3 Lessons From The Oslo Freedom Forum: Bitcoin As A Tool – Mallers, Roem, Fang
Oslo Freedom Forum delivered some of the most thought-provoking ideas about what makes bitcoin special and valuable beyond price. And luckily the organizers cut these one minute videos for us to consume the mentioned ideas. And even luckier, the Bitcoinist decided to repeat them and paint another picture of the asset our publication is named after.
We have already shown people from all over the world – one, two, three – and this new trio is no different. Each of them will come up with a surprising point about the bitcoin network that will seem obvious from now on. Oslo Freedom Forum made bitcoin thought leaders see the situation from a different perspective. Let’s read what they came up with.
BTC price chart for 07/05/2022 on Binance | Source: BTC/USD on TradingView.com
Oslo Freedom Forum: Jack Mallers On Bitcoin As Rails
Strikes CEO and bitcoin wonderboy, Jack Mallers have explained before the opportunities an open network that bitcoin provides. This time, however, he adapts to the Oslo Freedom Forum audience and elaborates and goes into the censorship-resistant qualities it has.
“We think of it as the global payment standard for the world. Think of it this way. It is an open, accessible set of instructions that if you integrate these instructions, you are connected to the entire planet. To determine value at the speed of light and no cost.And no one can tell you anything else.And no one can deplet you.And if you want to use it, you’re all right.If you do not, you do not need.But if you need it, you can.And it’s the huge feature that Bitcoin enables. “
11 / Privacy lawyer @ J9Roem about why money to the world must pass the censorship test: pic.twitter.com/P7kvCq3ZGr
– Alex Gladstein @gladstein June 22, 2022
Oslo Freedom Forum: Janine Roem on censorship resistance
Janine Roem – Cypherpunk, journalist and privacy educator – elaborates on the censorship-resistant idea. She also explains the concept that bitcoin is “money for enemies” to the Oslo Freedom Forum.
“When I talk about censorship, when I evaluate a digital currency, or any kind of money, even if they are not digital, I look at whether they pass what I call the censorship test, which is if you have an organization that is targeted by f eg a nation state or in that case specifically a group of nation states, because they exercise their right to speak in a way that they do not agree with the states do not agree with, these states can try to stop them by seizing their money, blocking them from receiving money, or blocking individuals from being able to send them money and then all kinds of money systems where possible, regardless of your opinion of a particular organization. “
You already know that there is only one resource that meets these standards. Only one resource in world history.
“I feel that it is important to have a money system where it passes the test, and that is why and is the central reason why I became interested in Bitcoin because it passes that test since 2011. It has passed that test even at a time when it was relatively small, so I expect any kind of CBDC to pass that test, and if it does not, I say I’m not interested. “
12 / @Okcoin Hong Fang CEO (@hfangca) on how Bitcoin differs from the older financial system: pic.twitter.com/gulYsmOKby
– Alex Gladstein @gladstein June 22, 2022
Oslo Freedom Forum: Hong Fang On Bitcoin As A Free Monetary System
Hong Fang, CEO of the OKcoin exchange, reminisces and tells the Oslo Freedom Forum about the moment she decided to join the bitcoin room. The unique features of this new asset class change the rules of the game. And considering that the game was rigged to begin with, this can only be positive for the industry.
“But what I learned when I was in Goldman, especially during the financial crisis, is an element of imbalance, an element of injustice in the system, in the current system where we are talking about free markets. It was something that was not completely free, and I did not realize it until 2016 when I came across Bitcoin, when I realized, ok, this is something that represents a free money system that has never been made before in the way it was designed.Where the money is not created by any government, is not supported by any government or any central organization, but can somehow help people form consensus, thus enabling large-scale value transfer between individuals.It itself was unique and can actually help us fix things “That’s how I personally got into Bitcoin. And I got into the room.”
These are probably dangerous ideas for today. Join Bitcoinist soon for more philosophical action from the streets of Oslo Freedom Forum.
Featured Image: Hong Fang screenshot from this video | Charts by TradingView