Simón Chamorro, Valiu & René Mondragón, Valis Capital | The Future of Bitcoin in Latin America [Ep. 10]

The audio and video are in Spanish. These notes are a translation.

Corporations and investment funds have started buying Bitcoin as a store of value currency in recent months; some call it “digital gold”. This scenario is promising for the future of Bitcoin in Latin America, since it presents opportunities for startups that want to leverage cryptocurrencies to solve problems in our region, such as international transfers and protection against inflation.

To talk about the future of Bitcoin in Latin America and other topics, we invited René Mondragón, partner at Valis Capital, a cryptocurrency investment fund, and Simón Chamorro, CEO & cofounder of Valiu, a virtual wallet that lets you send crypto dollars between countries.

What You Can Learn Today

Bitcoin, its origin and its present
Role of Blockchain in cryptocurrencies
Trends in Blockchain, Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies

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Bitcoin 101

[2:21] - How did they discover the world of Bitcoin?
- René: Collapse of Mt. Gox, experience in the financial market, and José Rodríguez of Bitso
- Simón: Experience in Ethereum and research on cryptocurrencies for company building
[7:52] - What is Bitcoin and how was it born?
- René: Peer-to-peer currency, cap against inflation, and decentralization based on mathematics
[11:20] - What is Blockchain and what is its relationship with Bitcoin? (Simón)
- Money as technology, the cypherpunks, and the need for an arbiter in transactions
- Bitcoin as a store of value
- Blockchain as a platform for Bitcoin
[20:05] - How does Blockchain protect cryptocurrencies?
- Simón: Blockchain as a decentralized and unmodifiable database
- René: Impossibility of a cyberattack

Bitcoin Today

[26:30] - What has generated the increase in the price of Bitcoin? (René)
- Economic recovery policies of the U.S.
- Institutional adoption of Bitcoin as a store of value
- Greater investment by companies in Bitcoin
[30:58] - Valiu’s value proposition and the value of cryptocurrencies as a store of value (Simón)
- Confidence in Bitcoin as a store of value
- Disadvantage of local currencies in the global market
- Deficiencies of the current monetary system
- Valiu and the democratization of access to dollars in Latin America
- Education in stable coins and cryptocurrencies

The Future of Bitcoin in Latin America

[38:41] - Will we see more financial services such as loans and savings accounts based on cryptocurrencies? (René)
- Trends in the U.S. and the United Kingdom
- Fluctuations of the dollar and local currencies
[41:52] - In what other industries are there opportunities to solve problems with Bitcoin in Latin America? (Simón)
- Smart and decentralized contracts on Blockchain
- Unique art based on non-fungible tokens (NFTs)
- Increase in financial inclusion

Tweet Round

[47:20] -
- Recommended podcasts/videos: Michael Saylor (Podcast Odd Lost), BitBoy Crypto
- Recommended books: The Bitcoin Standard, by Saifedean Ammous and Digital Gold, by Nathaniel Popper