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Margot Paez is a Bitcoin Mining consultant & Troy Cross is a Professor of Philosophy, and both are Fellows at BPI. In this interview, we discuss the fracturing of political movements (particularly the progressives), why the left is in favour of CBDCs, how Bitcoin is a political tool, the Bitcoin Policy Summit, Bitcoin’s image problem, and the issues and strengths of higher education.

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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:03:20 What is the progressive movement?
00:10:02 Political traps; Bitcoin as a political act
00:15:36 Bitcoin Policy Summit
00:19:11 Why the left support CBDCs
00:25:34 Bitcoin’s image problem
00:29:46 Bitcoin pushback in academia
00:45:02 Need for Bitcoin research; academic reform
00:59:30 AI + education; professional-managerial class

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“The project evaluating the Gridless model, whether it’s sustainable under various price scenarios, whether it’s sustainable in the local environment with water resources, that is a vital research project for humanity. We’re talking about the potential for 10s of millions of people, let’s say conservatively, to get electricity who don’t have it… This is the kind of project we desperately need. And people aren’t doing it.”
— Troy Cross

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On this episode, we welcome back two eminent friends of the show: Margot Paez and Troy Cross. At the start of 2022, What Bitcoin Did actively searched for progressive voices within the community. It was soon apparent that there was a huge untapped well of thoughtful and brilliant people who had identified the powerful impact Bitcoin could have in supporting progressive causes.

However, it is apparent that there is now a shift happening within the left: a fracturing of beliefs and approaches. Some progressives within Bitcoin are starting to align themselves with a more holistic ideology predicated on financial fairness, which is open to debate and collaboration with those on the other side of the aisle.

At the root of this conversion is the belief that the promotion and use of Bitcoin itself is a political act. As Margot states: “it’s an act of defiance”, but an act of defiance with teeth. Finally, activists have a tool that can take on the established centres of power. But, if we are to accelerate adoption and battle those who work against Bitcoin, education and advocacy still require a solid evidence base.

Unfortunately, the FUD directed at Bitcoin has left an ingrained stain in the minds of many progressives. Margot, one of the main people within our community looking to bring academic rigour to support the claims being made about Bitcoin’s societal benefits, has suffered directly as a result of this. She has effectively been kicked out of university because of her desire to study Bitcoin, by people with a progressive ideology.

We must all do what we can to support people like Margot and Troy. They are the ones providing the Bitcoin movement with the analytical heft needed to protect it from institutional attacks. They do it quietly and diligently, pushing against stiff headwinds. We owe them a massive debt of gratitude.