BC BITCOIN
Saved by @ThomassRichards

Another #FreeLoveFriday. So far, I’ve covered Bitcoin, Mastercoin/Omni, and last week ChainLink and the importance of decentralized oracles. Today, let’s talk about one of the most fascinating projects in crypto - @MakerDAO

 In my thread about Mastercoin, I briefly touched on the vital role fiat-backed stablecoins play in crypto markets, but there’s a catch with them:

The counterparty risk of a third-party holding fiat in reserves.
Enter MakerDAO, which set out to create a decentralized, collateral-backed cryptocurrency, DAI, that would be “soft-pegged” to the U.S. Dollar using the power of algorithms. In crypto tradition, its supporters said trust game theory, not operators.
In 2017, MakerDAO published a whitepaper describing a system where anyone could create DAI by leveraging ETH as collateral to create Collateralized Debt Positions. Essentially, you take out a digital USD loan against your crypto.
The game theory of the system is structured such that DAI issuance is controlled to keep the price pegged to $1.00. In essence, it buffers the fluctuations of the underlying collateral to create a synthetic dollar bill.
This obviates the need for a backing bank, or fiat in reserve, or any kind of dependence on fiat, save as a unit of account.
In 2019, the project innovated further to accept forms of collateral beyond just ETH. Now, there’s a whole ecosystem built on MakerDAO’s governance, including the DAI stablecoin, collateral vaults, and oracles.
While DAI seems to be similar to USD, it offers advantages that fiat cannot match. Namely, it is trivial to send even large quantities. No need for costly and slow bank transfers. So that’s why the price for DAI sometimes even exceeds its peg of $1.00.
Admittedly, it took me a while to understand exactly how Maker works -- our paper on the taxonomy of stablecoins sheds some light on its internals. It’s always amazed me how stable DAI has stayed over the years.
https://t.co/Pz3BkJLUM7
My greatest worry about algorithmic stablecoins like DAI had been the game theory. They work well as long as demand has them operating at or above $1.00, but the dynamics of when they fail are not well understood.
But last March, we saw that the biggest threat to the stable value of DAI isn’t governance, but the constraints of its underlying network.
As the Covid-19 pandemic triggered a meltdown of the traditional financial markets, a liquidity shock rang throughout the crypto markets. Ethereum network fees were outrageously high, and that’s if you could get a transaction confirmed.
You’ll recall, DAI is a collateralized product. If you can’t sufficiently re-capitalize your position as the price of your collateral plummets, the Maker contract follows its rules and liquidates your position.
It was sad to see people losing their money & being turned away from crypto. It was also disappointing to see an innovative project take a reputational hit for circumstances that were out of their immediate control.
I’m certain that the MakerDAO ecosystem will continue to innovate and seemingly make magic happen with math. I’m also curious to hear what you all and @RuneKek want to see built around MakerDAO next.

More from Bitcoin

balajis.com
balajis.com
@balajis
The defi matrix

As each asset class goes on-chain, it can be stored in a digital wallet. And it can be traded against other such assets. Not just cryptocurrencies, but national digital currencies, personal tokens, etc.

We’re about to enter an age of global monetary competition.

The defi matrix is the table of all pair wise trades. It’s the fiat/stablecoin pairs, the fiat/crypto pairs, the crypto/crypto pairs, and much more besides.

Uniswap-style automatic market making for everything. Every possession you have, constantly marked to market by ~2040.

More liquidity, less currency?

This is an interesting point. Cash doesn’t make you money. In fact, it can lose you money in an inflating environment.

Reliable, 24/7 mark-to-market on everything is hard — but if achieved, means less % of assets in cash.


AMMs boost BTC. Here's why.

- All assets trade against all assets in the defi matrix
- Automated market makers give liquidity for rare pairs
- Everything is marked-to-market 24/7
- Value of cash drops, as you can liquidate instantly
- The new no-op is to keep your assets in BTC

Basically, automated market makers like @Uniswap boost BTC in the long term, because they allow *everything* to be priced in BTC terms, and *anyone* to switch out of BTC into their asset of choice.

Though in practice this may mean WBTC/RenBTC [or ETH!] rather than BTC itself.
BITCOIN
O\u20bfiWan
O₿iWan
@ObiWanKenoBit
0/Why HODL?

Bitcoin is a proxy for the struggle for human dignity. It is a peaceful revolution seeking to displace the anomaly of false monies. The world stands at the cusp of social and political upheaval. Though many look to politics, money’s fate will determine our future.

1/HODLers voluntarily participate in the reformation of money. This is a multi-generational effort to secure & ensure a future sans fiat. HODL forms the basis of a simple ideological framework entirely forward looking. It abandons past constructs & releases one from the present.

2/HODLers sacrifice present needs for future rewards. Not just monetary riches, but the gift of an economy free of fiat’s false prosperity. Bitcoin succeeds where fiat fails. Savings is rejoiced, opportunity is available for all.

3/Our civilization is engaged in an epic conflict this time centered around money. Greater than any physical battle in history, fiat’s war on the public seeks deep authoritarian control over every aspect of life. You will work, live, love at their mercy, upon their whims.

4/Historically conflict existed at physical borders between tribes and nations. Members forged ideological bonds allowing them to selflessly coordinate, overcome threats and establish regional security.
BITCOIN
Advertisement
Ryan Selkis
Ryan Selkis
@twobitidiot
1/ If you're new, here are some must-read resources on bitcoin, ethereum, defi, web 3.0, and the future of crypto.

Tools to join the revolution. 👇

2/ @case4bitcoin is the ultimate bitcoin beginners resource, with macro stats and charts, a deep library of curated content, and regular updates that put bitcoin's evolution in

3/ We've built the new @MessariCrypto to give users a "second screen" for navigating the markets.

+ ROI & fundamentals metrics by sector
+ Comprehensive asset profiles
+ Charting tools, screeners, watch lists

Free! (Though we have premium tools,

4/ Our crypto theses were downloaded 3x more than 2019's. At 134 pages, it seems daunting.

But it's a tight summary of all of our research team's epic work throughout the year.

Almost like 120 tear sheets or 12 sector research reports stapled

5/ Once you've been redpilled on BTC, and have an understanding of the overall crypto markets, the next rabbit hole to jump down is usually ETH.

@RyanWatkins_ and @WilsonWithiam wrote the must read primer on Ethereum, and its major new upgrade
BITCOIN
Rocketboom
Rocketboom
@Rocketboom
Hello and good Friday, January 28, 2021, I’m Drew and this is Rocketboom [chair breaks]

I see many people are missing why ‘digital currency’, e.g. #Bitcoin is an important disruption in the world. It's not actually about stock trading. It’s waaaaaaaaaay bigger than that.

I USED TO DO A THING. I wrote scripts to break down these kinds of topics. I felt compelled to come back out and explain because its such a big idea...and too many people are not seeing it.

TLDR; Digital currencies allow people living in impoverished nations to transcend the failures of their individual governments, such that their work and purchase power becomes more equal in potential to those in the wealthiest countries.

Examples are always nice. Lets. [cut to voice over]
BITCOIN
Mayank Narula
Mayank Narula
@Mayank_Narula1
#Bitcoin weekly RSI is at the same level as it was during the March'20 crash.

Two possibilities:

1) Reversal
2) Crash to test the lower bound of the channel or even lower, as most of the crashes are preceded by oversold readings.

As of now, 2 has a higher probability.
BITCOIN

You May Also Like

STEALTH JEFF
STEALTH JEFF
@drawandstrike
Andy McCabe has some explaining to do.


Andrew McCabe was reported to the FBI’s Office of Public Affairs for making an unauthorized leak of classified info to the media about @GenFlynn in early February 2017.

If you’ve wondered exactly who it was who leaked the classified info from that intelligence report on @GenFlynn’s phone calls with then-Russian ambassador Kislyak to the media, you are right now seeing a huge honking clue who it was.

To those responding to this info by sneering "Nothing's gonna happen":

Up.

Your.

Game.

You just might be too stupid to be following me.

The then-Deputy Director of the FBI get's caught targeting @GenFlynn with an illegal leak so he can 'investigated' by Peter Strzok?

Now that we know it was McCabe who set up Flynn for a fake 'perjury' investigation by his pet attack dog, Peter Strzok, the next name that's going to surface is...Joseph Pientka.
ALL
Bharadwaj
Bharadwaj
@BharadwajSpeaks
Today is Jayanti of Ahilyabai Holkar

She was a widow who became Malwa's greatest queen. Defended our country & personally led armies into battle.Never plundered anyone. Developed Malwa into a prosperous kingdom. Rebuilt temples destroyed by Mughals. Built Dharmashalas at Tirthas


Unfortunately, her memory has been blemished by inaccurate representations in modern popular media.

The serial "Punyashlok Ahilyabai" depicts her as ultra secularist feminazi icon who questions Hindu rituals & Pandits while patronising Sufis.

This is far from historical truth!


Ahilyabai was born on May 31 1725 to Patil Mankoji Shinde.

She was from Dhangar clan(classified as OBC today). While Dhangars were traditionally into herding, they took up arms & held several military /civil roles in various eras of history(especially during Maratha resurgence)


In 1737, when she was 12, Ahilyabai Holkar was married to Khanderao , son of Subedar Malhar Rao Holkar.

By the time she was married, fortunes of Holkar family had already waxed.

Malhar Rao was a Subedar of territory comprising 30 Parganas yielding a revenue of at least 7 Lakh


In 1741, when Ahilyabai was newly married, her father -in-law Malhar Rao Built Indore palace & ordered the kanungo to populate the settlement with a promise of protection to traders.

This began rise of Indore from its background as modest trading town Indrapuri to a great city
ALL
Advertisement
Vibhu Vashisth
Vibhu Vashisth
@VIBHU_Tweet
LACHIT BORPHUKAN : AN UNSUNG WARRIOR OF THE AHOM KINGDOM & THE GREAT BATTLE OF SARAIGHAT

Originally named as Lachit Deca, Lachit Borphukan, the fierce and invincible Ahom Commander, was born during the early 17th century at Betioni in the Golaghat district of modern Assam.


His father, Momai Tamuli Borbarua was the ‘Governor’ of the kingdom and also ‘Commander-in-Chief’ of Ahom army under King Pratap Singha during his reign starting from 1603 to 1639. Lachit received military training from an early age and joined the Ahom King Jayadhvaj Singha...


...(1648-1663) as a scarf-bearer.  The post ‘scarf-bearer’ or ‘Soladhara Barua’ is considered as a part of the incumbent king’s personal staff. Owing to his military training Lechit was appointed "Ghora Barua", Supdt. of the Royal horses. When Chakradhwaj Singha became king..


..of Ahom dynasty in 1663,he appointed him Suptd. of The Royal Guards &finally he was appointed as Borphukan by the king.Then onwards,he was known as Lachit Borphukan.Borphukan used to be top councillor in Ahom Kingdom. This position was embedded with executive & judicial powers.


Assam was facing incessant Islamic invasion since Jan1662, when Mughal General Mir Jumla II attacked Ahom capital Gargaon. He never defeated Ahom king Jayadhwaja Singha as king retreated to hill &continued Guerrilla warfare.Prolonged fight &prospect of stalemate disturbed Jumla.
ALL
Dr Catherine Pemble is #SocialDistancing
Dr Catherine Pemble is...
@CatherinePemble
Right, screw it. Here's a thread on *that* FBLive by Alex Cairnie about #Govanhill. Lets do a watch-through shall we? (Mind, I'm a resident of Govanhill, and a sociologist. I'm also 5'3, and a visibly queer woman so if half his claims are true I should be living in terror)

00:30: Welcomes viewers and uses points out that his videos are only getting attention b/c they're 'horrific'. Directs folk to his Youtube page. So already clout hunting.

1:08: "I've been warned to stay out of Govanhill. I'm a marked man" (proceeds to use a beanie as a disguise)

1:30 "Laughing and joking aside, here's somebodys front garden." Proceeds to show litter and claim its thrown from windows and this is 'common'. I know a handful of streets with litter issues like this, but its neither common nor unique to #govanhill and other deprived areas.

2:10 "Don't be under any illusion I'm only showing you the bad bits" - only shows you the bad bits.

3:45: He's had offers of help, but hes said no because hes not responsible for 'anybody elses safety' Good lord.

5:01: "Its not that bad. But its not all good either" -Correct

6:00: TW: child abuse - He starts claiming to have been contacted by a health professional and told about child abuse 'in the area'. Huge ethical issues here as the 'professional' who has 'been in the game a long time' is reporting to Facebook Dude and not authorities.
HEALTH
Nicolas
Nicolas
@necolas
A brief analysis and comparison of the CSS for Twitter's PWA vs Twitter's legacy desktop website. The difference is dramatic and I'll touch on some reasons why.

Legacy site *downloads* ~630 KB CSS per theme and writing direction.

6,769 rules
9,252 selectors
16.7k declarations
3,370 unique declarations
44 media queries
36 unique colors
50 unique background colors
46 unique font sizes
39 unique z-indices

https://t.co/qyl4Bt1i5x


PWA *incrementally generates* ~30 KB CSS that handles all themes and writing directions.

735 rules
740 selectors
757 declarations
730 unique declarations
0 media queries
11 unique colors
32 unique background colors
15 unique font sizes
7 unique z-indices

https://t.co/w7oNG5KUkJ


The legacy site's CSS is what happens when hundreds of people directly write CSS over many years. Specificity wars, redundancy, a house of cards that can't be fixed. The result is extremely inefficient and error-prone styling that punishes users and developers.

The PWA's CSS is generated on-demand by a JS framework that manages styles and outputs "atomic CSS". The framework can enforce strict constraints and perform optimisations, which is why the CSS is so much smaller and safer. Style conflicts and unbounded CSS growth are avoided.
TECH