Ep. 102: Arjun Khemani: Zcash, Radical Privacy, and the New Renaissance

Arjun Khemani is one of the sharpest young thinkers in the progress movement.He dropped out of high school at 16, built apps with Naval’s team, ran a podcast with guests like David Deutsch and Balaji, and found himself inside the Bitcoin–Zcash privacy debate before turning 20.Niklas sits down with Arjun to explore how COVID shifted his worldview, how The Beginning of Infinity pushed him toward a deeper model of progress, and why privacy became central to his thinking about innovation.They unpack Zcash as an encrypted monetary system, how zero-knowledge proofs work in practice, how privacy shapes creativity and risk-taking, and what a modern Renaissance of talent could look like in a world built on cryptography.They also cover:* The path from Bitcoin to Zcash and the tech behind shielded transactions* Privacy as a foundation for authenticity, safety, and experimentation* AI-driven surveillance and its implications for money* Funding talented people and the lessons from the Medici era* The philosophical lineage: Deutsch, Popper, Schmer, optimism, error correction* How Zcash fits into the broader landscape of crypto protocolsA conversation for anyone thinking about cryptography, progress, startup societies, and how the next wave of talent emerges and gets supported.More about Arjun’s work:* Arjun’s X* Substack/PodcastExplore Infinita City:* Explore the Archive: The Infinita City Times* Visit Infinita City* Join the Builders’ Hub on Telegram* Follow Infinita City on X This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.infinitacitytimes.com