10 Rules for Life with Michael Saylor

“There’s this phrase Bitcoin fixes this… I’m of the opinion that Bitcoin fixes everything. I think Bitcoin is a solution to every city, every state, every country, every corporation, every network, every application, every product.” — Michael Saylor Michael Saylor is the CEO of MicroStrategy. In this interview, we discuss his 10 tips for young adults, the opportunities and threats of AI, the importance of Bitcoin in an automated world, the strength of ossification compared to accelerating change, and the criticality of Bitcoin miners to the Bitcoin network. We also talk about Michael’s navigation of the bear market.    - - - -  Chat GPT was released a little over 6 months ago. It is arguably the most significant tech innovation since the internet. People are now routinely using chatbots to interact with technology and access information tailored to very specific needs. Whilst the impacts of this are yet to be fully understood, it is widely accepted that we have entered a new exciting and equally frightening paradigm. The issue at hand is that the world is becoming increasingly automated. As a result, human beings are being viewed as a constraint on productivity, which AI technology can mitigate. Where does this leave humans? In a world predicated on code and efficiency and automation, what controls are in place to ensure these systems are secure such that they can not be centralised and exploited such that the general population suffers rather than flourishes?  Michael Saylor is of the opinion we need an automated tool that is secure and outside of any centralised control. Bitcoin, in this scenario, is the tool that can compete with new digital advances, but, enable humans to retain some control of their lives. As such, it is imperative that we protect the integrity of the innovation such that its utility remains available for both existing and future generations. The question then becomes how do we best protect Bitcoin? Saylor argues that it is the Bitcoin miners that are Bitcoin’s “fortresses”: they provide brute force security, a cryptographic defence, and the means to marshall the means to advocate effectively for Bitcoin within the corridors of power. Bitcoin miners, therefore, need protection to ensure they continue to act as Bitcoin’s standing army. We do this by ensuring stability: ossifying Bitcoin’s base layer protocol. - - - - This episode’s sponsors: Iris Energy - Bitcoin Mining. Done Sustainably Ledn - Financial services for Bitcoin hodlers Bitcasino - The Future of Gaming is here Ledger - State of the art Bitcoin hardware wallet Wasabi Wallet - Privacy by default Unchained - Secure your bitcoin with confidence ----- WBD659 - Show Notes ----- If you enjoy The What Bitcoin Did Podcast you can help support the show by doing the following: Become a Patron and get access to shows early or help contribute Make a tip: Bitcoin: 3FiC6w7eb3dkcaNHMAnj39ANTAkv8Ufi2S QR Codes: Bitcoin If you do send a tip then please email me so that I can say thank you Subscribe on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | YouTube | Deezer | TuneIn | RSS Feed Leave a review on iTunes Share the show and episodes with your friends and family Subscribe to the newsletter on my website Follow me on Twitter Personal | Twitter Podcast | Instagram | Medium | YouTube If you are interested in sponsoring the show, you can read more about that here or please feel free to drop me an email to discuss options.