Lightning network enables fast and inexpensive Bitcoin payments. I wrote about how to use it in my book Cryptocurrencies – hack your way to a better life (my e-shop, Amazon). In this article, I want to put all parts of the statement in the first sentence to the test – whether it enables the payments (do […]
I’m assuming you’ve never heard of the law of cryptocurrency isomorphism, because I just made that name up. But it’s been around for a long time, since the first decentralized exchanges (DEX) appeared. When I was selling my books at an event, I tried to get people to pay me in cryptocurrencies. Mainly because it’s […]
It is natural for people to dream of getting rich quickly. Even more so when they see the ‘crypto bros’ around them who have moved to Dubai, drinking coffee with sheikhs, driving a lambo or even buying their own castle. However, trying to replicate other people’s way of getting rich runs into a few practical […]
I’ve had several conversations with people about how their favourite cryptocurrency will overtake Bitcoin. And I have often perceived some of the projects’ features as good myself. But before we break down the various arguments and why they are unlikely to lead to success, let’s talk about two technologies that preceded crypto. The first technology […]
Updated 20. august 2024 In part 1, I explained why encrypted messengers are important. In this part, we will look at particular messengers and compare them. Signal Let’s start with probably the most well-known and widely used secure messenger – Signal. It’s been in development since 2010, but the first version of what we know […]
Recently, there have been some fairly major improvements in the encryption of our communications. Virtually all websites have switched to encrypted communication using the https protocol. If we go to an unencrypted site, the browser will warn us that something is wrong. But this positive change goes hand in hand with an increased surveillance different […]
The best way to support the local crypto economy is to create a local small-world network. If you want to buy bitcoin for $100, your best bet is to get hold of someone in your area who wants to sell. Of course, other alternatives (such as a Bitcoin ATM if you don’t want KYC) are […]
When Buckminster Fuller was asked by a student during a lecture about the possibility of becoming an astronaut, he replied: “You don’t understand, you’ve been an astronaut for a long time. We are all astronauts on Spaceship Earth”. Artificial intelligence has long been a matter of science fiction books and the future being created for […]
Many of you know the problem – you run a Raspberry Pi under your desk, which closes your window blinds, takes care of your photos and monitors the humidity of your house. And then you walk away and remember you forgot to close the blinds and want to connect to it. Instead of complicated port […]
Non-crypto payment networks such as credit cards are tied to a name. Often a billing address is required, which is sometimes verified. Since payment card security is based on knowing a few numbers (card number, expiry date and CVV) that are passed on to third parties, it is a good idea to verify some of […]