TUW special: Interview with Michael Fitzgerald author of The Monero Standard
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Monero Wallet Address:
42EkgN23XZoLJXrgMJjrRM7jYpmirk1WvWUWc2SDF6kZAXVzHMGy5XB8JM8Vce3iHGKh9H8ACWF9J6ErrfKCP48mL2yeWcw
Bitcoin Wallet Address: bc1q4283c60tv2p7exfeu2ql7dk2n7utswgl43n2fk
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BNB & BRC-20 Address: 0xD16429e3F253f50CfF306B2bE8966ce935332116
Reclaim (some) Privacy Webinar Series: Intro to SearXNG & other privacy engines
In April, I am planning my first webinar in a series focused on privacy. The specific webinar will be focused on why Google may not be the best search engine to use and the SearXNG meta search engine and how it can be used to enhance privacy when using a search engine to research or find something to one's interest.
If you are interested in the topic, feel free to click "attend" on the link to the event below: https://www.dhirubhai.net/events/7167975601373458433/about/
Disclaimer: Although I have a sympathy towards Monero and extreme privacy, Michael's views do not necessarily reflect my own views - sometimes I agree with him, sometimes I do not - and I do not have to in order to have him on my platform, that is what conversations are for - and other times his answers are thought provoking, at least to me. However, since we live in an age of surveillance, I am categorically opposed to the ban of privacy coins in the EU and in any EU as it is the last remnant of privacy everyday citizens can enjoy and hence I am more than happy to give - with the few followers that I have - a small platform to people like Michael and "representatives" of other privacy coins to talk about the importance of privacy in the age we today live in.
Thank you for reading this interview. If you want to pre-order Michael's book it is available on www.monerostandard.com.
Michael, could you introduce yourself?
To give a brief introduction, I consider myself a freedom maximalist. I am the Author of The Monero Standard and also currently host a podcast called Monero Magazine, which I will also be expanding out to a news site that is designed to reward authors of content in Monero.
I have been “in crypto” since 2015 when a friend introduced me to Bitcoin. I got my first job in the crypto industry in December of 2018, during the absolute bottom following the 2017 bull run.
What is Monero and how is it different from Bitcoin and Ethereum that are - currently - the two biggest cryptocurrencies and in the case of Ethereum, platform by market capitalisation?
Monero is fundamentally different from Bitcoin and especially Ethereum since neither bitcoin or Ethereum are ?
Satoshi’s ambition with bitcoin, as stated on the front page on the white paper was a “Peer-to-peer electronic cash system”, since bitcoin is not fungible (meaning 1=1, since each coin has a different history and thus level of desirability attached to it), It cannot operate as a digital cash as cash has no history attached to it.
Ethereum is a totally different concept to both bitcoin and Monero, its main purpose is as a smart contract platform, which in my opinion is not necessarily a bad idea at its core. However, a vast majority of problems we see in the world today are a consequence of the control and manipulation of the monetary supply rather than the centralization of processes. Therefore, it would be impossible for Ethereum to fix these problems because of the proof of stake governance model, which is simply a replication of the current fiat system where “the more money you have, the more influence you have”
This is what makes Monero a truly revolutionary technology, it fundamentally allows a new level of freedom and prosperity for the individual and for society as a whole. It takes the control of money out of the hands of the few and gives it back to every citizen in a society unlike Ethereum and also has the power to function as a true digital cash unlike bitcoin.
How does one create a Monero wallet?
There are naturally a few options, most common options are:
Desktop (Windows, MacOS & Linux)
Android:
IOS
Personally, I would recommend GUI wallet for desktop and Cake wallet for Android and IOS.
Do the Monero wallets track your IP as for example other wallets do?
There is no uniform answer to speak about all wallets broadly, however the most important factor to look for is that the wallet is open source so you can verify everything that is happening. Unlike MetaMask, where you are trusting, not verifying.
If someone needs to use Monero without KYC and avoid government verification or surveillance in general how do they do that?
There are a few ways:
Can not the government become really nasty and force KYC on a DEX?
A government can never implement KYC on a DEX, to understand this, you need to understand that what is currently being marketed as a DEX in the crypto space is often nothing more than an unregistered CEX with a different liquidity providing model.
A DEX obviously means “decentralized exchange”, if KYC can be forced onto an exchange, it by its nature cannot be decentralized since if it was decentralized then there is no one to threaten with jail, courts, Etc. And if there is no one to threaten with jail, then they cannot implement KYC on a DEX since they also do not control the code or nodes.
Can a government track down the developer of the DEX and put them into prison. for facilitating ”non-compliant trades" just like what happened with Alexey Pertsev the developer of Tornado Cash?
A government can always track down and prosecute any publicly known developer. Again, highlighting the importance of privacy and decentralization.
The US government has put a bounty on Monero and would pay someone - 625k USD - if they manage to break Monero or create tools that can trace transactions. To me, looking at Monero’s market cap, that is a very small amount for someone to be paid even in theory to undertake such a “mission”. What do you think of the whole situation? Especially since Governments have in theory and in practice unlimited resources both in terms of how big they are but also due to fiat printing? How can little Monero and even smaller privacy oriented cryptocurrencies survive or fight back against that and do they stand a chance?
Personally, I think it’s a testament to Monero’s success. They obviously see a threat to their existence with Monero and hence why they are offering a bounty to “crack it”. I also believe it is a small amount however it is what it is.
The great thing about maths is that it doesn’t care about how many resources or power someone has, it either works or it doesn’t. I’m not a cryptographer however, I don’t see Monero’s algorithm being “cracked” anytime soon.
What is your opinion on Edward Snowden's revelations? Considering that it has been a decade since he exposed mass surveillance, do you believe the situation has deteriorated over time? We observe governments engaging in online content censorship both in the EU and the US, along with the enactment of laws that grant them the authority to censor undesirable material not to mention the situations in more authoritarian countries and regions. Do you think surveillance itself has worsened? If so, in what ways? Can Monero potentially offer a solution, even if it may not address all the issues mentioned, but at least some of them?
Firstly, It again shows the importance of privacy as there is no doubt the censorship industrial complex has become stronger and more widespread, the game is played on a level much higher than simply mass surveillance. Secondly, it demonstrates on a higher level the importance of taking the control of money out of the hands of the state, it is only through the control of the monetary supply that they are able to fund their vastly unprofitable and unpopular agenda of mass surveillance. Without control of the money, they would be forced to obtain the money for mass surveillance through honest means i.e. taxation.
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What are some use cases of Monero that you may be aware of and that you may be proud of as a community member and contributor? Which one is your favorite?
I think the fact that Monero has been adopted on and is dominating the dark net shows that indeed Monero is the best form of digital cash that provides the most freedom to those living in all circumstances.
Do you think in the future we could use Monero’s privacy to enhance not only our transactions but also other personal information and implement something like a decentralized identity on top of it and other applications?
It’s a good question, at this stage since there is no ability to run smart contracts, it would not be possible to run a decentralized ID system on it.
To paraphrase a really well known comic book, “With great privacy comes great responsibility” and Monero is controversial because it has its fair share of criminals using it due to its enhanced privacy features. What do you think about the extreme privacy vs criminality trade-off?
Automobiles were adopted by criminals first as it allowed bank robbers to out run the pursuing law enforcement. Does that mean we should ban cars?
Mobile phones were adopted by criminals first as it allowed a level of communication that enabled them to organise their business and hits on a much faster time frame and a distance than ever seen before in human history. Does that mean we should ban mobile phone?
Like every technology, Monero is a “dual use” technology. It can be adopted for “good” or for “bad”. Many new technologies have been adopted by “criminals” first. It is simply a sign that the technology provides value to a user and since criminals are often at the forefront of innovation due to necessity, it is often the case that new technologies are adopted by criminals first.
Monero is no different.
What do you think of Taxes? Putting aside that no one likes paying them - Is it possible to pay taxes with Monero?
Monero once again enables a new level of autonomy that has never been seen before in human history, it truly revolutionises the relationship between government and individual. Government now has to genuinely convince an individual that their money is worth giving to the government, leading to a much smaller, more sustainable and more accountable government.
Compare this to the current system where government controls you and your behaviours via their control over not only the monetary system but the entire financial system that allows them to systematically threaten you with jail if you don’t believe in where they decide to support what is most often a complete waste of money.
Do you think there is a way to balance things out and discourage criminals from using Monero - without compromising on privacy?
I don’t think so, nor do I think we should try. Focusing on the potential use cases by criminals is totally missing the point about the immense benefits that are provided for everyone through this revolutionary technology.
On a philosophical note, many of the things that are considered crimes in western society today are not affecting anyone and therefore should not be made illegal.
Monero does not encourage “crime” in any way, shape or form.
What is your perspective on blockchain analytics tools like Chainalysis, Crystal, Ciphertrace, and similar ones? Do you consider them successful in tracking Monero transactions? How does the Monero community attempt to counteract the efforts of these companies and the services they offer? Can you present a strong argument in favor of such companies and one against them? Additionally, where do you personally stand regarding these companies? Are you in support of them or against them?
No, they’re completely toothless when it comes to Monero.
I am a free market guy, so their place in the world should be to the extent that they provide value. I am not for or against them, I am simply for them competing in an open and free market place to provide the most amount of value to people, that includes a world where the government cant' print money to fund purchasing products from Chainalysis.
How would you characterize the Monero community in terms of their values, beliefs, and motivations, including your own? Are they primarily anarchists, libertarians, idealists, or do they identify with another ideology? While each individual within the Monero community may have unique reasons for their involvement, considering the diverse cultural backgrounds and the nature of borderless technology like cryptocurrencies, is there a prevailing culture and set of values that are commonly shared among "Monerans"?
The great thing about money is that it is completely non political, or at least that’s how it should be. Monero is non political. Monero attracts people from all different political ideologies. I would say that currently Monero attracts people who really see the benefits of having a private, Proof of Work based money. The overall values that seem to be consistent in Monero adopters are freedom, responsibility, privacy and the pursuit for a better life.
If we fast-forwarded 20, 30, 40, or even 50 years into the future, and a significant number of people were living on a Monero standard, what would life be like? Saifedean Ammous wrote "The Bitcoin Standard" highlighting the challenges of the current fiat system and how Bitcoin could potentially serve as a solution, envisioning life under a Bitcoin standard. Similarly, let's explore how life might unfold under a Monero standard. How would day-to-day transactions, data management, and other aspects of daily life be impacted?
I think the most important benefit that Monero provides is the ability for people to live their lives as they see fit. What we actually see is purity in markets and human behaviour since markets and money is no longer manipulated or distorted. How this happens is rather nuanced, which we discuss in length in The Monero Standard.
Does your book relate to the things we discussed above? Is there anything in the discussion that we missed but you think is important to mention?
At its core, the book is about how we can use money to build a long lasting platform for freedom and prosperity. The book itself is not about Monero but rather we examine the problems that we face as a culture and species then present why Monero is the optimal tool for solving the problems.
The chapters are:
How can people buy your book?
Currently it is available for pre-sale via my website www.monerostandard.com and will be available via Amazon after the book is released shortly. It may even be launched by the time the interview “airs”.
Thank you for reading this interview. If you want to pre-order Michael's book it is available on www.monerostandard.com.
Similarly, if you want to donate to the development of Monero you can use this Monero address to do so. Please, only send Monero to it as other cryptocurrencies would be burned or lost forever.
Monero address: 888tNkZrPN6JsEgekjMnABU4TBzc2Dt29EPAvkRxbANsAnjyPbb3iQ1YBRk1UXcdRsiKc9dhwMVgN5S9cQUiyoogDavup3H
Similarly, there is also a Bitcoin address if someone wants to donate via Bitcoin - again, make sure you only send Bitcoin to the address and not Monero or any other cryptocurrency as it would be lost.
Bitcoin address: 1KTexdemPdxSBcG55heUuTjDRYqbC5ZL8H
If you enjoy and find value in the newsletter, please feel free to donate for its upkeep and independent nature as much as you think is fair:
Monero Wallet Address:
42EkgN23XZoLJXrgMJjrRM7jYpmirk1WvWUWc2SDF6kZAXVzHMGy5XB8JM8Vce3iHGKh9H8ACWF9J6ErrfKCP48mL2yeWcw
Bitcoin Wallet Address: bc1q4283c60tv2p7exfeu2ql7dk2n7utswgl43n2fk
ETH & ERC-20 Address: 0xD16429e3F253f50CfF306B2bE8966ce935332116
BNB & BRC-20 Address: 0xD16429e3F253f50CfF306B2bE8966ce935332116
Reclaim (some) Privacy Webinar Series: Intro to SearXNG & other privacy engines
In April, I am planning my first webinar in a series focused on privacy. The specific webinar will be focused on why Google may not be the best search engine to use and the SearXNG meta search engine and how it can be used to enhance privacy when using a search engine to research or find something to one's interest.
If you are interested in the topic, feel free to click "attend" on the link to the event below: https://www.dhirubhai.net/events/7167975601373458433/about/
Brought to you by Alexandros Dolgov CBA? (Study/Bitcoin)
Next Trend Realty LLC./wwwHar.com/Chester-Swanson/agent_cbswan
1 年Thanks for posting.