Ep 48. Lightning⚡Baby!

<p>What a difference a year makes! About a year ago the price of Bitcoin hit $63k, today it’s $43k (-30% YoY). But attendance at the annual Bitcoin conference in Miami increased 2.5x to 30,000 people this year. So what’s the deal? Let me tell you a little secret: it’s not just about price.</p><p>The conference itself is a bit of a sideshow. Tons of people I know went to Miami without stepping foot in the convention center. A lot of the action happens behind closed doors in meeting rooms, rooftop bars, and yachts. Investors, builders, technologists and enthusiast converge for one week in the sun to network and get things done.</p><p>Bitcoin 2022 key takeaways</p><p>Bitcoin magazine, the organizers of the conference, posted videos of panels and speeches on their <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtOV5M-T3GcsJAq8QKaf0lg">YouTube channel</a>. I’ll highlight some of the</p><p>CashApp launches 3 new Bitcoin services</p><p>* <strong>Get Paid in Bitcoin</strong> enables CashApp users to auto-invest a portion of their paycheck into bitcoin. </p><p>* <strong>Bitcoin Roundups</strong> enables CashApp users to round up payments to the nearest dollar then buy bitcoin with the difference.</p><p>* <strong>Lightning Network integration</strong> enables users to receive Bitcoin in Cash App through the Lightning Network. The ability to send bitcoin through that network <a target="_blank" href="https://www.coindesk.com/business/2022/01/18/blocks-cash-app-is-finally-integrating-the-lightning-network/">was enabled in January</a>.</p><p>My thoughts: </p><p>* <em>CashApp is key to onboarding people</em>. The fast-growing app has 30 million monthly users. But the demographic is younger and more diverse than the typical bank account holder. CashApp knows that culture leads finance. They routinely partner with hip-hop stars like Megan the Stallion and Lil Nas X for cash and Bitcoin giveaways. This helps drive adoption and builds goodwill for the brand. </p><p>* <strong>CashApp meets people where they are</strong