The Bitcoin Bear Market Diaries are a series of interviews featuring various important voices and perspectives in the Bitcoin ecosystem. Each interviewee was carefully selected and asked the same group of questions. The main goal was to provide the world with a collection of commentary and opinions on the state of the current Bitcoin and crypto market. Some of the names you will recognize while others don’t wish for the limelight but have great insight and experience we all can learn from.
These interviews are raw and unfiltered with no agenda other than giving each individual their opportunity to speak their mind. If you like what you see, please share with your friends. If something offends you, you should probably X out and find another crypto fluff piece that gives you warm fuzzies.
If you don’t know who Max Keiser or at least heard his name before, you really need to get out more. Max has been into Bitcoin since 2011 when it was $1 and has been making bold market predictions since. Max is also co-founder of Heisenberg Capital one of the first crypto VC funds and has invested in companies like Kraken, ₿itstamp, Shapeshift, Bitfinex, Bitso, BitPesa, BitPay, CasaHODL, Unocoin, Uphold, Minds, BitRefill, ABRA, Kim and the list goes on.
Name
Country
Various
How do people know you?
How long have you been into Bitcoin?
2011 ($1)
Best Bitcoin experience?
Satoshi Roundtable
Worst Bitcoin experience?
Craig Wright
What do you think is Bitcoin’s biggest threat?
Bitcoin has no known predators. It is the ultimate apex predator. All fiat money will die.
What are your thoughts on the various Bitcoin forks?
Imposters.
What are you optimistic about in this space?
Banks, and central banks, will continue failing. As they crumble, Bitcoin will engulf the global economy. Jack Dorsey, Bitcoin maximalist, is a huge positive.
Biggest regret during the last Bull market?
Not writing a book.
What have you learned during the current bear market?
Never too late to write a book.
What is the biggest fail you have seen during the bear market?
BitTorrent.
What do you think helped trigger the current bear market?
CNBC.
What kind of damage do you think latest price drop has done to buyer sentiment?
None. When prices start going up, they’ll all be back, and many more.
How do you feel about the current state and future of lightning network?
It’s the future. CryptoSprings in Palm Springs last fall, helped launch Lighting in a big way. Crypto Springs is back again this year. It’s the most important event of the year, IMO. Elizabeth Stark and Jack Dorsey will blow people’s minds this year.
What are your thoughts on HODLing Bitcoin?
It’s the number-1 use case.
What are you thoughts on alt-coins?
I don’t spend much time thinking alt-coins.
Do you hold any? If not, why?
Nope. Waste of time.
What kind of impact do you think the radical drop in alt-coins will have on their future?
None.
Thoughts on the notion of bitcoinization?
It’s coming.
What Bitcoin startups are you excited about?
Our VC fund, Heisbenberg Capital was, I think, the very first VC fund in this space, (making investments in BTC startups at about the same time as Roger Ver). We are very excited about our investment in Kraken, a massive Unicorn. We just invested in CASAhodl recently. We’ll be making an investment in BitRefill very soon. And Samson Mow’s “Infinite Fleet.” We are focusing on Lighting right now and have talked to a few startups in that space that we’ll be funding.
What “crypto influencers” do you think get it wrong and why?
Crypto influencers very quickly become boiler rooms. Keep your head up, or you’ll get REKT.
What “crypto influencers” do you think get it right and why?
@cryptoblood. He keeps it real.
What’s it going to take for this Bear market to turn around?
It bottomed when the Fed signaled ‘Infinite QE’ recently at around $3,300 BTC. Global Central Banking is about to go bust.
How bullish are you on Bitcoin despite this recent pullback?
My position from 2011, when I recommended BTC at $1 has not changed, and has never varied. The price is going to $100,000. We’re still on track for that.
Any tips you want to give to people new to Bitcoin?
Read the white paper. Study it. It has 90% of everything you need to know, with one caveat. Replace the word ‘cash’ with ‘Gold.’ It’s clear to anyone who knows anything about the history of cypherpunks, or who has read Satoshi’s writings and chat logs, that Bitcoin is meant to be digital Gold, not digital fiat. This is where I differ from Roger Ver. I believe he fundamentally misreads the White Paper and after a few years now, we see my position on this is winning in the market. Not to take anything away from Roger. He’s a pioneer and has probably got as many people interested in Bitcoin as Keiser Report has. Side note: We think we’ve created more than 300,000 or so Bitcoin millionaires around the world who have been watching our show starting when BTC was $1.
Best tips for storing Bitcoin?
CASAhold/ Trezor
Name some of your favorite information sources and/or podcasts in the space.
There are two sources of info that are best in class and worthwhile:
Jameson Lopp and Trace Meyer.
Any last words of wisdom?
If you’re not prepared to hold for 10 years or more, you’re gambling, not investing.