Essays & Perspectives

Articles by James Notaris.

Essays on sports, technology, financial markets and Bitcoin.

The Strike Zone on Trial

In 2026, major league players could challenge ball and strike calls for the first time. A Milwaukee catcher turned it into a World Series weapon.

The NFL nearly lost the kickoff return. Two rule changes brought it back, and a wild afternoon in London showed what it can do.

Railroads, electric light, the internet and Bitcoin all met fear first. Experience settled the argument each time.

The paper that created Bitcoin never mentions the 2008 financial crisis. Its timing and its code tell that story.

Every road game creates a tax bill. Courts, cities and long-term contracts keep changing who collects it.

The fastest man in the world once skipped a London race because winning it would have cost him money. Tax rules decide where champions compete.

The chips exist. The electricity to run them is the constraint that decides how fast artificial intelligence can grow.

In every buildout, the operators race and the owners of the ground collect rent. Artificial intelligence follows the same pattern.

In two years, most Americans' trust in banks disappeared. Bitcoin arrived with a system built to need less of it.