IORADIO #18 – In the Garden of Snakes with Stephen Diehl

When cryptocurrency’s malign influence on the software industry began to be felt in 2019, an engineer working in finance took notice. After seeing first hand how public permissionless blockchains could be used to pervert incentives and undermine common interests, Stephen Diehl’s views on the decade old tech changed. What he had previously dismissed, he now saw as dangerous, and Stephen began to write a series of influential blog posts that have helped educate the public about the true nature of crypto.

In the intervening years Stephen’s written dozens of articles and two books on the subject and has become one of crypto’s most prominent critics. He’s also become an activist against the well funded cryptocurrency industry and has challenged those seeking to exploit and defraud the public by organizing with others who are critical of the tech.

We sit down with Stephen to discuss his activism, the ever changing ecosystem of tokenized fraud known as cryptocurrency, and if we should let Sal burn it with fire or apply the law according to Adam. Tune in!

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IORADIO #17 – A conversation with investigative journalist and author Zeke Faux

Investigative journalist Zeke Faux didn’t think very much of crypto, but when his friend Jay bragged about a Dogecoin ‘investment’ paying for a family vacation to Disneyland, he was determined to prove that Jay was not, in fact, Nostradamus. So when Zeke’s editor asked him to look into stablecoins, he yanked at the threads connected to crypto’s greatest mystery… What’s the deal with Tether?

Those threads dragged Zeke down a rabbit hole into a ripoff wonderland filled with colourful con-artists and the horror of human misery. From token luxury superyachts in the Bahamas to crypto’s forced labour camps in Cambodia, the first time author has chronicled the recent history of blockchain’s billionaires and the suffering of the victims on which their wealth depends.

One part detective novel, one part historical non-fiction, one part absurdist comedy. Faux has crafted an immutable ledger of the dark shadow that cryptocurrency has cast across our lives, a portrait that’s exciting, bleak, and funny in equal measure.

We sit down for a conversation with Zeke Faux, author of ‘Number Go Up: Inside Crypto’s Wild Rise and Staggering Fall’.

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You can find Zeke’s new book here.

IORADIO #16 – A conversation with Ethereum developer “Louis”

As crypto-critics, we’re often accused of living in an “echo chamber” being unwilling to entertain other points of view. As part of our ongoing efforts to try and discuss issues with the people who are in the industry, we present another interview/casual conversation with a 20-something year old Ethereum developer from Switzerland by the name of “Louis.” We get his points of view about what problems crypto claims to address. Among other things, he claims the tech offers “less trust assumptions” and “less technical points of failure.”

Do you agree? Leave your comments, and also join us on Discord — the podcast is now available on all major platforms including iTunes, Google, Spotify, and more.

Here’s the audio:

Video goes live Monday (although this is mostly audio – I do put up some relevant reference material at certain points in the video)

IORADIO #14 – Jauwn plays crappy crypto/NFT games so you don’t have to – An interview with this YouTube game reviewer.

Jauwn is a gamer and youtuber who has a hobby that no one else wants. He plays and reviews crypto games. Eight months ago he started a channel devoted to meticulous reviews of play to earn cryto projects that are often held up as examples of Web3 success.


Instead of thriving player driven free market paradise, he’s discovered a desolate wasteland of scams and barely functional software. His videos take the crypto claims about web3 at face value and put them to the test, often discovering that there’s little utility, or fun, to be had.

From Axie to ARGs and Decentraland to Dr. Disrespect, the public owes Jauwn a debt of gratitude for his masochistic commitment to playing the worst, and best, games that blockchain has to offer. His dry delivery, sense of fun, and appreciation for the absurdity of crypto make his videos a pleasure to watch. We look forward to talking to Jauwn about his work, his thoughts on gaming, and what hes been working on.

Watch here:

Audio version here:

IORADIO #13 – Interview with Computer Science Professor and Crypto Critic: Dr. Nicholas Weaver

In this episode, we interview one of the cryptocurrency industry’s earliest and most staunch critic, Berkely Computer Science Professor Doctor Nicholas Weaver, who has authored various articles and presentations on how and why Bitcoin and crypto are unsuitable for any of the applications they claim, if not downright, in his own words, “criminally negligent” technology.

Watch on Video:

Watch here – Interview with Dr. Nicholas Weaver

Listen to the audio-only podcast below:

IORADIO #12 – Social Media Meltdown – Grab Your Popcorn!

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Adam and I have a casual conversation about what’s been happening in the world of social media. A lot has been going on and major social media sites are unraveling before our eyes.

From Elon Musk’s rabid attempt to progressively make Twitter more “functional”, to Reddit sacrificing the golden goose of loyal moderators and content creating users upon the alter of corporate profits, no platform seems safe from the greedy embrace of silicon valley’s techno parasites.

What’s going on? And where are for profit platform refugees going? In IO Radio #12 we talk social media meltdown, part of an ongoing discussion about the evolution, and devolution, of social media in the 21st century.

IORADIO # 11 – RFK Jr: Covid Restrictions Bring Totalitarianism & Bitcoin Fixes This?

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AmericanScream and I react to RFK Jr.’s Bitcoin 2023 keynote rantings in Miami. Kennedy equates public health measures during COVID to totalitarian oppression and argues that Bitcoin is important because it protects civil liberties from governmental repression.

In IO Radio #11 we discuss the democratic presidential candidate’s COVID obsession and anti-vaxxer status. Were the Canadian truckers freedom loving patriots, or whiny entitled far right anti-science nut jobs? Join us, and let us know if ‘Bitcoin solves this’™.

P.S. I want to drown Bitcoin in a bathtub.

IORADIO #10 – Reddit Censors Its Largest Crypto-Critical Community

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American Scream and I discuss the latest happenings on Reddit, including censorship of /r/buttcoin (gasp!), Reddit’s love of crypto, and the eternal sunshine that private for profit corporations bestow upon the world.

By the way, did you know the SEC is going after Binance? Join us for IO Radio #10 and listen to two grown men cry about how Admins have taken away their favourite toys because they’re big meanies who don’t want us making fun of subreddits whose most helpful posts are links to suicide prevention hotlines.

P.S. I suddenly want pizza.

IORADIO #9 – Reaction to Adam Back & Co. “Biggest Bitcoin Ballers” Panel at Bitcoin 2023 + bonus

LISTEN HERE

American Scream and I react to the “Biggest Bitcoin Ballers” panel discussion at Bitcoin 2023 in Miami.

Watch Saint Adam Back, joined by fellow cultists Jack Mallers & Matt Odell, preach the gospel of FOMO and evangelize the sacred tenant of HODL. How much fiat are you donating to the church of crypto? It might be time to sell your worldly possessions and become a Bitcoin monk, while some might pray, the truly devout DCA.

In IO Radio #9 we provide colour commentary while three of the world’s biggest con-artists try to take every last dollar you have and stuff it into their already overflowing pockets. The only thing on stage scarcer that the panellist’s sense of empathy is a real world use case.

To finish, we share a sneak peak of highlights from day 1 of Bitcoin 2023. Enjoy!