Meet the Team: Nik Bhatia
Research Strategist
Tantra Labs is incredibly grateful to have Nik Bhatia leading our research efforts as we strive to redefine the financial paradigm and usher in a future denominated in Bitcoin.
Nik is a true Bitcoin believer.
The difference between Nik and many others, though, is Nik backs up his beliefs with hard economic facts derived from years of experience and research. Magic Internet money Bitcoin may be, but Nik brings with him an academic rigor that makes even the stodgiest of critics raise an eyebrow with newfound interest.
In his past Nik traded US Treasuries and interest rate futures for Payden & Rygel, a Los Angeles based investment manager with over $100 billion assets under management. Before that, Nik received his Masters in Finance from IE University in Madrid, Spain in 2013, and received his Bachelors in Social Sciences (Economics) from University of Southern California in 2011.
Of his time in Madrid, Nik writes:
“Going to Madrid was one of the best decisions I ever made. I wanted to study finance and interest rates, and found one of the most comprehensive curriculums of any Masters in Finance anywhere in the world with IE Business School…At that point, I hadn’t yet found Bitcoin, which is probably why I was able to focus so well on other areas.”
But find Bitcoin, he did.
The Time Value of Nik Bhatia
When Nik fell down the Bitcoin rabbit hole, he didn’t stumble in blindly. As a family man, Nik has to allocate his time wisely. But after learning about Bitcoin, realizing its importance and potential, Nik dove in head first, and with a shovel in hand, he researched his way deeper & deeper.
Like many bitcoiners, Nik learned a great deal from watching the videos of Andreas Antonopoulos. But when Andreas first spoke about Lightning Network and mentioned “streaming money,” it was (sorry for this), as if lightning had struck.
Nik became obsessed with this idea of “streaming money,” and he plowed through everything and anything Lightning Network. It was then he learned about transaction malleability, the fix with SegWit, and why segregating the witness matters for Lightning Network, eventually leading to a comprehensive understanding of payment channels and the justice transaction involved that holds everything together.
Following this dive into Lightning Network, though, Nik revisited Andreas’ videos, honing in on the mechanism whereby routing nodes could collect fees:
“Andreas mentioned that routing fees could be collected by nodes within LN, and I knew there was a time value concept that needed to be fleshed out. I brainstormed and waited for months, but NOBODY in Bitcoin was talking about this concept of using LN to derive a Bitcoin interest rate.”
Innovative thinking always seems obvious in hindsight. Nik Bhatia, however, is one of those few individuals who is blessed with foresight. Realizing that he was likely alone in his passion for this idea, Nik decided to do the research himself.
That decision and the research that followed, culminated in The Time Value of Bitcoin, a written piece that not only made a name for Nik among bitcoiners and beyond, but that also went on to inspire countless other research pieces and open up an entirely new discourse around Lightning Network. If you haven’t yet read the piece, HERE is the link a second time. Read it!
Have you read it yet?
Ok, good.
Since publishing that seminal work, Nik has emerged as a true thought leader in the Bitcoin space. He has appeared on numerous podcasts including What Bitcoin Did and Tales from the Crypt, as well as continuing his ongoing quest to explore Bitcoin with various other written pieces, including The Triumvirate of Liquidity, which is another must-read.
Today, Nik’s position is even more interesting. He is a professor at USC, where he uses his past professional experience to teach a class on global bond markets, but he definitely considers himself a “full-time” bitcoiner.
In addition to his work for Tantra Labs, and complimenting his professorship and continued passion for global macro trends, Nik also conducts and writes research for OpenNode, one of the top payment processors in the Bitcoin space.
In all, we feel very lucky to have Nik Bhatia on the team. We expect his ongoing research into Lightning Network and the financial markets to not only have a major impact on the work we do at Tantra Labs, but also on the greater Bitcoin community, and the world at large.
Nik, if you’re reading this, no pressure!
Please stay tuned as we publish Nik’s research initiatives in the coming weeks and months. 2020 is going to be an interesting and exciting year for Bitcoin, and we can’t wait to see how things unfold.
To learn about Nik’s outlook for 2020, you can check out this article. You can also follow him on Twitter to read all of his current thoughts on Bitcoin and the state of the world economy.
Written by Brekkie von Bitcoin, creative director at Tantra Labs
For more about Tantra Labs, check out our introductory post here.
For more from Brekkie von Bitcoin, follow him on Twitter @BVTBC.
For a list of beginner Bitcoin recommendations, check out this article.
For the latest updates from Tantra Labs, follow us on Twitter @Tantra_Labs.
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Author’s opinion only. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Tantra Labs Inc. or any other company. Examples of analysis performed within this article are only examples. They should not be utilized in real-world investment decisions as they are based only on very limited information. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of Tantra or any company.
Non-reliance. The information set forth herein is for information purposes only and should not be relied on or construed as investment advice, counsel, or solicitation for investment in Tantra or any other company. Interested investors should seek appropriate independent professional legal, investment, and tax advice prior to relying on any of the material contained in this article.
Forward-looking statements. Certain information set forth herein contains forward-looking statements that give a reader the opportunity to understand the author’s beliefs and opinions with respect to the future. These statements are not guarantees of future performance of Tantra or any other company and undue reliance should not be placed on them, as they necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties.
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