Bitcoin Behind the Veil with Craig Warmke - WBD522

Craig Warmke is a philosopher and fellow at the Bitcoin Policy
Institute. In this interview, we discuss the biases and pressures
that distort opinions about Bitcoin, and a framework for enabling
objective evaluation of Bitcoin’s value and risk to individuals
and society.  


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Bitcoin has proved itself to be the hardest money ever created at
a time when the world’s monetary systems are under unprecedented
stress. It also provides an array of unique utilities: it helps
vulnerable people; disrupts rent-seeking exploitation and brings
pluralism to money for ordinary people.


And yet, for the majority, Bitcoin is still funny internet money,
or worse, a Ponzi scheme, criminal back channel and/or
environmental disaster. Why are so many people still struggling
to see what Bitcoiners see? 


Hal Finney’s writings are uncannily prescient. One such example
is ‘Politics vs Technology’: a short 1994 article about
cypherpunk responses to the dangers of government overreach. Many
believed solutions were to be found in coding new tools. Finney
was less sure that technology in isolation would change the
world. To him, active engagement is vital: “If we want freedom
and privacy, we must persuade others that these are worth having.
There are no shortcuts.” 


If education is the magic bullet, how should we persuade those
still on the sidelines? Craig Warmke has proposed a framework
that enables people to strip away their unconscious bias,
subjective viewpoints and peer group constraints. The critical
characteristic of the framework is that it requires openness to
all of Bitcoin’s tradeoffs; bias affects both sides of the
debate.  


It makes the approach a powerful educational weapon: each
individual can see the issues through a new lens; and, because
both sides are required to confront their partiality, the
conversation can become honest and collaborative. It also enables
a fair review of the hidden costs of wider Bitcoin adoption, so
that Bitcoin’s case can be further strengthened.