Built on Bitcoin with Jacob Brown

Follow Charlie on X: @cbspears Follow Donny on X: @itsdonnyok Follow Jake on X: @jakeblockchain This Bitcoin Weekly Kickback episode covers various topics related to proof of work and mining. It starts with a discussion about a project called the Rats, which involves inscribing rat-related things onto an inscription. The conversation then moves on to the effectiveness of proof of work for new chains and the challenges they face in competing with Bitcoin. The hosts express skepticism about the success of new proof of work networks and highlight the path dependency and adoption challenges they face. They also discuss the Bitax pleb mining initiative and its potential to contribute to the decentralization of mining. The conversation covers various topics including the potential of Bitcoin mining as a home-centric activity, the role of Nostra as a social media platform, and the concept of micro-payments. The hosts discuss the implications of pleb mining and how it can lead to a better understanding of Bitcoin. They also explore the challenges and potential centralization of Nostra as a social media platform. Additionally, they touch on the idea of streaming Satoshis and the importance of micro-payments. The conversation concludes with a brief mention of Magic Eden and its token launch.

9/4/24 • 52:20

Ordinalsbot is one of the most successful companies in the Ordinals space.In this episode, Brian Laughlan discusses his journey from launching a collection called Satoshibles on Ethereum to building on Bitcoin with Ordinals. He highlights the advantages of storing data on-chain and the challenges of high fees. We also his process of iterating on product and understanding what to build next.Follow Brian on Twitter: @bruffstarCheck out Ordinalsbot: https://ordinalsbot.com/

8/30/24 • 41:09

On this latest Bitcoin Weekly we discuss the Babylon Mainnet launch, Fractal Bitcoin Sidechain, The state of discourse on Bitcoin Twitter, East vs West and how they invest differently, Proof-of-Work being zero sum, the effects of the Ordinals numbering debate on devs, and much more.Follow Charlie on X: @cbspearsFollow Donny on X: @itsdonnyokFollow Bob on X: @bobbodilyFollow Jake on X: @jakeblockchainSound Bites"People have been craving the pod. I'm gonna waste no time. Let's just jump right in.""The general idea of development and pushing forward on Bitcoin is thrilling.""The number of developers who are competent in the ordinals and ordinals adjacent type dev activities are limited.""Fractal would be a pretty good testnet... It sounds like a terrible idea.""Either ETH wins or Bitcoin wins, but one has to slowly die or they're both easily more attackable.""BitVM2 is good enough for a specific bridging use case... LPs can come in and make it possible."

8/26/24 • 61:13

Its Bitcoin L2 season and Botanix is a nake you've surely heard around. But do you know what the Spiderchain is? In this episode we deep dive into how their novel peg-in/peg-out and consensus mechanism works to move BTC into their sidechain.Willem Schroe is the co-founder of Botanix Labs.You can follow him on Twitter: @WillemSchroeLearn more about Botanix on their website: https://botanixlabs.xyz/

8/23/24 • 48:42

Today we're talking about Bitcoin design and how to make products people love. In this conversation, Erik and Skyler discuss the concept of design and its application in the Bitcoin space. They explore the misconception that design is solely about aesthetics and highlight its utilitarian nature. They also delve into the psychology behind design and the importance of creating pleasant and intuitive user experiences. The conversation then shifts to the role of designers in the Bitcoin space and the challenges they face, such as the tendency to prioritize technology over people. They emphasize the need for designers to put the user first and iterate quickly based on user feedback. In this conversation, Jacob, Skyler, and Erik discuss the importance of user feedback and iteration in the design process. They highlight the value of creating working mock-ups in tools like Figma and gathering user feedback before investing in development. They emphasize the need for designers to be open to user insights and to constantly learn from how people interact with their designs. The conversation also touches on the challenges of building businesses in the Bitcoin space and the importance of understanding the limitations and potential use cases of the technology. They also express excitement about the potential of AI in design and the organic growth of the eCash protocol. Follow Erik on Twitter: @uxerik_ Follow Skyler on Twitter: @skyler_fs

8/16/24 • 60:45

The gang is back from Nashville. Follow us on Twitter/X: Donny: @itsdonnyok Charlie: @cbspears Bob: @BobBodily Jake: @Jakeblockchain

8/5/24 • 60:41

When Ordinals launched, there were so many tools lacking to properly inscribe and trade these new assets on Bitcoin. Emblem Vault was one of the first movers and marketplaces to allow trading of these new digital artifacts. Today I had Adam McBride on the show to discuss what Emblem Vault is, their unique view on the digital asset space and what they are working on next. Follow Adam on X: @adamamcbride Learn more about Emblem Vault: https://circuitsofvalue.com/

8/2/24 • 38:47

In this video, we're talking with Shehzan Maredia, the co-founder of Lava. We'll dive into how Lava is revolutionizing financial freedom with self-custody solutions, wallets without seed phrases, and ways to spend your BTC effortlessly. Follow Shehzan on Twitter: https://x.com/MarediaShehzan Check out Lava Wallet: https://www.lava.xyz/

7/18/24 • 39:06

What's the future of Bitcoin scaling? In this episode, I talk with Janusz. The co-founder of Bitcoin Layers, a new research group and educational platform demystifying Bitcoin scaling protocols. We'll explore the concept of "Bitcoin Layers," why newer Bitcoin "L2s" are gaining attention despite not always meeting true Layer 2 criteria, and the wide variety of scaling designs. Janusz sheds light on the trust assumptions in these systems and why understanding current implementations is crucial to navigating Bitcoin in this new era. Follow Janusz on Twitter: @januszg_ Learn more about BItcoin Layers: https://www.bitcoinlayers.org/

6/28/24 • 69:50

In this episode, Yago delves into the significance of the Bitcoin halving and its role in the consolidation of the cryptocurrency industry as Bitcoin begins to establish its dominance. He explores key technological advancements in Bitcoin, including Taproot and roll-ups, that position it as an operating system for a decentralized future. Additionally, Yago discusses Sovryn's multi-chain strategy aimed at creating a sustainable Bitcoin economy. He also examines the impact of tokens and decentralized finance (DeFi) in broadening Bitcoin's reach and ensuring its relevance in an evolving market. We Discuss: - What is BitSNARK, Grail & Bitcoin OS? - Recent technical advancements thanks to Taproot - Sovryn going multi-chain - Is this Halving different? and much more. Follow Yago on Twitter: @EdanYago Learn more about Bitcoin OS: https://sovryn.com/bitcoinos Check out Sovryn: https://sovryn.app/

5/3/24 • 45:39

The US government shook up the crypto world when it was announced the Samourai Wallet devs were arrested and the domain seized. This opened up a ton of questions around regulation clarity, non-custodial tools, what is and isn't a money transmitter, and a bunch more topics. I brought on Orlando Cosme to help dissect and understand what's going on in this situation and how the government is viewing these things. Follow Orlando on Twitter: @Orlando_btc Check out OC Advisory for legal help: https://www.ocadvisory.co/

5/1/24 • 54:02

This week we are back and talk about: - The hysteria around miners reorging the halving block and what actually happened - How did the Runes launch go and what happens next? - The Samourai Wallet situation and privacy - New data on miner centralization in Bitcoin As always, go follow us on Twitter: Charlie: @cbsspears Bob: @bobbodily Donny: @itsdonnyok Jake: @Jakeblockchain All previous episodes at https://www.builtonbitcoin.xyz/

4/29/24 • 49:44

Could Solana be a solid Bitcoin L2? Is there value in making it effortless to swap between BTC and Solana assets? The co-founders of Atomiq think so and have created an excellent product to eaisly swap between these assets with minimal risk. Sylvie Durach and Adam Borcany of the co-founders of Atomiq. An atomic swap protocol that let's you swap assets from different chains with a dead simple interface. Check out Atomiq: https://app.atomiq.exchange/ Follow Sylvie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sylvie0301 Follow Adam on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdamBorco

4/26/24 • 50:17

In this Bitcoin Weekly Kickback. Jake, Charlie, Donny, and Bob are joined by Matt Luongo to delve into: - The role of nodes versus miners in controlling Bitcoin. - The importance of fee revenue and NgU for different network users. - Designing Layer 2 incentives that align with Layer 1 priorities. - The Game Theory of UNCOMMON GOODS (The first Rune) Follow these cats on Twitter: @itsdonnyok, @bobbodily, @cbspears, @jakeblockchain, @mhluongo

4/15/24 • 51:42

Ordinals have been huge for Bitcoin since launching early 2023. There is $100's of millions in value locked in these digital artifacts. Liquidium allows users to borrow BTC using their Ordinal as collateral and lenders can earn a BTC yield lending to borrowers. Robin is the CEO and Co-Founder of Liquidium. Follow Robin on Twitter: @robin_liquidium Take a loan on Liquidium: https://www.liquidium.fi/

4/12/24 • 48:51

Another weekly chat of the latest in Bitcoin land. We have two special guests drop in this week. Philip from Arkadiko and Ian from Joltz Rewards, as well as the usual suspects Bob and Jacob. We Discuss: - Marathon Pools latest fee revenue coming way above average - Lighting + Coinbase - Custodial Lightning - Is DeFi a worthwhile goal? - Is BitVM safe? Follow these gents on Twitter: @BobBodily, @ian__major, @philiphacks and @jakeblockchain.

4/8/24 • 59:33

Fungible tokens and digital collectibles are hot topics on Bitcoin. This year we saw BRC20's and Ordinals take off. Now in 2024, there are two new standards being launched that aim to replace many of the shortcomings of these previous attempts. Linden Stark breaks down Taproot Assets and compares the similarities and differences between this protocol and Runes. Linden Stark is the CTO at Joltz Rewards. A Lightning-powered rewards provider and non-custodial Taproot Assets wallet. Follow Linden on Twitter: https://twitter.com/0xLinden Check out Joltz Rewards: https://joltzrewards.com/

4/5/24 • 35:13

In this chat we discuss: - The growing problem of mempool sniping and what to do. - MEV on Bitcoin - Private Mempools - Game of Blocks A relaxed and wide ranging chat with Charlie Spears, Bob Bodily, Donny and Jacob Brown.

3/26/24 • 55:18

The halving is right around the corner. Miners have to adapt to the revenue reduction and stay profitable. That's what we're talking about today with a new initiative Marathon, a large public Bitcoin miner, is starting called Anduro. Creating an ecosystem of sidechains with Bitcoin at the center. Follow Jullian on Twitter: @jullian0701 Check out MARA: https://www.mara.com/ Learn more about Anduro: https://www.anduro.io/

3/21/24 • 58:36

Latest Bitcoin Kickback chat with the gang! We discuss: - Charlie Spears joins Blockspace Media - OPI Indexer Upgrades - BRC20 "2.0" vs Runes - How Runes Transfers Work - Long-Term Viability of Fungible Tokens on L1

3/18/24 • 51:13

Rootstock is an OG of the Bitcoin L2 space. They were the earliest in the market to focus on merge mining, EVM compatibility, and Bitcoin DeFi. In this interview, Daniel talks about the growth and what is happening within the Rootstock ecosystem as we go into this 2024-2025 cycle. Curious where Bitcoin L2s are going? You'll want to listen to this one. Follow Daniel on Twitter: @danielfogg Learn more about Rootstock: https://rootstock.io/

3/1/24 • 41:35

Scaling Bitcoin is hard. Statechains are one potential way to scale it in a cheap and private way with minimal people to trust. Nicholas and his team at Mercury Layer are at the bleeding edge of developing Statechains. Follow Nicholas on Twitter: @gregory_nico Learn more about Mercury: https://mercurylayer.com/

2/23/24 • 47:55

The usual suspects of Charlie, Donny, Bob and I discuss latest Bitcoin topics: - Merlin Chain. New Bitcoin L2. - Latest Runes Alpha - The Universal Bitcoin/Sats Symbol - EVMs as Bitcoin sidechains - Rootstock as the best EVM sidechain Follow Charlie: https://twitter.com/cbspears Follow Donny: https://twitter.com/itsdonnyok Follow Bob: https://twitter.com/BobBodily Follow Jake: https://twitter.com/JakeBlockchain

2/19/24 • 58:16

Moving from chain to chain is a pain in the ass. Layer on custodian risk and this area is ripe for better solutions. That was Boltz is working on with their non-custodial cross-chain/multi-layer swaps from different Bitcoin focued chains. Kilian is the co-founder of Boltz. We discuss: - How he got into Bitcoin? - The benefits of building things non-custodial - Using L2s to solve Lightning scaling problems and much more! Follow Kilian on Twitter: @kilrau Check out Boltz at https://boltz.exchange/

2/16/24 • 51:33

Orkun is the co-founder of Citrea. A new Bitcoin L2 leveraging the latest ZK Rollup tech and BitVM to connect to the Bitcoin L1. Follow him on Twitter: @0x_orkun How best to scale Bitcoin is a hotly debated topic. One promising option is rollups, but to do them properly we need an a new OP_CODE. That is until BitVM entered the picture with a middle path with potential for bridges with much safer trust assumptions.

2/7/24 • 48:48

In this open-format chat. Charlie Spears, Donny, Bob Bodily, and myself discuss a few interesting topics including: - How close ZKrollups are to coming to Bitcoin - Building better bridges for L2s with BitVM - The Taproot Wizards BIPLand - Finding consensus for upgrades in 2024 You will definitely learn something in this one.

2/2/24 • 53:49

In 2023, managing your crypto wallet is still a big pain in the butt. Seed phrases are a single point of failure no normal person wants to use. Enter the Ryder One. They have rethought the experience of what a hardware wallet could be from first principles and created a completely new experience for securely managing your digital assets. Louise Ivan is the CEO and Co-Founder of Ryder. Learn more about Ryder: https://www.ryder.id/ Order your own Ryder One: https://kickstarter.com/projects/ryder-wallet/ryder-one-secure-wallet-strong-device-simple-transactions?ref=djvflh

11/17/23 • 41:46

What is RGB? That is the question we are answering today. RGB is an off-chain solution that brings smart contracts to Bitcoin. It's a radically different approach to the global-state blockchains we're used to. Hunteris the Director of Engineering at DIBA. They are building a bleeding-edge wallet and platform to operationalize the RGB protocol. Tune in, there's a lot to cover. Follow Hunter on Twitter: @cryptoquick Learn more about DIBA: https://diba.io/ Try BitMask wallet: https://bitmask.app/ Learn more about RGB: https://rgb.info/

10/14/23 • 57:14

Mike Jarmuz is the Managing Partner at Lightning Ventures. A Bitcoin-focused venture capital firm supporting early-stage founders. He has invested in over 1,500 startups to-date. We discuss: - Biggest mistakes he sees founders make when pitching - Anti-VC sentiment in Bitcoin - Biggest Opportunities - How to find good VC partners + much more Follow Mike on Twitter: @@MikeJarmuz Check out Lightning Ventures: https://ltng.ventures/

10/2/23 • 55:55

$500 billion in BTC is sitting mostly dormant. Proof-of-Stake chains need large amounts of capital to secure the network. David Tse is working to solve these two problems by allowing you to stake Bitcoin and secure a myriad of other blockchains. This new project is called Babylon. Check out the recently released litepaper here. https://docs.babylonchain.io/assets/files/btc_staking_litepaper-32bfea0c243773f0bfac63e148387aef.pdf Follow David Tse on Twitter: @dntse Follow Babylon on Twitter: @babylon_chain Learn more about Babylon https://babylonchain.io/

9/11/23 • 38:37