Jul 6, 2022 | Episodes
Into the Metaverse with Cathy Hackl
Welcome to the Metaverse, your name here. Please take your shoes off and make yourself comfortable. In the metaverse, all your needs will be tended to. You will work, play, live, eat, sleep, breathe and poop, all from the confines of your virtual world.
What is this Metaverse thing all about? If you have a VR headset, put one on now. If you don’t, put on your pretend VR headset. You know, like the one your kindergarten teacher told you to wear.
Today, we welcome Cathy Hackl, the Godmother of the Metaverse, to share what the metaverse is all about and how soon we will be entering into a utopian paradise of dystopian hellscape.
Let’s get Meta, but not that shitty Facebook brand, on today’s episode #619 of The Bad Crypto Podcast.
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FEATURED GUEST: CATHY HACKL
Cathy Hackl is an American tech futurist, author and metaverse consultant specializing in metaverse, gaming, web3, and augmented reality and virtual reality. She’s popularly known as the godmother of the metaverse, a virtual world that connects people, places, and things.
I almost see the metaverse as an extension of humanity and of creativity […] It’s about all these technologies converging together to take us to the next step, to break us free from the limitations of the screens and really have that internet that lives all around us.
Hackl is the CEO of the Futures Intelligence Group which is dedicated to help the world’s top brands with metaverse strategies and world building. They help brands with common metaverse needs such as NFTs, gaming and virtual fashion. To name a few: Clinique and P&G.
Cathy is co-author of the best-selling book, Navigating the Metaverse: A Guide to Limitless Possibilities in a Web3 World.
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TIMESTAMPS AND RELEVANT LINKS:
- 5:00 Introduction to Cathy Hackl, discussion around her appropriate title, “Queen of the Metaverse” or “Godmother of the Metaverse”.
- 6:00 Cathy’s involvement in the Metaverse over the last 8 years, now operating as the Chief Metaverse Officer at Journey
- 8:25 Where are we in the web3 Metaverse world and how long before we reach mass adoption? Cathy offers the distinctions between “M”etaverse and “m”etaverse.
- 11:10 We are using the term “metaverse” incorrectly. Joel has shared his thoughts (rant) on the use of the term “metaverse” at Grit Daily, The Biggest Problem with the Metaverse
- 11:40 Discussion around how to access AR/VR with a history of the devices ranging from early Oculus Rift, Google Glass (it was too early), and a diversion into pillow talk.
- 14:00 Improvement in hardware with applications for enterprise use.
- 14:50 What excites Cathy about the metaverse is the merge of physical and digital, which will allow us to leverage the technology to the next level of application. For example, virtual make-up try on is a quickly developing “must have” enterprise application for AR.
- 17:00 People underestimate how hard it is to put a supercomputer on someone’s face, from the battery, optics, weight, and more. We’re not there yet.
- 17:50 When can we expect to see AR contact lenses like Mojo Vision ? How much data will they be able to collect from me when I use these devices?
- 21:20 Are we ready for digital implants and wearable devices? There are only so many new features we can add to phone cameras; sophisticated digital wearables are the next phase of evolution. Check out Neuralink and the latest phone announcement from Tesla Tesla Model Pi Phone.
- 22:50 Which of the existing virtual worlds are most interesting now? What devices are required for accessibility? Cathy divides them into centralized and decentralized. Anything built with Unreal Engine is going to be very high fidelity, but Unity is catching up. Upland and Core Games offered as examples.
- 24:30 Cathy shares the first NASDAQ bell ringing to occur IRL and virtually to open the markets live on television.
- 25:37 What about the metaverses not on blockchain, do you see them being able to make the pivot where users want to have ownership of their “stuff”?
- 28:50 “In the metaverse, we are all world builders and now is the time to build.”
- 30:00 The earliest worlds offering buildable NFTs are Decentraland, Sandbox, Somnium Space, and Crypto Voxels; do you think first-mover advantage for those are going to give them longevity, or do you think they might fail?
- 31:00 Cathy is very excited about Star Atlas; full disclosure, Joel and Travis are both early investors in Star Atlas. We discuss their current “stealth mode” related to their building season.
- 32:00 If I want to create something for a metaverse, what file types are needed to export the graphics you independently create to import into these worlds from Unreal Engine? This relates to the interoperability challenges of the current virtual worlds. Check out Victoria VR as an example of high fidelity experiences powered by Unreal Engine.
- 35:25 How do we inspire kids to want to be builders in the metaverse?
- 37:53 Technology is amoral; it is neither good nor bad, it is what we do with it that is good or bad. What should the metaverse look like, and what are your biggest fears?
- 40:35 Think about the metaverse as the successor state to current mobile technology and the hope to build a better future.
- 41:37 Closing remarks. The Bad Crypto Podcast has built custom space in Crypto Voxels, which you can access at Bad Crypto on Crypto Voxels.
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Jul 6, 2022 | Episodes
Beware Ransomware with Trent Fowler
Hackers. Viruses. Malware. There must be more than 50 ways to lose your crypto. But one of the ways is when you voluntarily hand it over to criminals demanding a ransom. This can be the result of ransomware.
What is this insidious method of extracting money from people, how did it come to be and how are you and your data at risk?
Today we are joined by Trent Fowler, an expert in the area of ransomware. You’ll want to know what it is and how you can protect yourself.
It’s a little dark, but we try to keep it light on episode #618 of The Bad Crypto Podcast.
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Guest: Trent Fowler
Trent Fowler is an author, data scientist, blockchain analyst, business strategist, and co-host of the Futurati Podcast. As an engineer, he has worked at several early-stage cryptocurrency startups creating infrastructure, doing predictive analysis, and helping to build the company by working closely across teams and with customers.
As a professional speaker, Trent Fowler’s eye-opening keynotes have tantalized audiences large and small. His most requested topics range from artificial intelligence and existential risk to cryptocurrencies and the future of business strategy.
From years of writing, speaking, and teaching Trent Fowler has honed an ability to distill complex topics like quantum computing and economics into concepts that every audience can understand and find useful.
Links
The Ransomeware Report 2022
My podcast – Futurati Podcast
@Trent_STEMpunk
Relevant links:
Ransomware is indiscriminatory: Prepare for everything to fail
TIME STAMPS:
2:15 The Bad Crypto Podcast 5 year anniversary is approaching!
3:00 Travis Wright is planning a stand-up comedy tour in 2023. Let us know what cities he should target. Send us a formal request for a performance via email: [email protected]
6:00 Introduction to guest Trent Fowler, author, data scientist, blockchain analyst, business strategist, co-host of The Futurati Podcast
8:00 Trent’s background and interest in technology and data science
9:20 What is ransomware?
11:00 Examples of ransomware and how bad actors can continue extortion for release of the stolen sensitive data
12:18 Give Me Your Lunch Money: Ransomware Bullies Took $3.56B From Schools In 2021 – news from Hardware.com
13:35 Canti is one of the most superior and professionalized ransomware operators on earth with one of their largest targets being the Costa Rican government https://www.group-ib.com/media/conti-armada-report
14:35 Ransomware groups break apart and reform pretty dramatically; not uncommon for these groups to innovate and form new nodes and create new versions of ransomware
15:20 How vulnerable are people that are holding cryptocurrency and what can they do to protect themselves?
16:50 In Q3 2020, Canti attacked 106 different companies, and nearly the same every quarter since. Are they using crypto as their payment method when extorting businesses?
21:00 2018 marked something of a turning point for ransomware groups because they started to utilize a strategy called “big game hunting”, targeting businesses for larger amounts of stolen data and larger ransoms. Now called the rise of professionalism of ransomware and ransomware as a service.
23:20 Ransomware operating as a franchise or business, targeting lists of businesses with weak security cultivated and shared via the dark web.
24:18 The Canti group earlier this year said they were backing Moscow versus Ukraine. Travis hypothesizes World War Three is this economic, cyber infrastructure warfare.
25:35 The only way to get money to family and friends in Ukraine and Russia is via cryptocurrency.
26:15 People escaping the (Ukraine) war zone with twelve words in their heads that allow them to tap into their net worth.
26:40 This is the high water mark for the boldness of these groups going after their enemies, speaking on behalf of a sovereign power as their “cyber muscle” with one of the first credible threats from a ransomware group in support of governments during conflict.
27:45 What happens next, what is the next evolution of cyber crime after ransomware?
28:20 People have become more aware of how social media and technology have improved their lives, but also made them more vulnerable in certain ways; more reticence to post pictures of their children or check in to locations for fear of tracking by stalkers.
29:50 If we don’t take cyber security seriously and solve some of these problems, we will see an increased scale in these malicious groups and how they operate.
31:00 The ways you defend yourself against ransomware are similar to how you defend yourself against cyber security in general. Building better security into the operating systems and browsers we use is an important first step. (No thanks, Google; hello, Brave and ProtonMail!)
33:00 Travis shares a new browser he is using, Avast. Conspiracy theory: are the anti-virus companies creating new forms of malware to sell more of their products?
34:00 Is MetaMask secure? What do we need to do to keep safe?
35:00 Invest in learning more about cybersecurity, taking greater care of your cryptocurrency custodianship via cold wallet storage, browsers with high levels of securities and a password manager with regular password management and updates.
37:08 Closing remarks; an upcoming recap of NFT.NYC on The Nifty Show! nifty.show/171
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May 30, 2022 | Episodes
FBI Seizes Bitcoin with Elena Obukhova
Just as there are 50 ways to leave your lover, there are a lot of ways to lose your Bitcoin. While none of these are good, I imagine that having the FBI seize your Bitcoin is one of the less agreeable ways for this to take place.
In this episode, we welcome crypto OG Elena Obukhova to the show to share her encounter with the FBI, to discuss the importance of decentralization and also to check out the ticketing project she has launched.
It’s the “If only FBI stood for Fun Bacon, Inc. I’d welcome them” episode #610 of The Bad Crypto Podcast.
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FEATURED GUEST
As for the guest, Elena Obukhova is a leader in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space and has been involved in the field since 2014. She had her Bitcoin taken by the FBI in the early days when they were still trying to figure out what Bitcoin was, and that story itself is quite interesting. She is also a huge advocate for decentralization and openly talks about the pros of web3 but also the dangers of web3 as more people coming into the space seem to care less about decentralization and data ownership. She is well versed in data protection, safety and personal privacy, and has past work experience as a data analyst in the finance sector exploring emerging blockchain markets.
Elena is the founder of Fintech Advisory Services which helps businesses to scale using blockchain technology. As well she is the founder of Flashback One, an NFT Ticketing platform. She is also an MIT graduate.
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May 15, 2022 | Episodes
Stablecoin LUNAcy with Brad Mills
The crypto world is notorious for its risk and its unpredictability. This past week has seen both of these features surface in a big way as the Terra ecosystem has collapsed upon itself losing investors billions of dollars. What happened and what can we learn from it?
In this episode, we welcome podcaster and author Brad Mills to the show to discuss in detail the warning signs and the end result of this digital ponzi scheme. Brad called it accurately back in January and he has a lot to say about Bitcoin, DeFi, Jpegs, centralized exchanges and more. In fact, if we didn’t end the interview, he’d still be talking. But it’s all worth listening to and you don’t want to miss a moment.
It’s an extra-large, family-size “you might be a LUNAtic” episode #608 of The Bad Crypto Podcast.
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FEATURED GUEST:
Brad Mills is a life-long entrepreneur, with a focus on product development & marketing. Involved with bitcoin since 2011 as a miner, entrepreneur & investor, Brad is a Value Maximalist at his core.
Tune into the Magic Internet Money Podcast to deepen your insight into Bitcoin. Brad interviews game-changers in the industry and brings forth their stories for you to learn about the deep roots of Bitcoin’s Philosophy.
Brad Mills 🔑 @bradmillscan Host of @Podcast_MIM
| ✍️ | investor @hexawallet @scarcedotcity @galoymoney @bankwithlvl | 🐦
CONNECT:
LUNA story links
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May 1, 2022 | Episodes
Nothing but Bitcoin with CK of Bitcoin Magazine
Bitcoin Magazine is the oldest and most established source of news, information and expert commentary on Bitcoin, its underlying blockchain technology and the industry that has been built up around it. Since 2012, Bitcoin Magazine has provided analysis, research, education and thought leadership at the intersection of finance and technology.
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FEATURED GUEST
Christian Keroles is a journalist and the Managing Director of Bitcoin Magazine. Best known as CK, he is the host of the Bitcoin Magazine Podcast, Fed Watch Podcast, and Bitcoin Magazine Spaces and consistently covers Bitcoin as it monetizes and evolves. He is also one of the founders of Bitcoin 2022, the largest bitcoin conference in history.
Founded in 2012, Bitcoin Magazine was the first-ever magazine dedicated solely to covering the cryptocurrency space. Its reporting focus is on Bitcoin, its underlying blockchain technology, and the industry that has been built up around it over the course of almost a decade.
The magazine regularly breaks some major global Bitcoin stories. For example, the President of El Salvador announced that the country would adopt Bitcoin as legal tender at Bitcoin Magazine’s 2021 conference.
LINKS MENTIONED:
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