Why Building Bitcoin L2s Matter | Stacks Co-Founder Muneeb Ali
Muneeb Ali is the co-founder of Stacks, which is a L2 that enables smart contracts and decentralized applictions to be built on top of Bitcoin. Muneeb is an early adopter in the blockchain industry with over a decade of experience. He offers a unique and insightful perspective on the current landscape of leading Layer 1 blockchains. In our conversation, we explore his views on the role of Layer 2 solutions for Bitcoin, how it compares to Ethereum and Solana, and why Bitcoin holds a unique position as sound money. We also delve into broader industry trends and what the future might hold for scaling solutions.
0:00 Bitcoin L2s
4:07 Muneeb Ali
8:03 Stacks
24:42 Bitcoin VS Ethereum
27:42 Ethereum VS Solana
38:35 Bitcoin As Money
50:40 BitVM
54:24 Rollups on Bitcoin
56:00 DeFi On Bitcoin
1:03:28 EVM
1:05:55 Getting Started With Stacks
This episode was sponsored by:
NEAR: https://redactedbangkok.ai/?utm_source=thedefiant&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=defiant&utm_content=newsletter
Stellar: https://stellar.org/soroban?utm_source=defiant&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=defiant_podcast
✨ Check out our new website ✨
https://thedefiant.io/
🚀 Sign up to our newsletter 🚀
https://thedefiant.io/go-premium#pricing?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=signup
🤑 Find DeFi investment opportunities & educational primers here
https://thedefiant.io/promo?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=alpha
✊ Follow The Defiant
Twitter: https://twitter.com/defiantnews
Discord: https://discord.com/invite/3SdRdEs5ag
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedefiant.io/
Telegram: https://t.me/DefiantNews
📬 Contact our Newsroom
editorial@thedefiant.io
🤝 Sponsorships & Partnerships
sponsors@thedefiant.io
#TheDefiant #DeFi #Decentralized #Finance #Blockchain #Web3
How layer-2s are trying to transform Bitcoin's culture
Muneeb Ali is the CEO of Trust Machines and the co-creators of Stacks — a layer-2 that enables smart contracts and decentralized applications to utilize bitcoin for base-layer security.
In this episode of The Scoop, Ali discusses the growth and importance of Bitcoin Layer 2 solutions. He emphasizes the need for BTC capital to be deployed in L2s and the potential for Bitcoin L2s to become a significant category in the crypto industry.
According to Ali, creating more on-chain uses for bitcoin will ultimately make the asset more valuable:
“Bitcoin rails can be upgraded through layer-2s... There can be all sorts of use cases that that are deployed there and BTC the capital can be more productive — it will make bitcoin more valuable.”
Stacks’ Muneeb Ali On Why Bitcoin Is Exciting Once Again - Ep. 612
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Pandora, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Fifteen years after the birth of Bitcoin, the network is now entering an era of remarkable innovation and change, according to Stacks' co-creator Muneeb Ali.
On this episode of Unchained recorded at the Bitcoin Builders conference, Muneeb explores the complexities and advancements within Bitcoin's Layer 1 and Layer 2. He shares his perspectives on what's fueling innovation in Bitcoin's Layer 1 and discusses the implications of Ordinal Inscriptions amid criticism of it by core developers.
He delves into the various scaling solutions within Bitcoin, highlighting how trust assumptions vary among them, and how BitVM could be a 'game changer'. He goes over the advantages of integrating smart contracts on Bitcoin, and why he considers BTC the only true form of monetary asset.
Show highlights:
What's driving innovation in Bitcoin’s L1
How Muneeb feels about Ordinals Inscriptions in Bitcoin, considering the criticism from some core developers
How, in the recent years, research and development in crypto happened outside of Bitcoin, and how that's changing now, according to Muneeb
The different types of scaling solutions in Bitcoin and how the trust assumptions differ in each of them
Why he feels like BitVM is a 'game changer' and what it enables
What the Nakamoto upgrade is on Stacks
The advantages of having smart contracts on Bitcoin, according to Muneeb
Why he says that BTC is the only asset that is money
The challenges to having privacy in Bitcoin
Thank you to our sponsors!
Popcorn Network
iTrustCapital
Polkadot
Guest
Muneeb Ali, co-creator of Stacks
Previous appearances on Unchained:
Bitcoin Ordinal NFTs Are Hot and Getting Hotter. What's the Hype About? - NFT Crypto
Blockstack On Getting Independence From Google, Facebook And Amazon
Links
Recent news:
Unchained:
Stacks, a Bitcoin Layer 2 Protocol, Sees All-Time High in Total Value Locked
A New Era for Bitcoin Is Here, Whether Bitcoin Maximalists Like It Or Not
Bitcoin Passes the $1 Trillion Market Cap Mark; All Cryptos Combined Reach $2 Trillion
Bitcoin L2s:
Unchained:
Are Layer 2s on Bitcoin Having a Moment?
How Botanix Aims to Enable Smart Contracts on Bitcoin
An Ethereum-Like Experience Built on Bitcoin?
Learn more:
What Are Opcodes in Bitcoin? A Beginner's Guide
What Are BRC-20 Tokens?
What Are ORC-20 Tokens?
How to Create a Bitcoin Ordinal
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bitcoin Ordinal NFTs Are Hot and Getting Hotter. What's the Hype About? - Ep. 462
Muneeb Ali, co-creator of Stacks, discusses the Bitcoin trend that has everyone – or at least, many Bitcoiners – buzzing: Bitcoin ordinals. Ali explains why it is that they’ve taken up block space, pushed Bitcoin fees higher, and caused controversy in the community. Plus, he explains why the phenomenon has generated excitement about Stacks.
Show highlights:
how Ordinals technology works to enable NFTs in the Bitcoin blockchain
the difference between NFTs in smart contracts platforms like Ethereum vs. NFTs in Bitcoin
the way in which the Taproot upgrade allowed Ordinals technology to exist
what security measures to take in order to protect one’s Bitcoin NFTs
why the Bitcoin maxi community reacted negatively to Ordinals
why Stacks jumped so much in price after the release of Ordinals
what Muneeb thinks is the significance of Yuga Labs launching NFTs on Bitcoin
Thank you to our sponsors!
Crypto.com
Railgun DAO
Guest
Muneeb Ali, co-creator of Stacks
Twitter
Previous appearance on Unchained: Blockstack On Getting Independence From Google, Facebook And Amazon
Links
Unchained: BAYC Creator Yuga Labs to Launch Bitcoin Ordinal NFTs
Decrypt: What Are Ordinals? A Beginner's Guide to Bitcoin NFTs
Dune: Ordinals - Inscriptions on Bitcoin
Episodes about Bitcoin mentioned in the show:
Does Maximalism Help or Hurt Bitcoin? Lyn Alden and Udi Wertheimer Debate
Eric Wall and Udi Wertheimer on Why Bitcoin Maximalism Is ‘Like a Shitcoin Community’
Is Bitcoin Doomed to Fail? Eric Wall and Justin Bons Face Off
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ordinals Will Spark Bitcoin's Application Era | Muneeb Ali
In this episode of Empire, Muneeb Ali, the founder of Stacks, joins us to discuss Bitcoin's sudden transformation. Until the last two months, Bitcoin was (perceived as) simply a store of value, a religion. However, Ordinals, a Bitcoin NFT project, has redirected the spotlight to Bitcoin’s underlying tech and utility - a technology that can support NFTs, DeFi and more. Muneeb provides his unique insights in this eye-opening episode!
- -
Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction
(00:53) Bitcoin is a technology, not a religion
(06:43) Building apps on Bitcoin
(12:36) Has Ordinals transformed Bitcoin’s future?
(24:42) Stacks and Bitcoin DeFi
(29:30) Blockworks Research
(31:04) Stacks and Bitcoin DeFi
(35:57) What will Bitcoin look like in 12 months?
- -
Follow Muneeb: https://twitter.com/muneeb
Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz
Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel
Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod
Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j
Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7
Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw
Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/
- -
Resources
Empire's first-ever episode (with Muneeb)
https://tinyurl.com/4vnbxwkz
Stacks
https://www.stacks.co/
- -
Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
Muneeb Ali, on why the next internet will be built on Bitcoin
My guest today is Muneeb Ali, Co-Founder of the Stacks Project (formerly Blockstack) and CEO of Hiro.
On this episode of Empire, we talk about Muneeb’s upbringing in Pakistan and the sacrifices his family made to get him his first computer, military dictatorship vs democratic rule, how he lied about a grant to get a job in Sweden and then ran out of money, and why it’s better to build on Bitcoin than create a new chain.
–––
Empire is brought to you by Blockworks, a financial media brand delivering breaking news and premium insights about digital assets to millions of investors. For more content like Empire, visit http://blockworks.co/podcasts.
Follow me on Twitter @JasonYanowitz and let me know what you thought of the show!
Blockstack On Getting Independence From Google, Facebook And Amazon
Ryan Shea and Muneeb Ali, the cofounders of Blockstack, on how their tools enable users to control their own data, why the internet should have universal usernames but no company should control that, and why Blockstack’s storage system still allows users to choose centralized options like Google Drive and Dropbox. They also talk about how other blockchain systems are thinking about scaling wrong, why they launched a developer fund, and why a developer would choose Blockstack over Ethereum.
Show notes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2017/09/05/blockstack-on-how-to-take-control-from-google-facebook-and-amazon/
BlockStack: https://blockstack.org/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices