"Bitcoin is way beyond any sort of central ethos. It's a force of nature." - CK My guest today is Christian Keroles, aka CK. CK is the Director of Financial Freedom at the Human Rights Foundation , focusing on advancing open-source Bitcoin development and global Bitcoin adoption. In his prior position as Chief Operating Officer (COO) at BTC Inc, CK was instrumental in shaping Bitcoin Magazine into the foremost publication dedicated to all things Bitcoin. He also played a pivotal role in establis...
Apr 16, 2024•1 hr 20 min
"Every day, fiat currency buys you a little bit less Bitcoin." - Ahmed My guest today is Ahmed Klink. Ahmed is Co-Founder and Partner at Manhattan based BIPOC & Women-owned creative company Sunday Afternoon , which also supports Bitcoin brands like Zeus . Born in Lebanon and later moving to France, then the U.S., Ahmed discusses the currency crisis in Lebanon, his family history and perspectives in Lebanon before and after hyperinflation and currency collapse, the role of Bitcoin in global s...
Apr 09, 2024•1 hr 22 min
"Basic income is not left or right. It's forward." - Scott Santens My guest today is Scott Santens , with special guest co-host and friend of the pod Margot Paez . Scott is a leading Universal Basic Income (UBI) advocate and has been researching the subject since 2013. He is also the President and Founder of the Income to Support All (ITSA) Foundation which supports ambitious projects that help realize a foundation of unconditional universal basic income through research, storytelling, and imple...
Apr 02, 2024•1 hr 56 min
“We have to be proactive. Otherwise, if you don’t defend your rights, you lose it.” - Lyudmyla Kozlovska My guest today is Lyudmyla Kozlovska. Lyudmyla Kozlovska is a human rights activist and President of the Open Dialogue Foundation , a nonprofit dedicated to defending human rights, democracy and rule of law throughout post-Soviet states. In this episode we discusses the importance of protecting privacy, self-custody, and proof-of-work for Bitcoin in Europe. Lyudmyla shares her experience of b...
Mar 26, 2024•1 hr 10 min
"Bitcoin is designed and decentralized to survive and not be controlled or destroyed. But governments can slow down the adoption we want to see in our lives, our children's lives." - Kyle Schneps My guest today is Kyle Schneps. Kyle is a former U.S. Intelligence Officer, former White House fellow under the Obama administration, co-founder of BTC Vets , advisor to the Bitcoin Today Coalition , a 501c4 nonprofit devoted to educating U.S. lawmakers on the benefits of Bitcoin, and currently the VP o...
Mar 19, 2024•1 hr 15 min
"We're trying to build a new infrastructure for music, and that's what needs to happen." - Sam My guest today is Sam Means. Sam is a musician, podcaster, entrepreneur, co-founder of Hello Merch , founder of Lightning Store and co-founder of Wavlake . Sam joins me to discuss how Wavlake is building a new online ecosystem for musicians & listeners to directly transact using Bitcoin and the Lightning Network. We dive into Sam's journey, Bitcoin for creatives, challenges in the music industry, b...
Mar 12, 2024•1 hr 28 min
"If you're born in a cage, if you're born in prison, then freedom will look funny to you. But with a tool such as Bitcoin, this actually opens your eyes to your rights as a human, your rights as a citizen.” - Marcel My guest today is Marcel Lorraine. Marcel is the Founder & CEO of Bitcoin Dada , a women centric entity that is working towards educating African women into Bitcoin. In this episode we discuss the systemic barriers women face in Africa, how Bitcoin can help transform opportunitie...
Mar 05, 2024•1 hr 10 min
"Bitcoin is money, but specifically Bitcoin is a form of money that isn't controlled by any kind of centralized entity." - Ben My guest today is Ben de Waal. Ben is an engineer, technologist, and Bitcoin consultant, having previously led various engineering projects including as Vice President of Engineering at Swan . Ben also advocates for decentralized solutions and is always interested in discussing philosophy and human affairs through his lens as a libertarian socialist/anarchist. As we anti...
Feb 27, 2024•1 hr 37 min
"Bitcoin breeds curiosity. And that curiosity paired with agency over your own life is so powerful" - John My guests today are John and Reyna from Mi Primer Bitcoin . Mi Primer Bitcoin (My First Bitcoin) is a nonprofit based in El Salvador, built around a core concept: that independent, impartial, community-led Bitcoin education will change the world. John is the Founder and Executive Director and Reyna is the Vice Director of Adoption and Relations of Mi Primer Bitcoin. In this episode we discu...
Feb 20, 2024•1 hr 24 min
“Bitcoin is Hope.” - Christine We have a special bonus episode this week! My guests today are Bryon and Christine. Bryon and Christine are both educators from the midwest, have been in the Bitcoin space for quite a while and have been leading the way in many regards from the progressive bitcoin side. Both being lifelong progressives and democrats, they speak to Bitcoin’s progressive values and why democrats, and the democratic party, should adopt bitcoin and why bitcoin is hope, what it can do f...
Feb 15, 2024•1 hr 20 min
“Bitcoin returns to this positive view of the future” - Thomas My guests today are Thomas Hunt aka Mad Bitcoins and Daniel. Thomas is the co-founder of the World Crypto Network and has been creating popular Bitcoin content as Mad Bitcoins, including shows like “The Bitcoin Group,” for over a decade. Daniel is The Progressive Bitcoiner’s master of art, branding, show and guest consultation and beyond. He also heads up marketing for Pubkey , the Bitcoin bar in NYC. In this episode we discuss Bitco...
Feb 13, 2024•1 hr 21 min
“I think humans can fix almost everything and Biticoin is a very powerful tool towards that” - Ahmed Gatnash My guest today is Ahmed Gatnash. Ahmed is author of “The Middle East Crisis Factory” and Executive Director of the Kawaakibi Foundation , an accelerator for thinkers and doers, with a focus on the future of freedom in the Middle East and North Africa. In this episode we discuss using Bitcoin as a tool for human rights and financial freedom, the complex politics and need for new progressiv...
Feb 06, 2024•1 hr 25 min
“Bitcoin is most useful if more people use it.” - Erik My guest today is Erik. Erik is a UX designer and has worked on many bitcoin projects including Hoseki and eNuts , a cashu wallet for android and iOS. Cashu is a free and open-source Chaumian ecash system built for Bitcoin that offers near-perfect privacy for users of custodial Bitcoin applications. We discuss Bitcoin design, usability, cashu and the privacy benefits and importance, scaling bitcoin both at a protocol and cultural layer, poli...
Jan 30, 2024•1 hr 30 min
“I want people to become more curious about Bitcoin, even if they just want to prove it wrong.” - Alana My guest today is Alana Mediavilla. Alana is an award-winning filmmaker, producer, director, writer, founder, mother & wife, having previously produced content for some of the largest tech brands including Google and now as founder and CEO of Filmkik , a remote video production company. Alana joined me to discuss her short film Stranded, focussing on Bitcoin miners monetizing stranded ener...
Jan 23, 2024•1 hr 31 min
"There's a level of complete systematic subversion that buried into Bitcoin that even our most excited individuals aren't too excited about." - George Kaloudis My guest today is George Kaloudis. George is an author and former analyst at CoinDesk. We have an in-depth discussion about Bitcoin's potential role in empowering disenfranchised progressives and leftist causes, including Bitcoin's appeal to millennials facing economic struggles, skepticism about institutions like BlackRock promoting Bitc...
Jan 16, 2024•1 hr 6 min
"This is direct action. This is mutual aid. And doing it with people all over the world." - Margot on using #Bitcoin for aid without borders My guest today is Margot Paez. Margot is a climate change physicist, Bitcoin mining researcher, and Fellow at the Bitcoin Policy Institute . She is one of my favorite guests to have on to discuss politics, social movements, all things bitcoin mining, and beyond. We discuss how Bitcoin can serve human rights causes and humanitarian efforts globally and talk ...
Jan 09, 2024•1 hr 35 min
Happy New Year everyone, it’s good to be back after a brief hiatus! What better way to kick off the new year than with my friend Jason Maier. Jason is a returning guest, High School Math teacher, Bitcoin educator, and author of “ A Progressive’s Case for Bitcoin .” In this episode we discuss Bitcoin's opportunities and challenges in 2024 - from mainstream adoption with a possible Bitcoin ETF to political unknowns with the next presidential election. We talk about whether hyperbitcoinization is l...
Jan 02, 2024•1 hr 12 min
“I'm hoping Bitcoin can almost force an evolution of what we refer to now as progressive politics." My guest today is Logan. Logan is a Lawyer, writer, and has published incredible articles via his Think Bitcoin substack and Bitcoin Magazine In this episode we explore the relationship between Bitcoin and progressive politics. We discuss whether Bitcoin aligns with progressive values, if it can address issues like wealth inequality and climate change, and how it may force an evolution in progress...
Dec 19, 2023•1 hr 30 min
"We need to be using less energy, which is coming from these forms, which is contributing to carbon emissions, but a whole lot more of forms which are flexible, which are stranded, which are carbon neutral or better even greenhouse negative." My guest today is Daniel Batten. Daniel is an entrepreneur, author, cleantech investor and co-founder of CH4 capital , a climate tech fund whose mission is to accelerate humanity's response to removing methane from our atmosphere, with methane being one of ...
Dec 11, 2023•1 hr 9 min
"Regardless of what is happening in the wider world, what is it that you can build right where you are today that others can inherit from you that leaves the world better?" My guest today is Natalie Smolenski. Natalie is a political and economic anthropologist, Founder and Executive Director of the Texas Bitcoin Foundation and Fellow at the Bitcoin Policy Institute . In this episode we discuss the philosophy, theory, and political implications of Bitcoin and beyond. We discuss the flaws in left ...
Dec 05, 2023•1 hr 27 min
"Bitcoin is the most powerful tool to protect human rights and financial freedom all over the world." My guests today are Laura and Rikki, aka the Bitcoin Explorers. In addition to their work through the Bitcoin Explorers , where they travel the world reporting on Bitcoin adoption, Laura is a graphic designer and social media manager and Rikki is an activist and host of the Bitcoin Italia podcast . In this episode we discuss their travels promoting Bitcoin adoption and peer-to-peer use cases aro...
Nov 28, 2023•1 hr 35 min
"Gen Z...recognize the problems, but it just comes down to how they can be equipped." - Arsh My guests today are Ella Hough and Arsh Molu. Ella is a junior at Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences, pursuing degrees in Cognitive Science, Information Science and Business, studying the dynamics of Bitcoin’s diffusion through society, and Project Lead for Generation Bitcoin , a community of high school and college students inspring the younger generation to learn about bitcoin. Arsh work...
Nov 21, 2023•1 hr 11 min
"If you want to see a world where the US is a leader on Bitcoin...you need to be engaged in the process." - Dennis Porter My guests today are Dennis Porter and Jason Brett. Dennis is the CEO & Co-Founder of Satoshi Action Fund and the President & Founder of Satoshi Action Educate, non-profits focused on building policy and education for lawmakers and regulators on Bitcoin & Proof-of-Work mining. Jason is a former FDIC Capital Markets Regulator during the 2008-2009 Global Financial Cr...
Nov 14, 2023•1 hr 20 min
"If you really care about fixing problems, you really have to take a look at these solutions like Bitcoin." My guests today are Lisa Hough and Dom Bei. Lisa is a former natural gas trader and currently serves as the VP of Strategic Relationships at Custodia Bank . Dom is a proud fire fighter, former President of the Santa Monica Fire Fighters, and Founder of Proof of Workforce , a non-profit helping workers, unions, and businesses with education-based Bitcoin adoption. Lisa also serves on the bo...
Nov 07, 2023•1 hr 21 min
"The history of social change shows us that it's not fear that leads to better situations. It's Hope." - Rabble My guests today are Ben Arc and Rabble. Ben is a FOSS (free and open source software) hobbyist and activist, founder of LNbits , bitcoin/lightning software and hardware builder, and creator of one of the first twitter clones utilizing the nostr protocol . Evan “Rabble” Henshaw-Plath is a social media pioneer, Jack Dorsey's former boss at Odeo (where they worked together on code that wo...
Oct 31, 2023•1 hr 46 min
"Bitcoin has tremendous promise to penetrate some of the inertia and perpetual suffering we see in the world." My guest today is Alex Gladstein. Alex is Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation , a 501(c)3 nonprofit which promotes and protect democracy & human rights around the world, with a focus on authoritarian regimes. He is the author of " Check Your Financial Privelege " and his latest book "Hidden Repression: How the IMF and World Bank Sell Exploitation as Development." I...
Oct 24, 2023•1 hr 14 min
"I think the Left probably has a bigger disconnect on money than we see elsewhere." My guest today is Lyn Alden. Lyn is a macroeconomist, author, and founder of Lyn Alden Investment Strategy . Far from a niche libertarian curiosity, Lyn compellingly frames bitcoin as aligning with progressive values of financial inclusion, human rights, environmental sustainability and transparency. By tracing the evolution of monetary systems, she builds a thoughtful bipartisan case for why progressives should ...
Oct 17, 2023•1 hr 15 min
My guest today is Bradley Rettler. Bradley is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Wyoming and a member of the research collective Resistance Money alongside Andrew Bailey and Craig Warmke. In this episode we discuss how Bitcoin connects to progressive values like privacy, freedom, economic justice and inclusion. We also discuss Bitcoin's potential for marginalized groups, protesting authoritarian regimes, campaign finance reform, reproductive rights, philosophy, critical th...
Oct 10, 2023•1 hr 30 min
My guest today is Mike Brock, CEO of TBD, (a part of Block), which focuses on building open source, decentralized technologies. In this wide-ranging conversation, Mike discusses Bitcoin's relationship to politics, culture, and decentralization. He argues against simplistic views of Bitcoin as an all-encompassing solution and for nuance over maximalism. We discuss Bitcoin as a tool, the risks of centralization, using Bitcoin to advance liberal democracy and human freedom, romantics v skeptics, an...
Oct 03, 2023•1 hr 56 min
My guest today is Ian Gaines. Ian is the Government Relations Assistant Director for The Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA) in Washington D.C. COSSA is a nonprofit advocacy organization working to promote and advance the social and behavioral sciences in federal policymaking. Ian has worked with Black Bitcoin Billionaires, Bitcoin Policy Institute, and is co-authoring a book, writing a chapter focusing on economic empowerment. Needless to say, he has played a huge part in a lot of...
Sep 26, 2023•1 hr 35 min
