var TRINITY_TTS_WP_CONFIG={“cleanText”:”Ari Kuqi talks Bitcoin, economics, and entrepreneurship on Weekly Livestream.u23f8Entrepreneur and old-school Bitcoiner Ari Kuqi joined episode 32 of theu00a0 Weekly Livestreamu00a0to talk about Bitcoin as electronic cash, the state of the digital currency industry, the potential of micropayments, and more.u23f8Kuqi was one of the original entrepreneurs in the Bitcoin space. He had a payment system called the Order Anything service that allowed people to use BTC and BCH as currencies online. His service wouldu00a0switch the digital currencies for fiat, eliminating the need for the merchants to handle BTC/BCH.u23f8Later in the stream, Kuqi tellsu00a0Kurt Wuckert Jr.u00a0he isnu2019t really active in the Bitcoin space right now and is focused on other ventures. However, as will become apparent, he has some strong and contrarian opinions about the way things are being done by BSV blockchain businesses right now.u23f8The state of the digital currency industryu23f8Wuckert states his view that 99% of the people operating in the cryptocurrency industry are scammers, grifters, and criminals. There are a few actual businesses thatu00a0create real economic value, but theyu2019re few and far between.u23f8Kuqi agrees, saying that the only way to change that is for legitimate businesses to demonstrate how using the blockchain helps them. Showing good margins and profits will attract more economic activity. Once other entrepreneurs see theu00a0utility of the blockchain, some of them will build on it, too.u23f8Do you think Bitcoin as plumbing is more future-proof than Bitcoin as a currency?u23f8According to Kuqi, Bitcoin as plumbingu00a0will be the foundation for Bitcoin as a currency. First, it will be used in the background, and then it may emerge as a currency.u23f8However, he makes it clear later that he doesnu2019t think everyday people will be buying it on exchanges to useu2014it will be enterprises dealing directly with miners like Taal andu00a0GorillaPool.u23f8What do you think of CBDCs?u23f8Wuckert asks Kuqi for his opinion onu00a0central bank digital currenciesu00a0(CBDCs), noting that theyu2019re a divisive topic in the industry.u23f8Kuqi replies thatu00a0CBDCsu00a0will have no impact at all on the price of BSV or any other token. He points to the recent revelation that Visa (NASDAQ: V) has been running millions of transactions on Solana, and it has virtually no impact on the price. Itu2019s possible that eight billion people use BSV, and it has a $5 price tag, he says. There may be someu00a0price appreciationu00a0due to speculation, but it will be regulated, and the price will be more stable. This will help it be useful.u23f8What are you working on? What project are you most proud of?u23f8Charlie Comet asks this question. Kuqi replies that success is measured in different ways, and he thinks he has been successful in that he has pushed the boundaries and demonstrated that several things are possible. Heu2019s most proud of the Order Anything service because it proved that Bitcoin can be used as a currency.u23f8Do older businesses that have gone under have a chance of being revived on BSV?u23f8Kuqi answers that some may, but not in the form they took before. The reason they didnu2019t survive is that theiru00a0business modelsu00a0were flawed, and the economics didnu2019t make sense.u23f8What are the biggest barriers to the mainstream adoption of micropayments? Will they reduce the friction of certain non-viable business models, such as social media on the blockchain?u23f8Project Babbageu00a0asks this two-part question. Kuqi answers the first part with brutal honesty: usefulness. He says he thinks ofu00a0micropaymentsu00a0as transactions rather than payments; they can represent different types of signals and data.u23f8As for the second question, he states that the way social media is being done on the blockchain now is missing the point. Micropayments are not the main thingu2014itu2019s all about the user legally owning their data. Open data protocols will help make such businesses viable.u23f8What industries will blockchain technology best disrupt?u23f8Kuqi feels that anything to do with regulatory compliance is ripe for disruption, and blockchain technology makes proving compliance easier. Itu2019s a good fit.u23f8Watch: On the very start of Bitcoinu23f8″,”headlineText”:”Ari Kuqi talks Bitcoin, economics, and entrepreneurship on Weekly Livestream”,”articleText”:”Entrepreneur and old-school Bitcoiner Ari Kuqi joined episode 32 of theu00a0 Weekly Livestreamu00a0to talk about Bitcoin as electronic cash, the state of the digital currency industry, the potential of micropayments, and more.u23f8Kuqi was one of the original entrepreneurs in the Bitcoin space. He had a payment system called the Order Anything service that allowed people to use BTC and BCH as currencies online. His service wouldu00a0switch the digital currencies for fiat, eliminating the need for the merchants to handle BTC/BCH.u23f8Later in the stream, Kuqi tellsu00a0Kurt Wuckert Jr.u00a0he isnu2019t really active in the Bitcoin space right now and is focused on other ventures. However, as will become apparent, he has some strong and contrarian opinions about the way things are being done by BSV blockchain businesses right now.u23f8The state of the digital currency industryu23f8Wuckert states his view that 99% of the people operating in the cryptocurrency industry are scammers, grifters, and criminals. There are a few actual businesses thatu00a0create real economic value, but theyu2019re few and far between.u23f8Kuqi agrees, saying that the only way to change that is for legitimate businesses to demonstrate how using the blockchain helps them. Showing good margins and profits will attract more economic activity. Once other entrepreneurs see theu00a0utility of the blockchain, some of them will build on it, too.u23f8Do you think Bitcoin as plumbing is more future-proof than Bitcoin as a currency?u23f8According to Kuqi, Bitcoin as plumbingu00a0will be the foundation for Bitcoin as a currency. First, it will be used in the background, and then it may emerge as a currency.u23f8However, he makes it clear later that he doesnu2019t think everyday people will be buying it on exchanges to useu2014it will be enterprises dealing directly with miners like Taal andu00a0GorillaPool.u23f8What do you think of CBDCs?u23f8Wuckert asks Kuqi for his opinion onu00a0central bank digital currenciesu00a0(CBDCs), noting that theyu2019re a divisive topic in the industry.u23f8Kuqi replies thatu00a0CBDCsu00a0will have no impact at all on the price of BSV or any other token. He points to the recent revelation that Visa (NASDAQ: V) has been running millions of transactions on Solana, and it has virtually no impact on the price. Itu2019s possible that eight billion people use BSV, and it has a $5 price tag, he says. There may be someu00a0price appreciationu00a0due to speculation, but it will be regulated, and the price will be more stable. This will help it be useful.u23f8What are you working on? What project are you most proud of?u23f8Charlie Comet asks this question. Kuqi replies that success is measured in different ways, and he thinks he has been successful in that he has pushed the boundaries and demonstrated that several things are possible. Heu2019s most proud of the Order Anything service because it proved that Bitcoin can be used as a currency.u23f8Do older businesses that have gone under have a chance of being revived on BSV?u23f8Kuqi answers that some may, but not in the form they took before. The reason they didnu2019t survive is that theiru00a0business modelsu00a0were flawed, and the economics didnu2019t make sense.u23f8What are the biggest barriers to the mainstream adoption of micropayments? Will they reduce the friction of certain non-viable business models, such as social media on the blockchain?u23f8Project Babbageu00a0asks this two-part question. Kuqi answers the first part with brutal honesty: usefulness. He says he thinks ofu00a0micropaymentsu00a0as transactions rather than payments; they can represent different types of signals and data.u23f8As for the second question, he states that the way social media is being done on the blockchain now is missing the point. Micropayments are not the main thingu2014itu2019s all about the user legally owning their data. Open data protocols will help make such businesses viable.u23f8What industries will blockchain technology best disrupt?u23f8Kuqi feels that anything to do with regulatory compliance is ripe for disruption, and blockchain technology makes proving compliance easier. Itu2019s a good fit.u23f8Watch: On the very start of Bitcoinu23f8″,”metadata”:{“author”:”Gavin Lucas”},”pluginVersion”:”5.7.4″}; |
Entrepreneur and old-school Bitcoiner Ari Kuqi joined episode 32 of the Weekly Livestream to talk about Bitcoin as electronic cash, the state of the digital currency industry, the potential of micropayments, and more.
Kuqi was one of the original entrepreneurs in the Bitcoin space. He had a payment system called the Order Anything service that allowed people to use BTC and BCH as currencies online. His service would switch the digital currencies for fiat, eliminating the need for the merchants to handle BTC/BCH.
Later in the stream, Kuqi tells Kurt Wuckert Jr. he isn’t really active in the Bitcoin space right now and is focused on other ventures. However, as will become apparent, he has some strong and contrarian opinions about the way things are being done by BSV blockchain businesses right now.
The state of the digital currency industry
Wuckert states his view that 99% of the people operating in the cryptocurrency industry are scammers, grifters, and criminals. There are a few actual businesses that create real economic value, but they’re few and far between.
Kuqi agrees, saying that the only way to change that is for legitimate businesses to demonstrate how using the blockchain helps them. Showing good margins and profits will attract more economic activity. Once other entrepreneurs see the utility of the blockchain, some of them will build on it, too.
Do you think Bitcoin as plumbing is more future-proof than Bitcoin as a currency?
According to Kuqi, Bitcoin as plumbing will be the foundation for Bitcoin as a currency. First, it will be used in the background, and then it may emerge as a currency.
However, he makes it clear later that he doesn’t think everyday people will be buying it on exchanges to use—it will be enterprises dealing directly with miners like Taal and GorillaPool.
What do you think of CBDCs?
Wuckert asks Kuqi for his opinion on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), noting that they’re a divisive topic in the industry.
Kuqi replies that CBDCs will have no impact at all on the price of BSV or any other token. He points to the recent revelation that Visa (NASDAQ: V) has been running millions of transactions on Solana, and it has virtually no impact on the price. It’s possible that eight billion people use BSV, and it has a $5 price tag, he says. There may be some price appreciation due to speculation, but it will be regulated, and the price will be more stable. This will help it be useful.
What are you working on? What project are you most proud of?
Charlie Comet asks this question. Kuqi replies that success is measured in different ways, and he thinks he has been successful in that he has pushed the boundaries and demonstrated that several things are possible. He’s most proud of the Order Anything service because it proved that Bitcoin can be used as a currency.
Do older businesses that have gone under have a chance of being revived on BSV?
Kuqi answers that some may, but not in the form they took before. The reason they didn’t survive is that their business models were flawed, and the economics didn’t make sense.
What are the biggest barriers to the mainstream adoption of micropayments? Will they reduce the friction of certain non-viable business models, such as social media on the blockchain?
Project Babbage asks this two-part question. Kuqi answers the first part with brutal honesty: usefulness. He says he thinks of micropayments as transactions rather than payments; they can represent different types of signals and data.
As for the second question, he states that the way social media is being done on the blockchain now is missing the point. Micropayments are not the main thing—it’s all about the user legally owning their data. Open data protocols will help make such businesses viable.
What industries will blockchain technology best disrupt?
Kuqi feels that anything to do with regulatory compliance is ripe for disruption, and blockchain technology makes proving compliance easier. It’s a good fit.
Watch: On the very start of Bitcoin
New to blockchain? Check out ’s Blockchain for Beginners section, the ultimate resource guide to learn more about blockchain technology.