1. Breaking Down Bitcoin
Bubble Or Greatest Invention Since The Internet?
Los Angeles – November 2017
Sean M. Walsh - sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
2. 12,000 Years Of Shell Money?!
10,000BC - Paleolithic era shell hoards found from Red Sea to Switzerland
5,000BC - Neolithic era shell money in South Pacific & Asia
1,600BC - Chinese Shang Dynasty, bronze cowrie shell money
1700s - used throughout India, Africa, Asia, Europe, South Pacific
1850 - used as legal tender in West Africa
1920 - Replaced by modern currency in remote parts of Africa
2017 - still used in Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea
Sean M. Walsh - sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
3. Sean M. Walsh
Background:
• Redwood City Ventures (Bitcoin/Blockchain Focus)
• Advisor, Science Inc. Blockchain in Los Angeles
• China/US Business & Investment Partnerships
• Previously VP at Bertram Capital ($1+B Silicon Valley
Private Equity firm)
• Created several $100 Millions in new Enterprise Value
• Online Product Development + Customer Acquisition
Contact Information:
• sean@RedwoodCityVentures.com
• Twitter: @SeanWalshBTC
• www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
• WeChat: BigWaveW
4. Notable Projects
• Advisor, Science Blockchain
• Blockchain Startup Incubator
• ICO Advisor
• Substantial available capital
• Science Inc - $1.4B in exits…
• Largest Blockchain Security Datacenter in North
America (aka mining farm)
• Bitcoin, Ethereum, Zcash, Litecoin, Etc.
• Server sales + leasing + repair + hosting, new
Blockchain proofs of concept
Sean M. Walsh - sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
5. Course Objective
Format: alternate slides for 7-8 min, then 2-3 questions
Objective 1: Cover the most important investment-
related elements of Bitcoin for asset class evaluation.
Objective 2: Provide an inside look at how we at
RWCV analyze and model Bitcoin investment
opportunities.
Objective 3: Describe a couple of specific investment
theses that we are actively pursuing.
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
6. Important Disclaimer
I’m not a registered investment
advisor, or tax advisor, or attorney.
Do not rely on anything I say as
professional advice.
It’s just my personal opinion.
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
7. The Basis Of Our Fascination
Ecommerce
Monetary
Factors
Social
Networking
1. Ecommerce/Online User
Acquisition
2. Social Networking / Viral
Marketing
3. Monetary/Economic Factors
1. Monetary History
2. Asset Design
3. Foreign exchange
4. Global trade
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
8. Our Investment Approach
We start by establishing the “First
Principles” of the investment we are
considering.
These are the most essential elements of
our thesis.
Note: If you don’t really know your investment, you
aren’t investing… you’re gambling.
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
9. Step 1: First Principles
1. What is Bitcoin? What is money??
2. What is the current market situation?
3. How does Bitcoin work?
4. What transactions can Bitcoin improve? Who uses it?
5. What fundamentals drive the value of Bitcoin anyway?
6. Any evidence to suggest price will continue climbing?
7. What risks are commonly discussed?
8. What is the scaling debate, and Bitcoin Cash?
9. What resources exist to learn more?
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
10. Principle #1 – What Is Bitcoin?
• The best form of money ever invented
• But, what is money?
1. Unit of Account
2. Means of Exchange
3. Store of Value
• How to compare different monies? SDDRFT
1. Scarcity
2. Durability
3. Divisibility
4. Reconizability
5. Fungability
6. Transportability
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
12. 1. Scarcity: limited, predictable supply
2. Durability: won’t decay
3. Divisibility: easy to subdivide
4. Recognizability:difficult to counterfeit
5. Fungibility: units is exchangeable
6. Transportability:easy to move
They all boil down to trustworthiness of the money.
Principle #1 – “Moneyness”- 6 Characteristics of Money
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
13. S
Dur.
Div.
R
F
T
Gold = 18
S
Dur.
Div.
R
F
T
USD = 13
S
Dur.
Div.
R
F
T
Arg Peso = 10
S
Dur.
Div.
R
F
T
Frequent Flier Miles = 5
S
Dur.
Div.
R
F
T
Starbucks Cards = 6
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
S
Dur.
Div.
R
F
T
Cowrie Shells = 15
16. What’s The Pitch To Own Bitcoin?
1. Most unique Store of Value ever created. Inconceivably scarce.
2. Non correlated asset (portfolio diversification, target 1%-4%)
3. Most asymmetric return profile in history
4. Mainstream adoption due to SDDRFT – best money ever
5. Value is up over 5,000% in 4 years – 1% allocation 3 years ago
would have doubled entire portfolio
6. Strong evidence to suggest strong continued price appreciation
Note: There are also over 250 Million people around
the world who own Gold as a Store of Value.
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
17. The Importance of Moneyness
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
John Exter
(NY Fed President)
18. A Note On Recognizability…
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
27. Principle #2 – The Current Situation?
• About 650k people with 1+ BTC
To me, these are our “Customers”
• $7,000+ per BTC (and about 50k new BTC per month)
• 300k+ transactions per day
• 1+ Million BTC traded per month on Top 10 exchanges
• Developer turmoil
• Shutdown of Chinese exchanges
• Geopolitical risks increasing
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
28. Bitcoin Exchange Volume by Currency
https://www.cryptocompare.com/coins/btc/analysis/USD?type=Currencies
34. Principle #3 – How Does Bitcoin Work?
Sean M. Walsh - sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
1. The Blockchain (the database)
2. Bitcoin Network Nodes:
1. Transaction Propagation
2. Propagation + Blockchain Construction
3. Blockchain Security Servers (Bitcoin Miners)
-They get the votes to control network
4. Bitcoin Wallets: many kinds…
1. Hardware
2. Software (local PC)
3. Online/Mobile Service
4. Paper
5. Virtual Unit of Money, a “Bitcoin”
6. Bitcoin Exchanges
Six
Primary
Elements >>
35. Principle #3 – Benefit of Peer-to-Peer Network
Sean M. Walsh - sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
36. Principle #4 – What Transactions Can Bitcoin
Improve?
Note: there are thousands of use-case archetypes across these Categories.
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
Consumer
to
Business
Consumer
to
Consumer
Business
to
Business
"Financial
Transcations"
37. Principle #4 – Transaction Volume
Note: Legacy network is hitting limit of 3 tps.
Bitcoin Cash upgrade increased throughput by 8x
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
38.
39.
40.
41. Principle #5 – What fundamentals drives value of Bitcoin?
1. Metcalfe’s Law
2. Transaction Volume / Means of Exchange Use
3. Bitcoin Customer Base Growth
4. Increasing faith in the “moneyness” of Bitcoin
5. P/E Ratio vs. Metcalfe’s Law vs. Price Elasticity
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
42. Principle #5 – Robert Metcalfe’s Law (Network Effect)
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
44. Principle #5 – Customer Base Growth
Note: 1+ BTC Wallets now 660k, from 619k on 09/12/2017 (25k monthly
growth, vs. 10k historically)
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
45. Principle #6 – Will Price Trend Continue?
1. Metcalfe’s Law
2. Bitcoin Customer Base Growth
3. Institutional Money Flow
4. Price Elasticity of Supply
5. Bitcoin Dilution Trend
6. 99.9% Of Capital Is Sitting On Sidelines
7. TAM Of Over 3Billion internet-connected
adults, but just 600k people own 1+ Bitcoins.
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
50. Price Elasticity Of Supply - Bitcoin
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
New Minted Coins
(54k per month)
+
Coins Sold
by Holders
BTC
Supply
=
As price increases, supply
declines, leading to
acceleration.
Bottom
Line:
51.
52.
53. $8 Billion max on Exchanges
99.9% Of Capital Is On The Sidelines
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
http://money.visualcapitalist.com/worlds-money-markets-one-visualization-2017/
$70 Trillion – 8,750x
$80.9 Trillion – 10,100x
Bitcoin
54. Principle #7 - Risks To Success
1. Regulatory Crackdown
2. Renewed attempts at regulatory circumvention (illegal
activities)
1. It’s terrible publicity to our target Users
2. It intensifies regulatory scrutiny and crackdown risk
3. Developer infighting / transaction bottlenecks
4. Dramatic BTC price drop
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
59. Principle #8 – Scaling Debate and Bitcoin Cash?
1. Bitcoin Legacy network limit = 3 transactions per second
due to block size.
2. Blockstream has hired many of the “core developers” and
instructed them to prevent blocksize increase to establish
demand for their proprietary product, the Lighting Network.
3. Bitcoin believers launched an upgrade called Bitcoin Cash
on 8/1/2017, allowing 8x transaction volume.
4. Bitcoin Cash, now valued at $600, is more heavily traded in
Korea and other markets, due to belief in the “flippening”
(that it will overtake Bitcoin Legacy price).
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
61. Principle #8 – Where To Learn More?
Good Resources:
- CoinMarketCap.com
- Twitter: @dan_pantera,
@barrysilbert, @JihanWu,
@ViaBTC, @cnLedger,
@BitcoinCashFans, @jgarzik,
@el33th4xor
- Blockchain.info Charts
- SmartBit.com.au Charts
- CoinDesk.com
- Bitcoin.com News
- Reddit.com/r/BTC/
- BTC.com Stats and Mining Calc.
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
Dangerous Due To Extreme
Censorship:
- Reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/
(See Reddit.com/r/noncensored_bitcoin/)
- BitcoinTalk.org
- Bitcoin.org
62. What Investments Are Popular, And Where Are We Focused?
1. [RWCV] Simple Bitcoin Purchase/Ownership
2. [RWCV] Bitcoin Mining (bare metal, or cloud)
3. [RWCV] Bitcoin Datacenter Construction, Operation
4. [RWCV] Datacenter Sale via Private and Public Markets
5. [RWCV] Federated Customer Acquisition Campaign
6. Grayscale Bitcoin Investment Trust
7. CME and CBOE Derivatives Markets
8. [RWCV] ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings)
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
63. Blockchain Security (Self-Mining)
Unit Economics, Example:
- Bitmain S9 Server:
- Hashrate: 14 Terrahashes/sec
- Power Consumption: 1,500 Watts
- Unit Cost Cost: $1,350
- Revenue, mo: 0.09867 BTC ($480 on
10/09/17)
- OpEx, mo: Under $50
BTC Mining Pool
Market Share
64. Bitcoin Mining Distribution
60%15%
15%
• 75% of the Bitcoin network processing power is in China, Russia,
and Eastern Europe…
Sources: blockchain.info, CoinDesk, RWCV estimates
10%
67. Federated Customer Acquisition – Our Goal
Reach 1.2 million people who own 1+ BTC within 24
months.
(double today’s total)
Using a traditional online affiliate marketing program.
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
68. Campaign Details, 1 of 4
1. Tokyo
2. California
3. Florida
4. New York
5. Seoul
6. Delhi
7. Texas
8. UK
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
Where:
Who:
1. Investor ($40k+)
2. Online Brokerage
3. Specific Locations
4. Age < 50
Note – the target is ~2.5k customers per region per month
69. Campaign Details, 2 of 4
What’s the Outreach Strategy?
1. Affiliate Marketing Campaign in each target market.
2. Affiliate Success = New Customer purchases 1+ BTC on a
participating local exchange.
3. We pay affiliate $50 per new customer.
4. Recruit 500 Affiliates in each market (in partnership with
Exchanges).
5. Affiliates will inspire their respective follower-bases to become
customers (offline activity, online events, etc.)
6. New Customers = 600,000 (avg. 60 per affiliate)
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
70. Campaign Details, 3 of 4
What’s the Budget? Schedule?
1. Affiliate Commission = $50 per new Customer (paid in BTC)
2. Budget = $500k per month
3. New Customers Per Day Per Market = 80
4. % of New Bitcoin Supply Absorbed = Over 20%
5. Campaign Duration = 24 months
This brings us to the Virtuous Cycle…
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
71. Consortium Funding Status:
• Funding members include several of the largest
companies in the Bitcoin ecosystem.
Monthly Commitments:
Campaign Details, 4 of 4
$0 $500k per
Month
Image courtesy of https://cointelegraph.com/images/
$300k per
Month
73. sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
$33M $33M
$79M
$233M
$874M
$200M
$400M
$600M
$800M
$1000M
0.5% 2% 5% 10%
MOM Growth
Investment Return: Four Scenarios
Starting Investment Value Investment Value in 24 Months
TVPI: 2x
Expenditure
ROI = 7,000%
TVPI:
9x
TVPI:
28.2x
74. Conclusion
1. Bitcoin is wildly attractive to 300+ Million people.
2. Yet, only 600,000 people own one
3. Bitcoin is a profoundly novel invention deserving much attention
and respect.
4. Bitcoin is almost inconceivably scarce.
5. Evidence seems to exist supporting strong long-term growth of
Bitcoin and many crypto-assets.
6. Always start new investments slowly, and develop expertise.
7. Bitcoin, crypto-assets, and ICOs are risky and volatile.
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
75. Sean M. Walsh
Background:
• Redwood City Ventures (Bitcoin/Blockchain Focus)
• Advisor, Science Inc. Blockchain in Los Angeles
• China/US Business & Investment Partnerships
• Previously VP at Bertram Capital ($1+B Silicon Valley
Private Equity firm)
• Created several $100 Millions in new Enterprise Value
• Online Product Development + Customer Acquisition
Contact Information:
• sean@RedwoodCityVentures.com
• Twitter: @SeanWalshBTC
• www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
• WeChat: BigWaveW
80. Principle #5 – What Transactions Can Bitcoin Improve?
For now…
– forget about scalability
concerns
– focus on Go-To-Market
– focus on financial services
What are the use cases?
1. Non-correlated asset class
for storing value
2. Digital money for retail
discounts
3. Global P2P Money
Transmission
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
81. How To Spread Messages?
STEPPS:
1. Social Currency
Koreatown bar’s nightly code word
2. Trigger Moments
Budweiser “wazzap?” campaign
3. Emotional Stimulation Level
Emotion’s polarity is secondary
4. Public Displays
Apple’s white headphones
5. Practical Value
How-to Youtube videos
6. Stories
Fundamental to humanity
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
82. We May Achieve Viral Growth
We need to think like so-called “Growth Hackers”
We need K > 1.0
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
84. Measuring Our GTM Success
sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh
Key Monthly Metrics:
1. Affiliate referral volume
2. Growth of 1+ BTC wallets
3. New Customer Acquisition Cost (Campaign Expenditures / New
Customers)
4. BTC price change
5. Transactions per day growth (excluding popular addresses)
85.
86. Notable Moments in Bitcoin
1983-1998: David Chaum, Cryptographic “blinding formula”, DigiCash
1999-2005: Flooz, Beenz, e-Gold, regulatory crack-down and dot-com bust
1999: X.com becomes PayPal and abandons virtual currency aspirations .
2006: Anshe Chung becomes first millionaire from virtual property on Second Life.
2009: Mysterious figure “Satoshi Nakamoto” launches Bitcoin network, first transaction to Hal Finney.
2010: May 22 – Bitcoin Pizza Day, 10k paid for 2 Pizzas in Florida
2013: December - 5th Bitcoin price peak ($0.08, $1, $32, $266, $1,100)
2013: October – FBI seizes Silk Road
2014: February - Mt. Gox goes out of business
2015: Wall Street embraces Bitcoin/Blockchain
Sean M. Walsh - sean@redwoodcityventures.com - @SeanWalshBTC - www.linkedin.com/in/SeanWalsh