The past week has been quite eventful for Monero and Bitcoin. I'm rejoined by my friend who talked with us in Episode 7 about the Satoshi white paper and we try to make sense of it all. Join us as we talk about Bithumb adding Monero to their exchange, the debut of LocalMonero.co, Globee's ninja launch, RuffCT, the IRS tracing 50% of all Bitcoin transactions, Taylor Swift's new single, and lots more. Also get an inside scoop on what to expect from some of our upcoming episodes.

Today's episode is shorter than normal. I won't be interviewing anyone or talking about another project. Instead, this episode focuses on the podcast itself. I talk about what I'm trying to do with the show, some assumptions I make about you my listeners, and where I hope this podcast fits into the space. I also offer some thoughts on how we all should evaluate the space we find ourselves in today, with ICOs and hype aplenty.   Songs in the show are "Little ICO" (thanks @tradewithdave and @mikeinspace) and "Pumpers Pumpin'".   Music featured in the show is "The Grind" by Justin Maher and used under a Creative Commons License. https://musopen.org/music/1652/justin-mahar/the-grind/    Interested in trying out cloud computing? Visit https://moneromonitor.com/do for info on how to get $10 towards your first compute node at DigitalOcean (where we host our site!).   Enjoy the show? Please consider donating: 47SMPWHYcn5AfKzYF3c6cX94dCNcijKfdMgkCBTEmMtG4q9u9GdN7YdAmP777hfkmg52xntkDyxwh3nKcdGa2eApFAe5oZx

Over the past three years, a wide variety of companies have gotten involved in the Monero ecosystem. Some companies have very public-facing PR groups, founders, or community liaisons, but others have chosen to keep more quiet. Today, I talk with the CEO of a company that to date has taken much more the latter strategy, Changelly. At over two years old, and over a year open to the general public, Changelly is a bit like ShapeShift, though has some notable differences. Konstantin Gladych and I sat down and chatted for a while about his company, their various partners and affiliates, growing pains, and future plans. Give the show a listen and give us your feedback about Changelly.   Music featured in the show is "The Grind" by Justin Maher and used under a Creative Commons License. https://musopen.org/music/1652/justin-mahar/the-grind/    Enjoy the show? Please consider donating: 47SMPWHYcn5AfKzYF3c6cX94dCNcijKfdMgkCBTEmMtG4q9u9GdN7YdAmP777hfkmg52xntkDyxwh3nKcdGa2eApFAe5oZx   Interested in trying out cloud computing? Visit https://moneromonitor.com/do for info on how to get $10 towards your first compute node at DigitalOcean (where we host our site!).

Today, I talk with Chris DeRose of the Bitcoin Uncensored YouTube show and podcast about changes he's undergoing with his show, his thoughts on the Monero community and the potential future Monero needs to plan for, and the movements of the cryptocurrency space in general. If you're unfamiliar with Chris, check out his YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/user/cderose36/.   Get a deeper glimpse into what makes Chris tick, find out why he recently wrote a letter to the SEC about the ongoing ICO crazy in Ethereum, and why he's been so friendly towards Monero as of late. Today's show is a bit edgy, so maybe don't listen around the little ones!   Interested in trying out cloud computing? Visit https://moneromonitor.com/do for info on how to get $10 towards your first compute node at DigitalOcean (where we host this site!).   Music featured in the show is "The Grind" by Justin Maher and used under a Creative Commons License. https://musopen.org/music/1652/justin-mahar/the-grind/    Enjoy the show? Please consider donating: 47SMPWHYcn5AfKzYF3c6cX94dCNcijKfdMgkCBTEmMtG4q9u9GdN7YdAmP777hfkmg52xntkDyxwh3nKcdGa2eApFAe5oZx  

This episode introduces a new type of show to the series, "Required Reading." From time to time we'll devote a show to analyzing an important paper or document relevant to Bitcoin and Monero, and try to come away with a more detailed understanding of the material. The goal then is to serve as a detailed introduction to the material for newcomers and in depth review for people that are already familiar with the space. For our first Required Reading episode, we'll explore the original Satoshi white paper, which introduced Bitcoin to the world. The paper is really the defining document of the cryptocurrency space, and lays out the innovation of Bitcoin. But what was that innovation? What is a blockchain, and why should I care? Why should I trust it? Join us for the show as we read through the paper and discuss the groundbreaking innovation of Bitcoin. Then, we'll talk a bit about the cryptocurrency space today, and some basic advice for people just getting into the space. There won't be a transcript for today's show. You can access the original Satoshi white paper at https://www.bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf. Check it out, read along, and get in touch on social media!

Join us as we check in with Justin Ehrenhofer, a.k.a. SamsungGalaxyPlayer, to hear about his adventures as an increasingly well known Monero community member. We talk about his efforts at building a university cryptocurrency club at the University of Minnesota, contributions to Monero-related documentation and public communications, and recent travels throughout Europe to talk about Monero with anyone that will listen. Find out why he got involved, his thoughts on recent happenings in the Monero space, and how you can help his efforts.   Music featured in the show is "The Grind" by Justin Maher and used under a Creative Commons License. https://musopen.org/music/1652/justin-mahar/the-grind/    Enjoy the show? Please consider donating: 47SMPWHYcn5AfKzYF3c6cX94dCNcijKfdMgkCBTEmMtG4q9u9GdN7YdAmP777hfkmg52xntkDyxwh3nKcdGa2eApFAe5oZx

Have you ever wanted cash for a project or purchase but weren't ready or willing to liquidate your Bitcoin, Monero, or other coin holdings? Would you be interested in a way to leverage your cryptocurrency through a collateralized loan to increase your spending power? In this week's episode, I traveled to the headquarters of startup SALT Lending in Denver, CO to talk with Shawn Owen (CEO) and Caleb Slade (Creative & Community Director) about their new blockchain-backed loans platform, launching soon. Find out why they say SALT will provide a secure, private way to borrow against your cryptocurrency holdings, and how you might become either a borrower or lender with their service.   Music featured in the show is "The Grind" by Justin Maher and used under a Creative Commons License. https://musopen.org/music/1652/justin-mahar/the-grind/    Enjoy the show? Please consider donating: 47SMPWHYcn5AfKzYF3c6cX94dCNcijKfdMgkCBTEmMtG4q9u9GdN7YdAmP777hfkmg52xntkDyxwh3nKcdGa2eApFAe5oZx

In today's show, ShapeShift.io founder Erik Voorhees tells us about his libertarian roots, path to being a Bitcoin entrepreneur, his vision for ShapeShift, and cryptocurrency venture capitalism. How do we fix the global monetary system, how has the ShapeShift's exchange volume evolved over time, and what responsibilities does ShapeShift have in vetting coins added to the platform? Find out with us today!   Music featured in the show is "The Grind" by Justin Maher and used under a Creative Commons License. https://musopen.org/music/1652/justin-mahar/the-grind/    Enjoy the show? Please consider donating: 47SMPWHYcn5AfKzYF3c6cX94dCNcijKfdMgkCBTEmMtG4q9u9GdN7YdAmP777hfkmg52xntkDyxwh3nKcdGa2eApFAe5oZx 

In this week's episode, I talk to BinaryFate, the co-founder of the LuckyBit online Bitcoin casino, Cryptosphere Systems, and XMR.to about his involvement in cryptocurrencies. Find out about NP-hard problems, overcoming miner censorship, and the future of LuckyBit and XMR.to. We even do a bit of fortune telling, discussing a hypothetical app that between the taping and airing of this episode came to life via a third party!   Music featured in the show is "The Grind" by Justin Maher and used under a Creative Commons License. https://musopen.org/music/1652/justin-mahar/the-grind/    Enjoy the show? Please consider donating: 47SMPWHYcn5AfKzYF3c6cX94dCNcijKfdMgkCBTEmMtG4q9u9GdN7YdAmP777hfkmg52xntkDyxwh3nKcdGa2eApFAe5oZx 

Today we're joined by Howard "hyc" Chu, CTO and Founder of Symas Corp, core member of the OpenLDAP development team, and co-founder of MoneroDirect.com to talk about his background and involvement in Monero. We talk about how Howard helped develop the world's fastest directory software, became involved in the Monero project, and saved a NASA shuttle mission. Find out why Howard claims Monero, and not Bitcoin, is the world's only true cryptocurrency.    Today's show includes a duet compiled by Howard and featuring his friend Nerea, used with their permission. You can follow Nerea's music on her facebook page, facebook.com/crazyfiddlelady.    Music featured in the show is "The Grind" by Justin Maher and used under a Creative Commons License. https://musopen.org/music/1652/justin-mahar/the-grind/    Enjoy the show? Please consider donating: 47SMPWHYcn5AfKzYF3c6cX94dCNcijKfdMgkCBTEmMtG4q9u9GdN7YdAmP777hfkmg52xntkDyxwh3nKcdGa2eApFAe5oZx 

  Welcome to the first episode of the Monero Monitor Podcast! With this show, I hope to more deeply explore the Monero space. While some podcasts have featured talks on the Monero protocol specifically, we'll be talking about the people, projects, and general happenings surrounding not just the core Monero project but the Monero community as a whole. To kick off the show, I was joined by Riccardo "fluffyponyza" Spagni to talk about some of his involvement in the cryptocurrency space. Many know him best as a member of the Monero Core Development Team, but today we talk about a number of other projects he's been involved in, either in the past or as an ongoing venture. Enjoy the show! --- Enjoy the show? Please consider donating: 47SMPWHYcn5AfKzYF3c6cX94dCNcijKfdMgkCBTEmMtG4q9u9GdN7YdAmP777hfkmg52xntkDyxwh3nKcdGa2eApFAe5oZx --- Music featured in the show is "The Grind" by Justin Maher and used under a Creative Commons License. https://musopen.org/music/1652/justin-mahar/the-grind/