2024-11-15 –, Mises Stage
The act of exchange between two parties is fundamental to life.
I argue that understanding the value of exchange is essential to grasp the monumental impact that Bitcoin will have on the future of the human species. I use Austrian Economics as a theoretical framework to navigate this topic.
"The Value of Exchange" is a talk that explores how exchange drives our evolution over time and how it is a core principle in all major cultures, religions, and societies. It shows that exchange transcends the material and extends beyond time.
The talk will begin with an overview of my philosophical stance on exchange and how different religions and societies have viewed this concept throughout history.
I will use Austrian Economics as the theoretical framework to understand the human decision-making process behind the act of exchange—specifically, how individuals assess the value of the property they own and the value they anticipate acquiring when they receive new property from another party.
This involves evaluating the future utility they expect to gain from the new property and the future value they forgo by relinquishing their current property.
By delving into the intricacies of this decision-making process, we uncover what truly matters when we exchange. I will try to showcase how understanding what we give up and what we gain is crucial to making informed, logical decisions.
Today, most of the world exchanges their property and time for something (fiat) that is both undefined and rapidly decaying in terms of future human utility. This undermines the fabric of society, as the specialization of labor—a key driver of progress—crumbles in direct proportion to our ignorance of what we are trading our time and energy for.
The rate at which we exchange and the soundness of the medium we use for exchange dictate the purity of our interactions and the pace at which we build a sound and prosperous society.
After exploring the principles of exchange, I will move on to practical solutions for moving forward as the world transitions from debasing money to sound money on a global scale.
Using Bitcoin as the base medium of exchange will restore logic to the world, allowing nature to heal the wounds inflicted by our attempts to manipulate it.
Charlie is focused on building The Natural Investor, focused on understanding the nature of money, capital & investment.
The Natural Investor is principled on helping individuals, businesses and institutions improve their relationship with the money that they own and how they structure it and use it for investment.
Charlie graduated with an honours in Actuarial and Financial Studies and progressed to work as an actuarial consultant for an auditor reviewing large insurance company balance sheets across Europe.
Charlie progressed to sell bitcoin across Europe after a stint in India, using peer to peer platforms and deploying a Bitcoin ATM in Spain while working as a calculations analyst and market reporter for one of the largest life insurers in Europe (+300B Assets).
Charlie now resides in Berlin, El Salvador, landing just after the initiation of the project to help it grow into what is currently ranked as the number one Bitcoin circular economy in the world in terms of density of up to date merchants accepting Bitcoin according to BTCmap.org. Charlie has extensive experience onboarding merchants onto Bitcoin and giving lessons on Austrian Economics and Personal Finance.
Charlie is co-organising Adopting Bitcoin, the high signal Bitcoin conference born in El Salvador.