Cigars and Crypto Podcast

It's been a super long time since I've put out a podcast.  I've been working on building my own brand.  But I bumped into Lee at an event in Cigar Sessions in Middletown, Delaware.  That 15 minute conversation led to me dusting off my mic and getting back into the swing of things.  In Episode 183, Lee and I discussed how he get into cigars.  We talked about his blending method, factory tours, the core line offerings from Stolen Throne, and limited editions.  Make sure you visit their social media accounts and keep up with them.

I learned a lot from Sam and Sonny about NFT's and the HolyVerse project.

I had an awesome chat with the Crypto Coral Tribe about their NFT project.  Visit them at https://cryptocoraltribe.io or follow them on twitter @coraltribenft

Started in Crypto in 2013 while working at Oracle. While listening to a TedTalk, he had an epiphany. He and his partner saw that there needed to be a payroll processor that provided Bitcoin payroll services. Quit his job in June 2014 to cofound BitWage. To learn more, visit us online at www.cigarsandcrypto.com

Had a great discussion with Jack Kruse.  This episode was sponsored by Cigar Recon Cigars.  You can use crypto to buy your cigars today at www.cigarrecon.com

Also known as "Principle Z", Nadav was formally a Software engineer.  Introduced Podcasting to his school as a way to engage student learners.  The blockchain advocate moved from SW engineering because he wanted to really make a difference and decided to move to education as a Physics and Robotics teacher.  He wants to use Blockchain to change education. Blockchains are a ledger of account that the transcript can be imported to. You could decentralize the high school transcript and have their progress follow them all through their education. It incentivizes a shift to project-based learning instead of test-based learning.  In this episode we discussed his love of Bitcoin and his book: Follow Nadav on Twitter: @nzeimer S/O to @nftylab for their work on NFT's Support Nadav by buying his book Education in the Digital Age: How we get there https://amzn.to/3oLarsB

Damion Lupo Serial Entrepreneur First business at 11 selling Nintendo games Started 50 companies The importance of having purpose How he lost 25 million dollar loss and made it all back Self-awareness and taking ownership of failures is how you recover from losses His First experience with crypto at a coffee shop in Prague. Reinvented Life - Book Financial Underdogs Podcast Special Shoutout to Buckminster Fuller www.damionlupo.com Twitter: @damionlupo

I had an excellent discussion with this brother of the leaf.  Ray is truly an interesting and humble dude.  I really think you'll enjoy this episode.  We discussed how he got into cigar smoking, why he can't say he has a favorite cigar, the importance of environment to the smoking experience, unique pairings, and his work setting up cigar events in Europe and abroad.  Make sure you follow him on social media @rayprodanoff

Had a great discussion with Luke about how he got into crypto, what drew him to Decred, and how it's different from Bitcoin.  Find and follow him on Twitter at 

Cigar smoker for 8 years |  2018 - Founded Charm City Cigars |  Her belief that cigar smokers need products that are built just for us. She knew there had to be a way to take better care of our skin and get rid of the smokey cigar smell as well |  What really excites her about tobacco and cigars. |  Family background in tobacco farming. |  Her constant curiosity motivates her to learn everyday and build a unique brand. Make sure you visit her online at www.charmcitycigars.com or on IG/Twitter at @charmcitycigars

My monthly discussion with the NoirCoin team

I had an amazing lesson and discussion Hannah Rosenberg of Velis Commerce on the Lightning Network.  In this episode we discussed: Studied Econ at UIC Chicago - Monetary Theory |  2011 got into the space after listening to a podcast |  Pitfalls and dangers of the crypto journey |  All roads lead to ₿TC |  A very high-level overview of the Lightning network |  It’s a 2nd layer solution that doesn’t rely on publishing every transaction to the base-layer network (Local Knowledge) |  All lightning nodes need to be connected to a Bitcoin node. (Full or pruned) |  Ease of use of the BTCPayserver |  Phoenix and Moon as easy to use phone wallets |  Detailed discussion on Liquidity and its use on the Lightning network |  The future of Bitcoin, the Lightning Network, and blockchain tech.  Follow her on Twitter at @hmichellerose or visit her online at velascommerce.com

In Episode 171 we discussed: Upgrading the privacy protocol - Will they implement ZKSnarks or Lalantis security protocol. The importance of privacy in the crypto space. They are now preparing for the swap - but are considering implementing this without the privacy protocol first. How will exchanges deal with the new coin; will they drag their feet? How exchanges are greedy AF and kill small projects with exchange fees. Pro’s and Con’s of decentralized exchanges. @noircoin https://www.noirofficial.org

Fintech expert 2014 Owner - Planet Krypton Educator Wanted to fill a gap for those who need an intro to crypto Pre-recorded courses 1 on 1 coaching www.planetkrypton.io @linkgreen_thekhemist

Worked in infrastructure; unified communications. Decided to start a business and the pandemic hit. So she and her team decided it was time to start investing and trading in crypto. They are working to solve the problem of different types of sensors and the inability to work with them all Working on a framework for using Augmented Reality to interact with iOT devices and store that data on distributed ledgers. You’ll be able to launch a response from the AR interface to work remotely. They’ve finished the 1.0 version of the project and they are pushing forward to V2. The project will be blockchain agnostic; you can use this framework on any blockchain that the user chooses. Functions as an interoperable layer 2 solution. They are currently seeking more developers to build on top of it. They are also considering launching a token to reward developers for building on top of the application. Website: www.dappar.io Project Twitter @dapp_ar LinkedIn: Wolfberry LLC

This was my monthly chat with the members of the Noir Coin team.  This month I had an opportunity to speak with Flo, the lead dev.  We discussed their progress on the chain swap and future development that the team has in store.  I love this project and encourage you to listen and learn.   www.noirofficial.org

Crowned Heads Started late 2010 with the hopes of not being a regular cigar company. They chose to be an aspirational brand. Headley Grange Black Lab - Riff off of Headly Grange. 2nd release in 2012. Wanted the cigar to taste like the drum riff from the Led Zeppelin song, When the Levy Breaks. The drums were the inspiration for Headley Grange. A different wrapper was added and called the Black Lab after a black Labrador retriever at that same house. Juarez - 2017 Jon got samples at a trade show. Loved the samples he received and wanted to see if they could mass produce the same flavor. After a number of people passed at the blend, Jon decided to release it on his own. A riff on Jericho Hill, this cigar is amazing and deeply complex. How he’s inspired and motivated to make unique blends Artwork for the Las Calaveras band. Worked on it with Jaime Garcia and My Father Cigars. How his favorite Las Calaveras is the 2015….or is it the 2019? The only way to find out is to listen to the episode. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @thecrownedheads www.crownedheads.com

This by far was one of my favorite discussions.  In Episode 166 we discussed: His inspiration for creating Room 101 Brand | How Room 101 started as a Bespoke jewelry brand | How Room 101 is a collection of all things important to Matt | Creative Collaboration - He relates cigar making like the creation of music | His absolute love of the craft | His favorite Room 101 cigar past and present | The reemergence of the Namakubi | Will the Chief Cool arrow come back | And a whole lot more! Please make sure you visit the brand online at: https://room101brand.com/ Also follow him on social media at @room101brand It's Boofy baby!!!

I had an excellent discussion with Anarchy in this episode.  We discussed: Got into Cigars at a company retreat and have been in love with cigars ever since. |  Her time in Washington, DC |  What it is about cigar smoking that really appeals to her. |  Matches and her affinity with them, especially with Cuban cigars. |  The cigar smoking rituals I observed while visiting Cuba |  Our mutual love of Boutique cigars |  Definitely loves full bodied cigars |  Pairings are dependent upon her mood. When smoking full-body, she likes a rich red wine and sometimes bourbon. |  Cincoro Repesado and the perfect cigar for her.

This is the second part of the 2 part series of NoirCoin's chain swap.