Today we have a special episode where I am sharing my conversation on Sarasota Stories hosted by Bob Williams. Bob hosts me to discuss the early days of Bitcoin, my love for Sarasota, how to navigate the crypto winter, my passion for film production, and much more. In each episode, Bob conducts in-depth interviews with a local Sarasota business owner, civic leader, entrepreneur, artist, or philanthropist to find out who they are, what they're doing now, and the impact they hope to make on the Sarasota community. This podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in learning more about me, the early days of Bitcoin, what makes Sarasota unique, and the disruptive potential of crypto in the film industry. We begin our conversation by discussing something people might not know about me: I am an avid guitarist. We discuss my broad range of taste in music and especially my love for bluegrass. We touch on the beauty of music and the ability to connect with people through playing music Our first major conversation topic centered around my backstory and upbringing. We discussed my very traditional Jewish upbringing and how that informed my understanding of the importance of community. We transition to how I first learned about Bitcoin by stumbling into an early Bitcoin chat forum. The forum was full of early bitcoin developers, and even Satoshi frequented and communicated to discuss Bitcoin. Our next conversation topic focused on my foray into Bitcoin. We discuss how I eventually started my bitcoin-focused startup, BitInstant, which became the first venture-backed Bitcoin startup. We discuss the craziness of the early Bitcoin days and how Bitinstant grew to encompass 30% of total Bitcoin transaction volume. We discussed how starting BitInstant propelled me to the world stage; I traveled all over the world to give talks about Bitcoin and the future possibilities this new technology could bring to the world. We discuss how one of the primary reasons why I was attracted to the Bitcoin space was because I found a family in the Bitcoin community. We discussed how I realized the disruptive potential of Bitcoin and why I knew the space was still in its infancy. We touch on how the initial experience using Bitcoin. Our conversation transitions to focus on how we ended up in sunny Sarasota. We discussed what attracted me to Sarasota. Another Sarasota conversation topic centered around how Sarasota is a burgeoning crypto hub. We discuss how Sarasota has birthed a wave of very successful crypto entrepreneurs. We also discuss what makes a city a crypto hub. We dive deep into the qualities of the city that attract and birth innovative leaders. Our next conversation topic centered around government and the importance of freedom. We discuss the necessary tradeoffs for a government to run effectively while preserving the rights of its citizens. We pivot our conversation to discuss the volatility and market turmoil currently impacting crypto. We discuss how bear markets are the perfect time to invest. We discuss the importance of doing due diligence and investing in projects with solid fundamentals. We stress the importance of dollar cost averaging and building conviction through the bear market. Our final conversation topic centered on my recent Cannes Film Festival trip. We discuss my experience of being a part of the festival and the overall vibe of the festival. We discuss the various problems with the business of making films and how DeFi and crypto can help address these inequities.
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