E176: Eric Larchevêque: Why Bitcoin Is the Only Money You Actually Own

Eric Larchevêque, co-founder of Ledger, shares why everything you've been told about owning money is wrong - and how losing his savings to a corrupt bank, having his gold seized, and watching his co-founder get kidnapped for €10 million in Bitcoin proved it.THE SHIFT NEWSLETTER💡Go beyond the mic - subscribe to The Shift, my new weekly newsletter where I share the uncut stories, raw takes, and behind-the-scenes notes from When Shift Happens: https://www.kevinfollonier.com/crypto-web3-newsletter___________PARTNERS🚀 Jupiter is the most used Decentralized Exchange in Crypto and the largest DEX by volume on Solana: https://jup.ag/💳 KAST lets you manage and spend stablecoins or crypto with a Visa Card or Apple Pay. Live in 100+ countries - Get $20 Signup Bonus - https://go.kast.xyz/VqVO/SHIFT - promo code: SHIFT🔓 Trezor offers the safest cold-storage wallets for crypto and true financial independence. Buy with 10% off - promo code: WSH10 - https://affil.trezor.io/SH12h🌱 Bitwise Asset Management manages $15B+ across 30+ crypto investment products — ETFs, index funds, alpha, staking, and more. https://bitwiseinvestments.com/⚖️ Ethena is a synthetic dollar protocol on Ethereum, offering a crypto-native, non-bank-dependent stablecoin called USDe. It uses a delta-neutral hedging strategy with staked ETH to maintain a $1 peg. https://ethena.fi/🔒Sumsub is the leading full-cycle verification platform for the crypto industry, chosen by 8 out of 10 of the world’s largest exchanges. From instant KYC and KYB to automated crypto transaction monitoring, they help VASPs, exchanges, and DeFi platforms prevent fraud, stay compliant, and scale globally. Download the Sumsub Crypto Industry Report 2026 here: https://sumsub.link/osb♾️ Coinsilium provides vital funding and expert advice to Web3 and AI-powered early-stage technology companies. https://www.coinsilium.com___________Follow Eric Larchevêque• Twitter: https://x.com/ericlarchFOLLOW WHEN SHIFT HAPPENSTwitter (X): https://x.com/KevinWSHPod  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinfollonier/Website: https://kevinfollonier.com/DISCLAIMERThe info contained herein is for informational purposes only. Nothing herein shall be construed to be financial, legal, or tax advice. The content of this video is solely the opinions of the speakers who are not a licensed financial advisor or registered investment advisor. Trading cryptocurrencies poses considerable risk of loss. The speakers do not guarantee any particular outcome.0:00 Introduction2:00 Eric’s First Podcast In English2:32 Where Does Eric’s Optimism Come From3:31 The First Thing Eric Thinks Of Every Morning4:03 What Eric’s AI Agents Do4:57 How Eric Uses These AI Agents5:47 What Does Eric Do & Why8:01 Why People Need To Hit A wall12:39 Who Is Eric Larcheveque13:21 Eric’s First Major Leap For His Company18:21 Going From Building Websites To Bitcoin27:31 Partnerships: @Trezor @BitwiseInvest28:17 Why Eric Went All In On Bitcoin34:37 Did Eric Question The Volatility Of Bitcoin40:24 100% Of Eric’s Liquid Networth Is In Bitcoin49:59 You Should Build A Bitcoin Strategy53:07 Where Does Bitcoin Go In 10 Years54:47 What Does A Bitcoin Dominant World Look Like59:24 Partnership: @KASTxyz 1:00:12 Why Bitcoin Will Never Hit 01:10:47 What Eric Learned While Building Ledger1:16:03 Co-Founder Kidnapping Discussion & Advice1:25:56 Why Eric Stays In France1:27:23 Partnerships: @JupiterExchange @Ethena1:28:07 What Is The Bitcoin Society1:32:25 Who’s Backing Bitcoin Society1:32:51 What Does A NBA Player Do With Bitcoin1:33:46 Eric’s View On Learning To Learn1:34:38 Why Eric Creates Videos When He Could Chill1:37:19 Is Eric Building A Personal Brand1:39:00 Does Eric Feel Happier Now With Money1:40:04 Being An Entrepreneur Requires Sacrifice1:41:22 Experiences > Buying Extra Bitcoin1:44:06 Do Everything To Achieve This One Thing1:45:11 Closing Thoughts