Originally appeared here.
The following is an interview conducted with Jeff Berwick by Bitcoinomics.Net. Be sure to check out Jeff's interview on Max Keiser right here:
When did you first hear of Bitcoin and what did you think about it?
JB: I first heard about it in early 2011 from a Dollar Vigilante subscriber, Jeremy Bernal. I posted an interview with him here in May 2011. I met Jeremy at Doug Casey’s La Estancia de Cafayate in Argentina over a glass of torontes near a fireplace and was very interested as I had never heard of it before. I began to follow it near $3 and after interviewing him I then went on to talk more with another person I met in Cafayate, Trace Mayer in 2012.
[Trace] told me, in this interview, why it was so important. Trace actually walked me through opening my first bitcoin wallet, transferred me $10 in bitcoin and walked me through buying something on the internet with it all within a matter of about a minute and from then on I was enthralled with it. I’d also have to say you played a role in my bitcoin education as I initially got involved with you on the world’s first bitcoin ATM machine when Cyprus had their bank bail-ins. Quickly I was on Fox Business, CNBC and Bloomberg and you helped me to gain a better technical understanding of bitcoin at that time to answer the questions I was being asked.
What is your feeling of the Bitcoin ecosystem and the players investing in Bitcoin?
JB: I think it is vibrant and exciting. It reminds me very much of the mid 90s with the internet… a revolution I was very much a part of as I founded Canada’s largest financial website, Stockhouse.com, in 1994. Every year you can see more big name people coming on board with bitcoin and with the recent $75 million investment into Coinbase by banks, the New York Stock Exchange and former Thomson Reuters CEO it shows a lot of people see a major future for bitcoin.
What do you think about the Bitcoin Foundation?
JB: I truly didn’t see much about it until a good anarcho-capitalist friend of mine, Cody Wilson, stated that he wanted to run for President of it and then shut it down. I then discovered that the main purpose of the Bitcoin Foundation was to integrate bitcoin more with governments and the current banking system and, being an anarcho-capitalist myself, I don’t support that very much.
Is Bitcoin popular in Mexico?
JB: Amongst the general populace, no. But you could say the same about that in the US. It is rising tremendously with a vibrant business environment, however. I have spoken at a few bitcoin conference in Mexico City and every year the audience grows tremendously.
Are there any merchants in Acapulco taking Bitcoin that you know of?
JB: I think I am the only one right now. We accept bitcoin for our condo sales at Acacondos and at our hotel at Las Torres Gemelas Private Suites.
How can Bitcoin help the Mexican people/economy
JB: Bitcoin can help anyone, anywhere, because it gives us a free market currency option. Central banks, around the world, including in Mexico, serve no purpose but to impoverish the society, destroy the economy through money printing and price fixing of interest rates and also to fund government wars and other heinous acts.
One area, however, that I think will be massive for Mexico is in the area of remissions. Many Mexicans still work outside of Mexico and send funds back to their family in Mexico, usually via things like Western Union, which are difficult to use, heavily restricted and very costly. Bitcoin is easy, completely unrestricted and essentially free to transfer so bitcoin should catch on quickly here once it reaches critical mass.
Are you watching the Silk Road trial closely? Why?
JB: Absolutely. I recently called it the most important trial of our generation. The Silk Road was a completely free market (the government calls it a black market because they don’t get a cut of the action) with no restrictions or regulations except those put on by the users themselves. Ross Ulbricht stands accused of “masterminding” the website and is accused of, essentially, being a drug trafficker because people used the website to trade in things like plants (they call them drugs in government speak).
There were no victims and therefore there was no crime. The only victim in this case is the one standing trial, Ross Ulbricht, who has been kidnapped (arrested and jailed) and already had all of his bitcoin stolen from him even though he has yet to even be found guilty of anything. The case has major ramifications because it essentially says that if you have a website, of any nature, and people are on the website and transact that you are liable for their actions. It is the height of ludicrousness… but that is the police-state of the US today. Everything is illegal and everyone goes to jail.
How has TDV incorporated Bitcoin?
JB: TDV’s main role has been in championing the currency since 2011. Aside from that, every single product we offer, whether it be our newsletter (The Dollar Vigilante), second citizenships (TDV Passports), offshore banking and incorporation (TDV Offshore), wealth internationalization and management (TDV Wealth Management) or anything else, we accept bitcoin.
What is Anarchapulco?
JB: I have been an outspoken free market advocate since 2004 and a true free market advocate is an anarcho-capitalist. I’ve hosted my program, Anarchast, for many years now and had nearly 200 episodes with some of the most amazing free market advocates in the world including Doug Casey, Lew Rockwell, Tom Woods and countless others. What I found, however, is that there had yet to be a truly anarcho-capitalist event. Most freedom events are called things like Libertyfest, Libertopia and Freedomfest… but they have all different styles of libertarians at it but don’t focus on the purest form, anarcho-capitalism. So, I decided to start one this year where I live in Acapulco, Mexico, called Anarchapulco, which I find to be the freest city in North America. We’ll be holding it from February 27th to March 1st.
What can one expect at Anarchapulco?
JB: The tagline is “Rethink. Reinvent. All the Things.” That really embodies the theme. We have a two day entrepreneurship camp, an independent media workshop, an unschooling workshop and we have many different speakers on things like precious metals, Austrian economics, anarchist and libertarian philosophy, expatriation and numerous other topics. The biggest topic is bitcoin and bitcoin/internet 2.0. We have many of the biggest names in the bitcoin world coming including Roger Ver, the bitcoin Jesus, Cody Wilson of Dark Wallet and countless others including most of the Mexican bitcoin community.
What Bitcoin options will be at Anarchapulco?
JB: I would say 99% of the people coming to the conference are huge proponents of bitcoin for its free-market value and so pretty much anything you can imagine bitcoin related will be there. And, of course, we accept registration for bitcoin.
Thanks Jeff!
JB: Thank you!
Justin O’Connell is the Chief Executive Officer of GoldSilverBitcoin. He is also the author of the bitcoin book, Bitcoinomics, and administrator of the Bitcoinomics website. Justin is also a co-host at Our Very Own Special Show, a lifestyle podcast about music, news, life. He lives in San Diego, California.
Before we get to the review, be sure to check out TDV Newsletter, because this month (and year) is going to be special. Jeff is dedicating himself almost full-time to bringing paid subscribers the best information they can receive in 2015, which could prove to be an ever important year in The End Of The Monetary System As We Know It (TEOTMSAWKI).
Subscribe to The Newsletter today, and receive TDV's HomeGrown, as well as special reports, including Getting Your Gold Out Of Dodge. Moreover in the Newsletter, senior analyst Ed Bugos analyzes what is going on in Europe, as well as the yellow metal in what is looking like what could be the first big year for gold in a few years.
If you’re interested in receiving articles beyond what you read here everyday, consider our weekly subscriber-only publications, like our Issue, Dispatches, and Homegrown. You may subscribe here.
January 19, 2015
Gamemaker Watch: Why Bitcoin Crashed and The Franc Spiked
By Scott Freeman
Two events from the past week stand out as particularly memorable. One may or may not be remembered a year from now, depending on how things unfold going forward. The other – the Swiss franc revaluation – definitely will be. The possibly memorable event I am referring to was the spike down in the bitcoin price to $160 / 900 RMB. If we consider the shake-out scenario discussed last week, we did indeed reach the $160 target price level, but the price did not remain under $180 for long. Those who bought at $160 did well, since the rebound went as high as $233.
January 20, 2015
Another Highly Suspicious Liberty/Truth Death
By TDV Editor-In-Chief, Jeff Berwick
All the talk last month was about a movie potentially being cancelled, The Interview. In the end it wasn't cancelled and looks to have been one of the best marketing moves to get the movie massive attention. This month the talk is about a serial mass-murdering hitman called American Sniper.
January 21, 2015
Cuba Loves America Like a Glutton Loves His Lunch
By TDV Contributor, Wendy McElroy
Last December, a CBC News headline announced, “Cuba, US to restore diplomatic relations after 50-year rift.” Why now? The answer in one word: Venezuela.
HUGO AND FIDEL, THE FRICK AND FRACK OF COMMUNISM
Venezuela is at the tipping point of a massive collapse. Grocery shelves are bare, with military personnel stationed at stores. Photographing the empty shelves is now a criminal offense. Even in the cities, it is impossible to find diapers, milk and other necessities for children. Average people will withstand state-created deprivations but they will not watch babies and children suffer.
January 22, 2015
The European Central Bank Commits Monetary Suicide
By TDV Senior Analyst, Ed Bugos
Yesterday the European Central Bank (ECB) announced an expanded 1.1 trillion euro (US$1.3 trillion) asset purchase program to start in March 2015 and continue through September 2016 (19 months) that will include the purchases of sovereign (national government) debt. It plans to purchase roughly 60 billion euros ($68 billion) worth of securities monthly, up from about 13 billion, with most of the additional purchases to be allocated to sovereign (national government) debt with a quarter expected to end up in scarce German bunds. The purchases will be restricted to investment grade issues, which would mean no purchases at all if the condition were applied diligently, and will include non investment grade issues like Greek bonds if they have an ongoing budget/spending agreement with the ECB-IMF in place.
January 24, 2015
The Weekend Vigilante – Converting To Anarchy
I made a New Year's Resolution, actually a few months ago, to work a bit less. By "work a bit less" I mean about 14 hours per day, 6 days per week… and only for a few hours on Sunday whenever possible. And, also punctuated throughout the day with yoga/meditation and siestas.
After nearly five years of being on planes every other day, at conferences every few weeks and constantly writing, being interviewed and doing interviews I have been feeling a bit burned out. Plus, with two young children, a beautiful wife and five of the cutest dogs you've ever seen in your life I just felt like I owed it to myself and them to spend more time with all of them.
TDV VIDEOS
January 19, 2015
Anarchast: RG: Buy your dreams through Corporate Credit!
Jeff interviews multi-entrepreneur and freedom lover, fellow Acapulco resident RG, topics include: E-Hookahs, reality TV comes to Acapulco, US rapidly being locked down, Eat to Live but Live it Up!, starting your own corporation and accessing capital, USSA making foreign places seem dangerous, Greece much freer than the US, expat networks, mentorship and mutual support.
Jeff interviews global investor Jayant Bhandari, topics include: Indian corruption and overwhelming bureaucracy, George Orwell's Animal Farm, Hinduism lacks moorings, US and Canada headed the same way, Indian shops flooded with Chinese goods, very low Indian productivity, Morality and Capitalism Conference, impressions of Cancun and Mexico.
Jeff interviews Bitcoin entrepreneur Tuur Demeester, topics include: unpegging of the Swiss franc, Swiss banking, the population held hostage by their central banks, the move to private currencies, Bitcoin as an insurance, governments to embrace Bitcoin, the religion of statism grows weaker, government shrinks, Bitcoin as the internet of property, Passport to Freedom, entrepreneurship, non-violence, especially to children!
January 24, 2015
Anarchast: Tone Vays: Bitcoin on Wall Street!
Jeff Berwick in Acapulco interviews Wall Street and Bitcoin trader Tone Vays. Topics include: Wall Street, sound money, discovering bitcoin, cryptocurrencies ripe with trading opportunities, a great way to learn trading, calling the bottom, the limits of manipulation, Bitcoin as political and taxation safety, uncertainty in Europe, the importance of holding some BTC.
