay in crypto long enough and you will eventually hear of or be a part of an exchange hack. US based residents who are used to traditional financial services, like banking, are familiar depositors insurance. They receive this as part of the banks agreement with the FDIC. However, the FDIC only insures one kind of deposit, US dollars. Many US based exchanges have FDIC insurance for their customers US dollar deposits, but what about all those crypto deposits?

This is where InsureYourBit comes in. Doug wants to see a world where users, on exchange platforms, are able to purchase their own insurance for their digital assets. 

Crypto on an exchange is not insured

Doug's passion for insurance comes from his experience of platform failure  in the crypto space, but also as a poker player on Full Tilt Poker. The similarities of this centralized failure to the crypto exchange failures is eerily synonymous. It also comes from a deep sense of wanting people to be able to protect their assets or provide for their loved ones.

The principles of insurance are to protect people and share risk. Currently, no one offers hot wallet insurance. Exchanges currently have war chests in case they are hacked. However, Doug believes the exchanges could better deploy that capital if it wasn't all tied up in an emergency fund. 

"Insurance is the oldest Coop" - Doug Moeller

In this episode we cover topics like: 

• How insurance works
• What it takes to launch an Insurance company
• Regulatory Frameworks
• Smart Contract Insurance
• The types of Crypto they plan to cover
• Insurance "Need vs. Want"

According to a recent survey by InsureYourBit, "64 % of people who hold their crypto outside of an exchange would be more likely to keep it there if there was a crypto insurance product available."

Lastly, the indemnity to the user will cover the total amount of crypto losses, let's say Bitcoin in this case.  If a trader wants to use and insure 10 bitcoins on X platform, once they start paying their premiums, they are covered in the event of an exchange hack. 

Hope you Enjoy!

Tweet your favorite quote and tag @CoinStructive @Insurabit and @DougFMoeller.

 

Further Reading and Resources

Doug Moeller, InsureYourBit Founder & CEO | Twitter | LinkedIn

InsureYourBit - | Website | Facebook | Twitter 

 

Who is Rockstar Developer?

On episode 73 of LAB Radio, your host Chris Groshong visits with Rockstar Developer over lunch during a recent visit to Chicago. For those of you who are new to this personality or know little about him, you are going to find out why he is such a Rockstar. And he even gives us some pointers on becoming a Rockstar too.

Sometimes it's best to start with the simplest things first. You will hear us visit this topic several times during the episode. Of many themes we cover during lunch  they all relate to the human element behind the things we do. 

Imagine sitting at a corner table on the 15th floor, over looking the fork of the downtown Chicago river. A thunder storm was just finishing up and off in the distance the top of the formerly known Sears Tower could be barely seen as it was dodging in and out of a fog against a dark backdrop of ominous looking cumulus clouds.

Rockstar Developer and I had never met, nor spoken by phone. Our only contact came briefly via Twitter(@r0ckstardev). This didn't stop us from instantly connecting. It turns out we have a lot more in common than we thought. 

Zoom out, the canvas is bigger than you think

In the first few minutes Rockstar's calming presence embraces you and makes you want to listen more. We start out with the basics, like background and origin story. Then we get into what he's been working on lately. BTCPay Server is where he is spending a lot of his time and he is also working with Jack Mallers(@JackMallers) on Zap Wallet, a Lightning enabled wallet(@ln_zap).

At this point in the interview we start to dive into real world issues and philosophical concepts. 

We cover topics like: 

• When will the people wake up
• The US economy
• User Data & Sovereign Identity
• Fairness and Monkeys
• Sports and Business
• Emotional Intelligence

Finally, we come to a close with how you too, can become a Rockstar.

There is so much good stuff in this episode it's hard to fathom. 

Enjoy!

Tweet your favorite quote and Tag us and Rockstar Developer.

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Further Reading and Resources

Rockstar Developer, Bitcoin Ecosystem Developer | Twitter