Dr. Murray Rudd is an environmental economics and policy researcher by training and now Science Advisor for Satoshi Action Education, providing input on economics and environmental science as it relates to Bitcoin. We discuss Murray’s background and work, his new project The Bitcoin Distillery, which is a resource for following and understanding developments in Bitcoin. Finally we explore the way the academic world can engage with Bitcoin in terms of research and collaboration opportunities.

In this episode I catchup with Dr. Simon Collins. We discuss some new research that Simon has contributed to in his new affiliation with the Digital Assets Research Institute along with the Satoshi Action Fund, providing academic insight for measuring and understanding Bitcoin adoption. We talk about the next steps for Simon’s Bitcoin mining company, Stackr, as they look to expand their operations in some exciting new directions internationally. Finally we discuss Lightning Pay, which is creating an amazing merchant payment system, and which offers the fastest and most cost-effective exchange experiences for buying Bitcoin in New Zealand.

This episode is a release of the “Bitcoin in New Zealand” live panel talk in collaboration with Bitkiwi at their event at Dux Central in Christchurch, July 20, 2024. We had three awesome guests, James Viggiano, Brad Henderson, and Andrew Wells.There are some great Bitcoin projects happening in New Zealand and I’m excited for the future. A big thank you to everyone who attended the event, it was great to catchup in person and for me to get back home for a little bit. 

I talk with Sam Kivi, CTO and Director at Grid Share, a New Zealand company building flexible load infrastructure centred around renewable energy and Bitcoin mining. We talk about Grid Share’s Bitcoin mining operation at Monowai Hydroelectric Power Station in the South Island of New Zealand, their plans to grow the business to explore methane capture from landfills enabled by Bitcoin mining, and the broader opportunities for demand response and renewable energy infrastructure growth in New Zealand.

I talk with Brad Henderson, a Power System Engineer and Head of Engineering and Design at ElectroNet, a New Zealand-owned consultancy firm. Brad share some exciting details about a new Bitcoin mining facility that his firm has been involved with on the West Coast of New Zealand. We discuss what energy sovereignty might mean for New Zealand, including the importance of electrifying the economy and how Bitcoin mining and solar power may help create energy abundance.

Sam Kivi is the CTO and Director at Grid Share, a New Zealand company building flexible load infrastructure centred around renewable energy and Bitcoin mining. We talk about how flexible load works, and the benefits that it provides to the power grid, how it interacts with renewable power generation, and what the opportunities and challenges are, given New Zealand’s unique energy mix. We also discuss the emerging opportunities for landfill methane capture, and what it actually takes to put in the proof of work to stand up a mining operation as Grid Share have done. Sam also shares a new initiative from the company, offering hosting services for Bitcoin miners in New Zealand.

Today I talk with Mike Lazelle, Founder & VP at Red Phase, a New Zealand-based EV fast charging startup, and Brad Henderson Head of Engineering and Design at ElectroNet. Both of my guests are Bitcoiners and have an extensive background working in the energy sector in New Zealand and abroad. We talk about how the NZ grid and electricity market works, and some of the details of how new generations assets are built, and what the future of energy infrastructure might look like in New Zealand.

I talk with Dr. Simon Collins, founder of Stackr, a sustainable Bitcoin mining company based in New Zealand. We talk about NZ's unique renewable energy mix, the importance of miner collaboration, and future opportunities to integrate Bitcoin mining with industrial heat processes.