Module 7: Digital Assets with Brian Armstrong, CEO Coinbase
Module 7 Description
Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, has presided over a foundational cryptocurrency infrastructure organization which (arguably single handedly) spurred the growth of the vast and complex digital currency landscape we see today. He will be appearing in class to comment on a variety of topics, including the rise of Bitcoin, Ethereum and other projects, distributed applications (DApps), the prospect of central bank digital currency, and the impact of cryptocurrency innovations on the future of the global financial system.
Study Questions
Do you side with Antonopoulos' premise regarding the systemic fragility and erosion of trust and privacy in the global financial system? Are his views intemperate or prescient? or both?
Do you agree with Armstrong's vision of a fully crypto-enabled global financial system espoused in his Mission, Vision & Strategy presentation? Why or why not?
Reflect on the New York times articles in the context of Coinbase's stated mission of enhancing economic freedom - is cryptocurrency enabling the illicit/corrupt behavior it was supposed to stop? A decade post-Bitcoin white paper, has the cryptocurrency ecosystem in aggregate improved or harmed average citizens in developed and developing countries?
Why have Distributed applications (DApps) failed to gain ubiquitous traction to date? Why have we not yet seen a 'killer' high value use case for cryptocurrencies, beyond investment and trading?
Will Coinbase's attempts to diversify away from exchanged-based revenue streams into custody and payments be successful? How might this complicate its relationship with regulators?
Reading List
Required
(Podcast) McCormack, Peter and Antonopoulos, Andreas and . “Why we need bitcoin.” Defiance, 21 Nov. 2019
Rampell, Alex, director. Decrypting Crypto: From Bitcoin and Blockchain to ICOs. Andreessen Horowitz, 8 Jan. 2018.
Armstrong, Brian. "What Happened in Crypto over the Last Decade." Medium, The Coinbase Blog, 2 Jan. 2020.
Armstrong, Brian. “The Coinbase Mission, Vision & Strategy(youtube video).” Medium, The Coinbase Blog, 31 Jul. 2019.
Baldwin, William and Del Castillo, Michael, Bitcoin's guardian angel: Coinbase's Brian Armstrong's quest for trust, Forbes, 15 April 2020. (Available behind Paywall)
(Podcast) Chokshi, Sonal, et al. “a16z Podcast: Cryptocurrencies, App Coins, and Investing in Protocols.” Andreessen Horowitz, 20 Sept. 2019.
(Podcast) Chokshi, Sonal, et al. “a16z Podcast: Building Crypto, from Vision to Reality.” Andreessen Horowitz, 20 Sept. 2019.
Post, Kollen, US Congressman Introduces Crypto-Currency Act of 2020, Cointelegraph, 9 March 2020.
Popper, Nathaniel, Bitcoin Has Lost Steam. But Criminals Still Love It. The New York Times, 28 January 2020. (Available behind Paywall)
Popper, Nathaniel and Herrero, Ana Vanessa, The Coder and the Dictator, The New York Times, 20 March 2020. (Available behind Paywall)
Pirus, Benjamin, $257 Million ICO Project Filecoin Has New Launch Schedule, Gemini Custody Solution, Cointelegraph, 25 Feb 2020.
Nelson, Danny and De, Nikhilesh,Coinbase Broke Traffic Records and Saw Massive Volume During Market Collapse, Coindesk, 20 March 2020.
Optional
Chokshi, Sonal, et al. “Crypto Canon (numerous videos, articles and podcasts listed).” Andreessen Horowitz, 1 Feb. 2020.
Xie, Linda.An Intro to Crypto: Building Blocks. Andreessen Horowitz, April 2018.