Epicenter brings you in-depth conversations about the technical, economic and social implications of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies. Every week, we interview business leaders, engineers academics and entrepreneurs, and bring you a diverse spectrum of opinions and points of view. Epicenter is hosted by Sebastien Couture, Brian Fabian Crain, Friederike Ernst, Meher Roy and Felix Lutsch. Since 2014, our episodes have been downloaded over 8 million times.
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episode 314: Nishant Sharma: Bitmain – Rising to Mining Dominance
Bitmain is one of the most well known, and one of the most polarizing companies in the blockchain space. The largest ASIC manufacturer and operator of several mining pools, Bitmain is the center of many controversies and discussions around centralization in the space. But not only is it the subject of discussion, Bitmain breaks out of the “passive miner” stereotype and is very active in many of the discussions in the community, most notably the Great Scaling Debates.
In this episode, we sit down with Nishant Sharma, Head of Community Relations, who is responsible for acting as a bridge between the Bitmain company and the many communities it interacts with through its mining and ASIC operations. We explore the origins of Bitmain and its founders, the economics of ASIC production, its past and current relationships with different communities, and the future of the company.
Topics covered in this episode:
- Nishant's Story in the Bitcoin mining space and how it led to joining Bitmain
- Origin of Bitmain and its founders, notably Jihan Wu
- Does Bitmain contribute to centralization in the blockchain space
- How Bitmain maintains its superiority in the ASIC manufacturing space
- Economics of ASIC production and manufacturing
- Balancing business models of ASIC production, operating multiple mining pools, and exploring new verticals
- Bitmain's role in blockchain debates like the scaling debate, Bitcoin Cash split, and ProgPow
Episode links:
- Bitmain Website
- Nishant on Twitter
- Bitmain on Twitter
- Fallout: Everyone’s a loser after Bitcoin Cash split – Brave New Coin
- Bitmain Wikipedia
- BTC.com Pool
- Antpool
- Leaked Transcript Details Power Struggle Inside Bitcoin Mining Giant
Bitmain – CoinDesk - Dovey Wan on Twitter
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This episode is hosted by Sunny Aggarwal. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/314