Podcast Episode Details
Back to Podcast Episodes
Ex-Wall St. Lawyer: Why Bitcoin Wins Where Gold Failed | Vijay Selvam | BFM187
Season 187 Episode 187
Vijay Selvam is a lawyer and the author of Principles of Bitcoin: Technology, Economics, Politics, and Philosophy, a comprehensive first-principles guide to understanding Bitcoin’s multidimensional impact and once‑in‑history discovery.
› https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Bitcoin-Technology-Economics-Philosophy/dp/023122012X
› ’Bitcoin is Time’ paper that is referenced: https://dergigi.com/2021/01/14/bitcoin-is-time
PARTNERS
🌳 Gain peace of mind with Onramp’s Multi-Institution Custody solution. Sign up with code BRAM to receive $150 in Bitcoin after your first deposit: https://onrampbitcoin.com/bram
🟧 Gemini’s Bitcoin Credit Card: Earn instant bitcoin rewards on every purchase with no annual fee. Sign up today to earn a $200 intro Bitcoin bonus: https://gemini.com/bram
🔐 Blockstream Jade Plus: The simplest and most secure hardware wallet on the planet - Get 10% off your entire order with code BRAM at https://store.blockstream.com
🔨 Stamp Seed: The safest way to backup your hardware wallet - Get 15% off with code BRAM at https://stampseed.com
PRODUCTS I ENDORSE
› Get the The Bitaxe Gamma (open-source Bitcoin home miner) in US & UK with 10% using code BRAM: https://shop.powermining.io/?ref=BRAM
› Buy Bitcoin in the EU 🇪🇺 via https://relai.me/bram and use code BRAM to reduce fees by 0.5%
🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFIED
› YouTube: https://youtube.com/@bramk
› Follow Bram on https://x.com/bramk
🕑 TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Introduction to Bitcoin and Its Principles
03:06 - The Journey from Gold to Bitcoin
03:31 - Understanding Bitcoin Through First Principles
04:03 - The Rock of Centaurus: A Thought Experiment
04:09 - The Map is the Territory: Bitcoin's Unique Nature
10:36 - Bitcoin's Edge Over Traditional Assets
13:26 - The Core of Digital Scarcity
14:53 - Understanding Money and Its Properties
20:32 - The Evolution of Money
21:06 - The Impact of Inflation and Debt
23:55 - Central Planning and Its Consequences
29:32 - Bitcoin's Role in Sovereignty and State Power
45:43 - The Cycle of Civilizations
47:50 - Time Preference and Economic Behavior
49:47 - Bitcoin as a Solution to Consumerism
53:13 - The Impact of Money on Society
53:54 - Bitcoin: A Once in History Invention
01:00:45 - Bitcoin as a Mirror of Self-Reflection
ℹ️ EPISODE SUMMARY
Bram Kanstein and Vijay Selvam unpack The Principles of Bitcoin — technology, economics, politics, and philosophy — through the eyes of an ex–Wall Street lawyer who lived the 2008 crisis from the inside.
Vijay saw bailouts and moral hazard up close, turned to gold, and eventually realized Bitcoin’s absolute scarcity, decentralized consensus, and unstop
Published on 4 weeks ago