“How can protocols improve humanity?…it’s just computer code, it’s just a way for computers to talk to each other, it’s a protocol; and somehow that simple idea is having huge impacts on the world.”— William CasarinWilliam Casarin is a Bitcoin Core, Lightning Network and Nostr developer. In this wide-ranging interview, we discuss the current debate over Canadian state control over media and the disillusionment of its citizens, the advantages of using Bitcoin in the context of current banking constraints, the potential of decentralized social media platforms such as Nostr, and the benefits and challenges of AI. - - - - William Casarin is one of the band of amazing developers within our community who ensure the cogs of Bitcoin-related machines keep working. Our conversation began with a discussion about the current situation in Canada amid concerns about state control of the media. We also touched on the decline of Canada and the disillusionment of its citizens, especially after a trucker protest revealed the true nature of the politicians. We then shifted our conversation to our experiences with banks, which can be invasive and unreliable, and the advantages of using Bitcoin. Banks today restrict financial liberty: there are serious questions regarding their overreach in implementing KYC and AML checks. Whilst running businesses on a Bitcoin standard has advantages, there are real challenges as most businesses still require access to fiat currency and associated payment channels.William then shared his vision of creating a level playing field for free speech online and mentioned the progress being made in decentralised social media platforms such as Nostr. He highlighted the complementarity between Bitcoin and free speech, as both are protocols that promote freedom and autonomy.We also discussed the use of AI in various fields. AI can be used to accelerate intelligence and make tasks more efficient, such as generating assets for video games. However, there are serious concerns about overreliance on AI and the potential dangers it may pose. Cryptography will be an important tool in dealing with the security risks associated with AI, despite states such as the UK seeking to ban end-to-end encryption.- - - - This episode’s sponsors:Iris Energy - Bitcoin Mining. Done Sustainably Bitcasino - The Future of Gaming is hereLedger - State of the art Bitcoin hardware walletWasabi Wallet - Privacy by defaultUnchained - Secure your bitcoin with confidenceOrange Pill App - Stack friends who stack sats-----WBD719 - 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 contributeMake a tip:Bitcoin: 3FiC6w7eb3dkcaNHMAnj39ANTAkv8Ufi2SQR Codes: BitcoinIf you do send a tip then please email me so that I can say thank youSubscribe on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | YouTube | Deezer | TuneIn | RSS FeedLeave a review on iTunesShare the show and episodes with your friends and familySubscribe to the newsletter on my websiteFollow me on Twitter Personal | Twitter Podcast | Instagram | Medium | YouTubeIf 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.