How Bitcoin Mining Could Save the Planet

Daniel Batten's life is anything but conventional. He grew up off-grid on the wild beaches of New Zealand, studied philosophy and drama, became an actor, then accidentally launched one of NZ’s first angel-funded tech startups—without writing a single line of code or knowing much biology. Today, he’s a climate tech investor, startup coach, and one of the most vocal voices on why Bitcoin could help solve climate change. In this episode, Daniel shares his journey from surf to startups—and why most people (including his former self) misunderstand the true power of Bitcoin mining. Spoiler: it’s not about Lambos. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: ✅ Why self-awareness is the ultimate founder superpower ✅ What coaching can unlock that advice never will ✅ How Bitcoin mining could mitigate methane and accelerate renewable energy ✅ The “Power to Weight Ratio” trick for perfect startup pitches ✅ What most people (and media) get wrong about Bitcoin & climate Why This Episode Might Change How You Think About Startups (and Bitcoin): 🧠 The science of scaling people, not just products 🗣️ Communication strategies that win investors and top-tier talent 🌱 How crypto can actually help the planet—no, seriously 🎭 The unexpected parallels between acting and entrepreneurship 🔗 Connect with Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielsbatten/ 🔗 Learn more about NZVC: https://www.nzvc.co.nz Mark Pavlyukovskyy – https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/ Hendrik Remigereau – https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/ ⏳ Timestamps: 00:00:00 – From beach kid to founder: Daniel’s unconventional path 06:00 – Academic rebellion, drama school & early curiosity 11:00 – Falling into entrepreneurship (and loving it) 16:30 – Building NZ’s first angel-funded bioinformatics company 22:30 – Knowing when to step aside as a founder 28:00 – Coaching vs. advising: what founders really need 36:00 – Scaling communication: the pitch, the team, the mindset 53:00 – Enter Bitcoin: how it all started56:30 – Fixing methane leaks with mining rigs 01:00:40 – Why Bitcoin matters in the global south 01:06:50 – Stablecoins, volatility & public perception 🎯 Tags: #TechMatesPodcast #BitcoinForGood #StartupCoach #ClimateTech #FounderLife #AngelInvesting #BitcoinMining #MethaneMitigation #PowerToWeightPitch #ScalingPeople #DanielBatten #DeepTech #SustainableInnovation #GreenCrypto #NZStartups