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nChain’s new CEO, Christen Ager-Hanssen, joined the Women of BSV podcast to talk about his vision for the company, the wider BSV ecosystem, and the importance of community and education.
The importance of community and education
Ager-Hanssen explains that in business, he has learned that there are all kinds of people—good and bad, high energy and low energy, and those who will envy you or support you, but in the end, it’s all about the technology and what we can do with it.
He acknowledges that his dialogue with Dr. Craig Wright convinced him to come into the BSV space, and he says he is a brilliant mind that sees things many years before others. However, he says that Dr. Wright being able to see so far in advance isn’t enough if nobody else can see it, and so connecting with the community and promoting the BSV vision, and educating people about the tech’s potential is one of the keys to success. This is one of the reasons he did the DNA of BSV Twitter space and is reaching out.
Ager-Hanssen explains that Dr. Wright, Calvin Ayre, and Stefan Matthews have all been instrumental in what has happened so far, and he gives them credit for building the foundation. Now, he wants to take things to the next level by including everyone in the community and reaching out to people involved in other smart contract blockchains. He uses himself as an example of why it’s essential to do this; he would not have known about it unless someone had explained it to him. He says that those involved now are super early adopters and that even CEOs of large companies have yet to get a grasp on Bitcoin’s potential.
What is that potential? A scalable blockchain capable of handling CBDCs and micro- and nanotransactions is just some of the ideas.
How did Ager-Hanssen meet Dr. Wright?
The pair met at the Royal Ascot in a private box. They talked for hours (non-stop) about cross-skill sets, and Ager-Hanssen quickly realized he only thought he was smart until he encountered the breadth and scope of Dr. Wright’s knowledge.
After talking about investments for a while, Dr. Wright mentioned that he invented Bitcoin. After initially being taken aback by this statement, Ager-Hanssen came to believe him and admire his intellect and charm.
The good, the bad, and the ugly of CBDCs and a more transparent world
Ager-Hanssen mentions CBDCs several times in the conversation, so Diddy Wheldon asks about his opinion on them. She asks how we can prevent government abuse of the power CBDCs would give them.
“Different governments will adopt things in different ways,” he says. He recognizes the potential for control, saying we’ll need to be careful in the transition. However, he reminds us that they will empower poor people using their mobile phones to do microtransactions and peer-to-peer transactions to cut out fee-gouging middlemen. Ultimately, Ager-Hanssen wants to tokenize “every single bit of this world” and wants to see full traceability for everything, creating a more transparent world.
Looking at practical examples of this, Ager-Hanssen points to UNISOT and its work in the supply chain. The sort of data that can be collected and the insights that can be gleaned can change the world for the better. For example, companies can improve their ESG scores by putting projects on the blockchain and being transparent.
To fight for this sort of world, you need people with backbone, Ager-Hanssen says. He says most people don’t have it and calls them jellyfish. He points to Dr. Wright’s backbone, never compromising and knowing he is right despite all the hate and flack he has received. The way to help him make the movement work is to not return to hatred but to smile and educate everyone on how Bitcoin SV works, he says.
London as a tech hub
Ager-Hanssen says that nChain being based in London is a big advantage because 48% of all unicorns in Europe are created in the city. He wants to bring these brilliant tech minds together with the people at nChain.
While the conferences are useful, it’s mainly preaching to the choir, and he wants to create a bigger tent. He wants to make everyone see that BSV is the infrastructure of the future world.
“What I love about London is that this is the number one place in the world. We are open to everyone and include everyone. You don’t find that open-mindedness in every city,” he says. This allows him to learn something new every day, and the city excites him.
BSV will eat the world
Wheldon says that Calvin Ayre often says BSV will eat the world and absorb all other blockchains. She asks Ager-Hanssen for his take on this and how long he thinks it might take. He reflects back on the cell phone industry as an example of what might happen. Many players consolidated into iOS and Android, and several companies that led in the early days died out relatively quickly. He believes the same will happen here as the global public ledger absorbs and consolidates all others. The timeframe he puts on this is 5-10 years.
Looking at some potential outcomes, Ager-Hanssen says that nChain will look at acquiring some Web 2 companies and reinventing them. He gives DocuSign as an example. This will create value and serve society, too. Showcasing how some of these things work and approaching regulators with proper solutions is the key to success.
Ager-Hanssen wraps up by saying he will be at the blockchain conference in London in early 2023 and looks forward to the event.
Check this website to learn more about the upcoming London Blockchain Conference!
Watch: The BSV Global Blockchain Convention presentation, Making Blockchain Easy for Real World Use
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