Coinsbank Blockchain Cruise 2018 - Epic Crypto Battles
Description
Against the crystal blue Mediterranean sea, the Coinsbank Blockchain Cruise packed a colourful band of controversial crypto characters such as John McAfee and saw the infamous Roger Ver, Jimmy Song an...
AI Analysis
Attending the Coinsbank Blockchain Cruise in 2018 was an eye-opening experience, highlighting the truly global nature of cryptocurrency and the critical need for continued development. Despite initial uncertainties and the clash of strong opinions among Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash maximalists, the cruise ultimately revealed that behind the debates are just normal people with different ideas, united by a shared interest in blockchain technology. The cruise reinforced the idea that we are still in the very early stages of crypto's evolution, much like the internet in its infancy.
Here are the key takeaways from the Blockchain Cruise experience:
* The Cruise Experience: The Coinsbank Blockchain Cruise kicked off in Barcelona, Spain, and for many, it was their first time on a cruise, let alone a blockchain-themed one. There was a lot of anticipation and curiosity about how so many individuals with strongly opposing views, from Bitcoin maximalists like Tone Vays and Jimmy Song to Bitcoin Cash maximalist Roger Ver, would interact.
* A Global Movement: Stepping onto the boat, it became incredibly clear that cryptocurrency is a truly global movement. Attendees hailed from diverse nations including China, Russia, America, Dubai, Japan, and Korea. This diversity showed that no single nation dominates, and everyone is on equal footing when it comes to blockchain and trust, emphasizing the immense scope and international appeal of this emerging technology.
* Market Downturn Humor: The cruise coincided with a significant crypto market downturn, which led to some lighthearted humor among attendees. Jokes were made about needing to find new jobs, with people like Ivan on Tech "carrying chairs" and Omar "entertaining with piano skills," while John McAfee was humorously noted for drinking all the wine. The presenter, lacking skills, joked about cleaning the buffet, highlighting the shared experience of the bear market.
* The Infamous Debate and its Impact: A major highlight was the heated debate between Roger Ver and Jimmy Song, which was later joined by a half-naked Tone Vays. This debate, characterized as a "shouting fest," caused concern for a new attendee who questioned why they should believe in cryptocurrency after witnessing such an aggressive exchange.
* Crypto's Early Stage Analogy: The presenter emphasizes that crypto development is very early, comparing it not to the internet of the 1990s, but more accurately to the internet of the 1960s (ARPANET). At that time, the internet was primarily envisioned for military use, and its vast future applications were unimaginable. This analogy highlights that our current perception of crypto's potential might be similarly limited.
Critique of Maximalism: A key point is the presenter's strong feeling that maximalism, whether for Bitcoin or any other single crypto, ignores future technological possibilities. It's akin to someone in the 1960s saying the internet should only* be for military use and dismissing all other applications (like social media or e-commerce) as "scams." This narrow viewpoint risks overlooking transformative innovations.
* Bitcoin's Core Strengths: Despite the critique of maximalism, Bitcoin's fundamental uses are acknowledged as enormous. It serves as an excellent accounting layer and a store of value. Crucially, it provides an international transfer of value that operates outside government control, which is incredibly useful in countries like China where the national currency (renminbi) is heavily monitored.
* Blockchain's Foundational Trust: Beyond just Bitcoin, the core innovation of blockchain is its ability to bring "trust" to digital data. It allows for data to be written at a specific time, immutably, and for everyone on the network to recognize it as truth. This fundamental technological capability is what is being extended and built upon.
* Beyond Current Applications: The presenter stresses that the potential applications of blockchain technology extend far beyond just accounting and value transfer. Ideas like social applications, industrial uses (e.g., identifying counterfeit items), and even carbon credits are still largely unexplored.
* The "Build Phase" is Crucial: The most important takeaway is the urgent need to enter a "build phase." It's imperative for the crypto community to build and deliver on the promised use cases and prove that these applications are genuinely better than existing solutions. If the community fails to build and deliver real value, then the maximalists, who argue that crypto is only useful for a very limited set of applications, might ultimately be proven right.
* A Universal Language for a Global World: The global diversity seen on the cruise reinforces that blockchain can serve as a universal language to connect different nations and parties. The ultimate hope is that by building on this technology, we can deliver the immense value that the blockchain promises for a globally interconnected future.
Transcript
So the blockchain cruise, it's almost been a month since it came out and I really wanted to make this video to tell you guys what it was like to be on a cruise and more importantly, the learnings from the blockchain cruise as well because there was a lot of gathering of very different people there and very different opinions. So this video is going to take you throughout the voyage of the blockchain cruise. I mean, by 2020 or else you're going to eat your thing. The blockchain cruise started on...