Zack Shapiro is a lawyer and Head of Policy at the Bitcoin Policy Institute. In this episode, we discuss the Samurai Wallet case, how the U.S. government is using outdated laws to target non-custodial Bitcoin tools — and why the outcome of this case could criminalise running a node or writing open-source Bitcoin code. We also discuss the DOJ’s “regulation by prosecution” playbook, the fact that FinCEN explicitly told prosecutors Samurai was not breaking the law, why prosecutors hid that fact for...
May 09, 2025•1 hr 11 min
Shinobi is the Technical Editor at Bitcoin Magazine. In this episode, we get into the latest "OP_RETURN war," exploring whether the debate is a cultural clash or a technical discussion about Bitcoin’s future. We discuss the origins of the OP_RETURN limit, how users are bypassing it, and the arguments for and against changing data limits. Shinobi lays out his view that filters designed to block certain transactions could increase mining centralisation and degrade network security. We also get int...
May 06, 2025•1 hr 5 min
Jesse Myers is the author of the Once in a Species newsletter. In this episode, we discuss why humanity’s obsession with scarce assets may be hardwired into our DNA and how this evolutionary trait could explain Bitcoin’s inevitable rise. We also get into how early humans monetised scarcity, why Homo sapiens may have outcompeted Neanderthals through money-based cooperation, and how Dunbar’s number and inter-tribal trade shaped civilisation. Finally, we explore why Bitcoin represents the culminati...
May 02, 2025•1 hr 17 min
In this episode we have three sessions recorded live at CheatCode in Bedford. In the first session, Checkmate, Preston Pysh, and Alex Thorn break down the cracks in the fiat system, the rise of deglobalization, stablecoins, Bitbonds, and how Bitcoin and gold are emerging as neutral reserve assets. In the second session, Matthew Pines unpacks the global economic reordering, the U.S.–China trade war, escalating tariffs, the fragility of the bond market, and why Bitcoin may be the ultimate escape v...
Apr 30, 2025•1 hr 28 min
Mark Moss is an entrepreneur, investor, and host of the Mark Moss Show and Market Disruptors. In this episode, we discuss why Bitcoin could 10x over the next five years as well as the political and financial cycles converging to drive massive change. We also get into the collapse of global institutions like the World Economic Forum, the role of AI and Bitcoin in reshaping money and power structures, why open-source AI could decentralise innovation, and how Bitcoin might become the default money ...
Apr 28, 2025•1 hr 33 min
Alex Gladstein is the Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation and author of Check Your Financial Privilege, Hidden Repression and The Trojan Horse of Freedom. In this episode, we discuss whether Bitcoin’s adoption by governments and Wall Street threatens its original mission, the Trojan Horse theory of Bitcoin and why nation-state adoption may be essential to separating money from state. We also get into the IMF’s decades-long role in global debt traps, the potential endgame of Bit...
Apr 24, 2025•1 hr 35 min
Matt Odell is host of Citadel Dispatch, co-host of Rabbit Hole Recap, managing partner at Ten31 and co-founder of OpenSats and Bitcoin Park. In this episode, we discuss the risks of Bitcoin’s increasing financialisation, why only a small minority may ever use it as true “freedom money,” and whether Bitcoin is on track to become a global reserve currency. We also get into the rise of stablecoins and their impact on adoption, MicroStrategy’s role in reshaping public market exposure to Bitcoin, and...
Apr 22, 2025•1 hr 53 min
Junseth is the co-founder of the legendary Bitcoin Uncensored podcast and a longtime Bitcoiner. In this episode, we discuss whether Bitcoin has actually “done anything yet,” why financialisation might be both Bitcoin’s future and a serious threat, and how MicroStrategy’s could play a key role in that. We also get into the risks of leverage and ETFs, Junseth’s unique investment strategy based on volatility and diversification, why most Bitcoiners aren’t truly prepared for sovereign-level adoption...
Apr 18, 2025•1 hr 56 min
Bob Burnett is the Chairman and CEO of Barefoot Mining and board member of Ocean. In this episode, we discuss why the future of Bitcoin mining is about much more than just hashing, how control of block space could determine who holds true economic power in a Bitcoinised world, and why building from the bottom up — starting with energy production — may be the only path to sovereignty. We also get into complacency amongst bitcoiners, the issue of centralised mining pools, why financial institution...
Apr 16, 2025•1 hr 30 min
Lawrence Lepard is an investment manager and author The Big Print, which covers the broken monetary system and how Bitcoin fixes this. In this episode, we discuss Trump’s tariffs, their real economic impact, and why Lawrence believes they could trigger a major market crash and sovereign debt crisis. We also discuss how the fiscal doom loop is accelerating, why Powell may soon be forced into another round of money printing, and why Bitcoin will benefit. FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_Danny...
Apr 12, 2025•1 hr 19 min
Joe Bryan is a Bitcoin educator and the creator of What’s the Problem? In this episode, we discuss why our current system is rigged, how the hidden theft of inflation quietly corrodes everything from quality of life to trust in society, and why the “big red button” — the ability to print money — sits at the heart of so many global crises including the breakdown of family structures, mental health crises, and broken incentives all stem from the same monetary flaw. We also get into how this knowle...
Apr 10, 2025•1 hr 45 min
Brent Johnson is the CEO of Santiago Capital and the creator of the Dollar Milkshake Theory. In this episode, we discuss why the dollar may strengthen before it dies, how global debt markets rely on an insatiable demand for US dollars, and why Brent believes a global sovereign debt crisis will force a dramatic monetary reset. We get into the mechanics of the Eurodollar system, why stablecoins entrench dollar hegemony, and why attempts to escape the dollar could make it stronger in the short term...
Apr 04, 2025•1 hr 18 min
Michael Dunworth is an Australian entrepreneur and was one of the co-founders of Wyre, a Bitcoin payments and infrastructure provider established in 2013. In this episode, we discuss nation-states strategically acquiring Bitcoin, why the integration of Bitcoin mining into national energy strategies could become a key geopolitical advantage, and how Bitcoin adoption could revitalise struggling companies like GameStop. We also get into the risks of quantum computing for Bitcoin encryption, the sig...
Apr 02, 2025•1 hr 21 min
Peter Dunworth is the Director of a multi-family office and is the co-founder of The Bitcoin Adviser. In this episode, we discuss why Bitcoin is the only asset that can recapitalise the financial system, why Peter believes Bitcoin could become a $100 trillion asset within a decade, why credit markets are ultimately a collateral problem, and why financializing Bitcoin might be necessary to save Main Street from being collateral damage. We also get into Australia's property obsession, GameStop’s p...
Mar 31, 2025•1 hr 15 min
Nik Bhatia is the author of Layered Money and The Bitcoin Age. In this episode, we discuss the structure and evolution of the modern financial system, how banks run the world and why understanding liquidity is essential to grasping Bitcoin’s place in the world. We also get into the Eurodollar system, the coming end of quantitative tightening, the behavioural vs mechanical impact of QE, and how the credit system could coexist with Bitcoin. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: IREN: https://www.iren.com/ RIVER...
Mar 28, 2025•1 hr 26 min
In this episode, I am joined by Pierre Rochard & Michael Goldstein. We discuss the Nakamoto Institute, why they believe money is a foundational pillar of civilisation, how Austrian economics helped them recognise Bitcoin’s potential so early and why everyone should hoard Bitcoin. We also get into speculative attacks, why they think Bitcoin’s incentives are designed to win, and how a state adopting Bitcoin represents a peaceful transfer of monetary power. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: IREN: https://www...
Mar 26, 2025•1 hr 36 min
Luke Gromen is the founder of FFTT, an economic research firm focused on global macro trends. In this episode, we discuss why Luke believes the U.S. is approaching a sovereign debt crisis, how rising interest costs and capital outflows are driving the system toward a breaking point, and why the current path could lead to inflation, capital controls, and a repricing of gold. We also get into the potential role of Bitcoin as a neutral reserve asset, whether the U.S. could strategically adopt Bitco...
Mar 24, 2025•1 hr 16 min
Parker Lewis is the author of Gradually, Then Suddenly and Head of Business Development at Zaprite. In this episode, Parker pushes back on Jeff Snider’s ideas about the monetary system, challenging the idea that central banks don’t actually print money, the fallacy of elastic money and why the world will ultimately converge on Bitcoin as its dominant currency. We also discuss why Parker believes the U.S. is locked into perpetual money printing, how fiat debt cycles will inevitably collapse, and ...
Mar 20, 2025•1 hr 25 min
Avik Roy is a policy analyst, and the president of the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity. In this episode, we discuss why Avik believes the U.S. fiscal situation is heading toward a crisis within the next 20 years, the growing debt problem, and the likelihood of government-imposed capital controls and repression. We also get into Bitcoin's role in this economic landscape, whether the U.S. could adopt Bitcoin in a strategic reserve, and how past monetary shocks—like Executive Order 610...
Mar 18, 2025•1 hr 32 min
Jeff Snider is a macro analyst and the host of Eurodollar University. In this episode, we discuss why Jeff believes the Federal Reserve has far less control over the economy than people assume, the true nature of money creation, and whether inflation was ever really about money printing. We also get into his perspective on the global economic landscape, the long-term effects of the pandemic’s economic policies, why he thinks central banks are more about signalling than substance, and Bitcoin Bon...
Mar 12, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Hunter Beast is a Bitcoin researcher focused on mitigating the risks quantum computing may pose to Bitcoin. In this episode, we discuss the potential threat quantum computers pose to Bitcoin’s cryptographic security, whether Q-Day—the moment when quantum computers can break Bitcoin’s encryption—is an imminent reality, and how governments and institutions are preparing for this future. We also get into Hunter’s Bitcoin Improvement Proposal, BIP 360, which aims to introduce post-quantum cryptograp...
Mar 11, 2025•1 hr 11 min
Matthew Pines is a national security consultant and a Fellow at the Bitcoin Policy Institute. American HODL is an OG Bitcoiner. In this episode, we discuss the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, the geopolitical game theory behind nation-states accumulating Bitcoin and the details of the executive order. We also get into the implications for monetary policy, how this shifts incentives for developers, and whether this signals the beginning of a global Bitcoin arms race. MASSIVE THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: IR...
Mar 08, 2025•1 hr 23 min
Josh Hendrickson is a professor of economics and Chair of the Department of Economics at the University of Mississippi, William Luther is an associate professor of economics at Florida Atlantic University and a senior fellow at the Bitcoin Policy Institute. In this episode, we discuss why many mainstream economists misunderstand Bitcoin and why monetary economists remain skeptical, the flaws of modern economics and the dominance of naive empiricism. We also get into Gresham’s Law, the potential ...
Mar 06, 2025•1 hr 43 min
Daniel Batten is a Bitcoin environmental analyst and investor focused on mining and sustainable energy. In this episode, we break down why this cycle is different, with sovereign funds, pension funds, and miners driving demand. We discuss landfill gas-powered mining, methane mitigation, and how Bitcoin turns stranded energy into an asset. We also get into the collapse of environmental FUD, the shift in institutional investment, and why Bitcoin’s volatility cycles are smoothing out. MASSIVE THANK...
Mar 04, 2025•1 hr 18 min
Checkmate is an on-chain analyst and founder of Checkonchain. In this episode, we break down the recent Bitcoin correction, what’s driving sentiment, and whether this is just a shakeout. We discuss the role of long-term holders in market cycles, how ETFs are reshaping Bitcoin’s liquidity flows, and why Bitcoin dominance has caught many off guard. We also get into the macro forces influencing Bitcoin’s price action and explore how its market structure mirrors natural systems like earthquakes. MAS...
Feb 27, 2025•56 min
James Lavish is a macro investor, former hedge fund manager, and managing partner at the Bitcoin Opportunity Fund. In this episode, we discuss global liquidity cycles, the role of the Federal Reserve in managing market liquidity, and the implications of U.S. deficit spending. We also get into Bitcoin’s correlation with liquidity cycles, the potential for Bitcoin-backed bonds, whether Bitcoin will eventually break free from its perception as a risk asset and what incoming QE could mean for Bitcoi...
Feb 24, 2025•1 hr 16 min
Preston Pysh is an investor, GP at Ego Death Capital and host of The Investor’s Podcast & Nico Lechuga is Founding Partner at Ego Death Capital. In this episode, we discuss Bitcoin-backed bonds, the role of Bitcoin in corporate finance, and whether the U.S. or nation-states will adopt Bitcoin as a strategic reserve. We also get into game theory behind sovereign wealth funds, companies following MicroStrategy’s playbook, and the broader implications of financial markets being forced to adapt to B...
Feb 21, 2025•1 hr 15 min
Eric Yakes is the author of The 7th Property and Managing Partner at Epoch, a Bitcoin venture firm. In this episode, we discuss Bitcoin adoption trends, the role of ETFs and institutional buyers, and whether nation-states will adopt Bitcoin as a reserve asset and the rise of Bitcoin-backed corporate finance. MASSIVE THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: IREN: https://www.iren.com/ RIVER: https://river.com/wbd CASA: https://casa.io/ LEDGER: https://www.ledger.com/...
Feb 19, 2025•1 hr 24 min
Becca Rubenfeld is the co-founder and COO of Anchor Watch. In this episode, we discuss Becca’s journey from corporate America to Bitcoin, Anchor Watch’s Trident Vault, the role of MiniScript in securing Bitcoin, the role of Lloyd’s of London, and why insured custody is the future. We also get into the challenges of startup life, raising money in a bear market, and what it takes to insure all the Bitcoin. MASSIVE THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: IREN: https://www.iren.com/ RIVER: https://river.com/wbd CAS...
Feb 18, 2025•1 hr 23 min
Alex Gladstein is the Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation and Fictitious Capital is a writer and researcher. In this episode, Alex and Fictitious Capital discuss Bitcoin's potential to challenge the current global financial order. They debate the feasibility of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, the implications for U.S. financial dominance, and whether Bitcoin adoption can truly constrain state power. MASSIVE THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: IREN: https://www.iren.com/ RIVER: https://river.c...
Feb 14, 2025•1 hr 38 min
