How Cheap Credit Distorts Money with Joe Consorti
Where to find the show
Download Episode MP3 File
The file will open in a new window. Click down arrow to download the file.
SHOW DESCRIPTION
Joe Consorti is a Market Analyst at The Bitcoin Layer. In this interview, we discuss Austrian economics, Credit Suisse & the risk of large scale defaults, price distortions and how Bitcoin fixes this.
- - - -
When faced with economic turmoil, central banks have a few tools they can turn to, one of which is interest rates. Since interest rates are the price to borrow money, and prices are emergent, manipulating rates is an intentional distortion analogous to fixing prices. Rates instead should be a factor of the supply and demand of credit, risk of default, and a reflection of opportunity cost.
However, during the financial crisis in 2007/2008, the US federal reserve had little option but to step in and repeatedly cut rates. They did this in an attempt to prevent complete collapse and to restart the credit-seized economy. Rates went to basically zero (and even negative in some countries), and since 2008, we have been in an era of cheap credit.
Now, we are potentially in the midst of another financial crisis. Countries across the globe are battling with inflation issues for a raft of reasons, including supply-side constraints, excessive money printing during covid, and war in Europe causing energy shortages. To battle this, central banks are raising rates in an attempt to regain control.
So does cheap access to credit really boost the economy and stimulate growth, or has it prolonged an artificial bull market in equities, over-financialised assets, incentivised mal-investment, added to the growing wealth divide and played a key role in near double-digit inflation?
TIMESTAMPS
00:01:32: Introductions
00:03:03: Joe's background
00:08:00: Austrian Economics
00:10:26: Lightning Network
00:14:23: Lightning liquidity marketplaces
00:17:39: Taro on Lightning
00:25:21: Routing Taro assets
00:31:08: LN liquidity limitations
00:36:06: Credit Suisse, increasing risk of default, and scandal
00:50:08: Contagion risk to other banks, and market distortions
00:59:07: House prices, and demand destruction
01:05:50: Emerging funding stress
01:09:32: Bitcoin credit systems, and proof of reserves
01:18:34: Lightning risk curve
01:25:16: Final comments
SUPPORT THE SHOW
If you enjoy The What Bitcoin Did Podcast you can help support the show by doing the following:
Become a Patron and get access to shows early or help contribute
Make a tip:
Subscribe on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | YouTube | TuneIn | RSS Feed
Leave a review on iTunes
Share the show and episodes with your friends and family
Subscribe to the newsletter on my website
Follow me on Twitter Personal | Twitter Podcast | Instagram | Medium | YouTube
If you are interested in sponsoring the show, you can read more about that here or please feel free to drop me an email to discuss options.
SPONSORS
SHOW NOTES
Connect with Joe Consorti:
Mentioned in the interview:
Revealed: Credit Suisse leak unmasks criminals, fraudsters and corrupt politicians
United States S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index - September 2022 Data
Transparency - Income Report - August '22 | Real Bedford FC | Running Bitcoin
Other Relevant WBD Podcasts:
WBD565: Europe in Crisis with Lyn Alden
WBD549: Why Bitcoin is the Best Monetary Network with Lyn Alden
WBD542: Fractional Reserve, Base Money & Bitcoin with Matthew Mežinskis
WBD528: Everything You Know About the Economy is Wrong with Jeff Snider
WBD469: CBDCs: the Good, the Bad & the Totalitarian with Nik Bhatia
WBD449: Chaos in the Bond Market with Greg Foss & Lawrence Lepard
WBD371: Lightning Series: Mastering Lightning with Andreas M. Antonopoulos & René Pickhardt
WBD359: Central Banking, Bonds & Inflation with William Elman & Greg Mercer