What Bitcoin Did

“We’ve already fucking won.” Bitcoin went from a weird internet experiment to an asset that Wall Street, corporations and governments can no longer ignore. But as the suits pile in, is Bitcoin losing the culture that made it matter? Recorded live at PubKey in New York City, American HODL, Junseth and Erik Cason & Thomas Pacchia are on the show for an unfiltered conversation about Bitcoin’s conquest of Wall Street, why everyone still thinks they’re late, the promise of $100 million Bitcoin and whether Bitcoin needs a new narrative. We also discuss the rise of Bitcoin treasury companies, building businesses with AI, escaping economic nihilism, individual sovereignty and why prosperity remains Bitcoin’s true killer app. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN SWAN ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE BITKEY CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles American HODL: https://x.com/americanhodl8 Erik Cason: https://x.com/Erikcason Thomas Pacchia: https://x.com/tpacchia

“The people who are truly productive are going to be on a rocket ship.” AI is about to split society in two: those who learn to command it and those whose value it destroys. Zack Shapiro, Head of Policy at the Bitcoin Policy Institute, explains why AI could dismantle the traditional white-collar career ladder while creating millions of millionaires. He argues that judgment, agency and decisive thinking will become exponentially more valuable, while simply working hard may no longer be enough. We discuss why most people are using AI incorrectly, how it could transform law and business, whether mass unemployment and universal basic income are coming, and why Zack believes there is a 15% chance AI could wipe out humanity. We also explore the battle between technological abundance and authoritarian control, why autonomous AI agents may naturally choose Bitcoin, the future of the CLARITY Act, protections for Bitcoin developers, and whether America will ever meaningfully build a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN SWAN ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE BITKEY CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles Zack Shapiro: https://x.com/zackbshapiro

“There’s no balance sheet in the world that can cough up a trillion dollars.” In this episode, Mauricio Di Bartolomeo explains why he believes Bitcoin-backed loans could become a $1 trillion market within the next five to ten years, and why traditional lender balance sheets cannot finance that growth alone. Mauricio breaks down Ledn’s $188 million Bitcoin-backed securitisation, the significance of its investment-grade senior notes, and how institutional capital could transform Bitcoin lending into a global credit market. He also explains partial liquidations, auto top up, tokenised gold and the potential for hybrid Bitcoin-and-gold collateral. The conversation also explores the hidden risks behind “no-liquidation” loans, why cheaper borrowing can conceal dangerous counterparty risk, and whether parts of the industry are repeating the mistakes that preceded the last crypto credit collapse. We also get into the ongoing changes in Venezuela following Maduro’s capture, the devastation caused by the La Guaira earthquakes, and why he believes the country may finally have an opportunity to rebuild. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN SWAN ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE BITKEY CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles Mauricio Di Bartolomeo: https://x.com/cryptonomista

“I would give myself 95% confidence that the bottom is in.” Mitchell Askew and John Haar are on the show to get into whether Bitcoin’s price bottom is already in, and why this drawdown looks different. In this episode we discuss the disconnect between record global liquidity and a Bitcoin price that has fallen 50%, the selling by OG holders, miners pivoting toward AI, and the potentially self-fulfilling nature of the four-year cycle. Selling pressure is becoming exhausted and we're now facing time pain, not price pain. We also get into AI stealing Bitcoin’s bull run, what could force capital rotation, the future of Strategy and MetaPlanet, why blow-off tops and 75% drawdowns may be disappearing, and how Bitcoin mining is changing as major operators move into AI. *Note, this was recorded before the recent Coldcard vulnerability. For more info watch this… https://youtu.be/rf-9rf93OpE THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN SWAN ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE BITKEY CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles Mitchell Askew: https://x.com/MitchellAskew John Haar: https://x.com/jhaarblockware

“Who is left now that wants to sell at $65K?” Bitcoin has gone through the price pain. Now comes the time pain. Alex Thorn, Head of Firmwide Research at Galaxy, is back on the show in New York to get into whether Bitcoin has already found its bottom, why sellers may finally be exhausted, and how the next rally could begin before the wider market notices. We discuss the on-chain signals around $58K, the changing shape of Bitcoin’s market cycles, and how the enormous debt funding the AI boom could revive the currency-debasement narrative and put Bitcoin back at the centre of the market. We also get into whether a court can declare dormant Bitcoin “abandoned,” the attempt to claim legal ownership of coins linked to Satoshi, the quantum-computing risk, government control of superintelligent AI, and the last-minute fight to protect self-custody through the CLARITY Act. *Note, this was recorded before the recent Coldcard vulnerability. For more info watch this… https://youtu.be/rf-9rf93OpE THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN SWAN ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE BITKEY CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles Alex Thorn: https://x.com/intangiblecoins

“The companies are bubbles, but I don’t think the technology is a bubble.” Luke Gromen is back on the show to explain why the debt-fuelled AI boom may have become too big to fail, why slowing investment and valuations could threaten the wider financial system, and how even a small move from the Fed could trigger the unwind. Luke also explains why he still hasn’t bought back most of the Bitcoin he sold near $96,000. He believes Bitcoin could trade lower alongside tech over the next few months, but his long-term thesis has not changed: America’s fiscal position cannot be fixed without significant currency devaluation, and the Fed will eventually be forced to print. We also discuss Kevin Warsh’s attempt to establish his inflation-fighting credibility, the return of Hamiltonian economics, tariffs and reshoring, why long-term bondholders may be destroyed in real terms, the growing divide between Wall Street and the rest of America, and whether the country can remain the world’s dominant superpower. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN SWAN ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE BITKEY CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles Luke Gromen: https://x.com/LukeGromen

“This is as code red as it can get for Bitcoin self-custody.” Rob Hamilton joins me for an emergency episode on the catastrophic Coldcard entropy bug that has exposed Bitcoin held in wallets generated on affected firmware. A firmware change introduced in 2021 prevented Coldcard devices from generating the level of randomness users believed they were getting. The result is that attackers may be able to reconstruct seed phrases and drain wallets, even when the device was air-gapped and the seed words never touched the internet. Rob explains which Coldcard models and setups are at risk, why updating the firmware does not repair an existing vulnerable seed, and what affected users need to do now. We also get into the risks facing single-signature and multisig wallets, whether passphrases and independently generated entropy provide protection, how attackers are finding and sweeping vulnerable wallets, and the role AI may have played in discovering the bug. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN SWAN ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE BITKEY CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles Rob Hamilton: https://x.com/Rob1Ham

“The company that I co-founded and wanted to build and the company Twenty One was becoming were no longer the same.” Jack Mallers is back on the show for his first interview since stepping down as CEO of Twenty One Capital. Jack explains why he walked away from the Bitcoin treasury company he built with Tether and took public on the New York Stock Exchange. We discuss where his vision began to diverge from the board’s, why merging Strike into Twenty One was never part of the original plan, and the expectations he regrets setting. We also get into the AI capex bubble and why he thinks it will end in money printing, whether the Magnificent Seven are becoming too big to fail, why gold ran while Bitcoin didn’t, whether China is quietly mining Bitcoin, and why Jack believes Bitcoin’s next bull market will finally be a real one. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN SWAN ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE BITKEY CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles Jack Mallers: https://x.com/jackmallers

“We don’t need a new narrative. We just need to buy the bear, turn it around and smash it.” Cory Klippsten is back on the show to explain why Bitcoin’s last bull market failed to deliver, why institutional adoption created weak hands rather than conviction, and why the next major move depends on bringing a new wave of people into Bitcoin. In this episode, we discuss Swan’s campaign to bring the energy back to Bitcoin, the return of Café Bitcoin, 50 Days for Freedom and lower buying fees. Cory explains why ETFs made Bitcoin easier to buy but also easier to sell, why real on-chain holders ultimately set the floor, and why he believes the bear market may be close to its end. We also get into Bitcoin’s adoption problem, the battle for monetary independence, why altcoins have lost the fight to become money, and the risks of Bitcoin treasury companies and leveraged Bitcoin equities. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN SWAN ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE BITKEY CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles Cory Klippsten: https://x.com/CorySwan

“Bear markets are actually more about survival.” Matt Odell is back on the show to explain why Bitcoin bear markets grind people down, why the fundamentals have not changed, and why he has never been more bullish on Bitcoin. In this episode, we discuss Jack Mallers stepping down from XXI, the risks of Bitcoin treasury companies, and why profitable businesses should save in Bitcoin rather than make financial engineering the product. We also get into Nostr’s failure to replace X, the continued need for open identity and private communications, and how open-source AI could make Bitcoin easier to use. Matt explains why AI agents will need permissionless money, why Lightning matters for privacy, and why strong families and local communities will become more important in an increasingly centralised world. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Matt Odell: https://x.com/ODELLXYZ or https://primal.net/odell Citadel Wire: https://citadelwire.com/

“Cycles have no respect for trends.” Michael Howell is on the show to explain why global liquidity, not Bitcoin’s four-year cycle, is the force driving Bitcoin, gold and global markets. Michael argues that the liquidity cycle has already peaked and may not bottom until the second half of 2027. He warns that tighter liquidity could create further downside before the next major monetary expansion begins. We get into the five-to-six-year debt refinancing cycle, why central banks are ultimately forced to keep supplying liquidity, China’s influence on the gold market, the growing debt maturity wall, and why the “great debasement” of Western currencies may still lie ahead. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Michael Howell: https://substack.com/@capitalwars

"Bitcoin treasury companies are not the equivalent of altcoins, but there’s a very similar lesson that has to be learned: they’re a great way to get less Bitcoin." Parker Lewis is back on the show to explain why Bitcoin treasury companies such as Strategy (MSTR) may underperform Bitcoin, and why the digital capital narrative gets Bitcoin wrong. Parker argues that investors buying treasury company stocks are often paying a premium to take on more risk: leverage, dilution, corporate expenses, execution risk, counterparty exposure and potential tax drag. While the company may accumulate more Bitcoin, he explains why that does not necessarily mean its shareholders are getting more Bitcoin for their money. We also get into Michael Saylor’s changing message, the difference between Bitcoin as money and “digital capital,” and why Bitcoin payments are essential to its long-term success. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Parker Lewis: https://x.com/parkeralewis

“In my opinion, not just Bitcoin, but the direction of society for our lifetimes and our kids’ lifetimes will be decided in the next five to ten years.” Brandon Quittem is back on the show to get into whether Bitcoin can survive its transition from a countercultural movement into a global financial asset without losing the qualities that make it revolutionary. We discuss the growing concentration of bitcoin in custodians and ETFs, the threat of paper Bitcoin, the importance of protecting self-custody, and why cultural apathy may be Bitcoins biggest danger. We also get into the Fourth Turning, institutional decay, AI, political polarisation and the battle between centralised control and individual sovereignty. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\\\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Brandon Quittem: https://x.com/Bquittem

“I think in ten years, the financial system and the Bitcoin system are going to collide.” Matthew Mezinskis is a macroeconomic researcher, host of Crypto Voices and one of the leading voices on Bitcoin's power law and global money supply data. In this episode, we get into whether the Bitcoin power law has finally broken, why the four-year cycle still appears intact, and what the data suggests about the current market and a possible $500,000 Bitcoin in 2029. We also explore the coming collision between Bitcoin’s slowing power law growth, a financial system built on exponential credit and whether Bitcoin will force that system to change or ultimately be co-opted by it. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\\\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Matthew Mezinskis: https://x.com/1basemoney

"They will allow inflation to run hotter than they'll admit to." James Lavish is co-founder of the Bitcoin Opportunity Fund and author of The Informationist newsletter. In this episode, we discuss Kevin Warsh's first months as Fed chair and whether the Fed is about to change how it measures inflation. We get into the inflation task force, the trimmed mean PCE, why the 2% target was always arbitrary, and how the balance sheet is quietly expanding through treasury buybacks and QE light. We also cover credit card delinquencies hitting 2008 levels, the K-shaped economy, whether the Fed is hoping AI bails them out of the debt problem, the circular AI trade, and why James is confident Bitcoin will be back at all-time highs within 12 months. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny James Lavish: https://x.com/jameslavish

“Maybe it’s time to kill your heroes again, and Saylor is now the hero to slay in this cycle.” Fernando Nikolic is the founder of Perception. In this episode, we get into whether Bitcoin has lost its narrative, why Michael Saylor’s messaging has changed, and how narratives can move markets. Fernando breaks down the shift from Saylor’s early Bitcoin maximalist language to the more recent focus on credit, derivatives and Strategy as a financial product. We also get into whether Bitcoin’s rebel era is over, why the ETF approval may have marked the end of Bitcoin as a countercultural movement, and whether Bitcoin adoption is now becoming more fragmented, boring and inevitable. We also get into the death of monoculture, the way the internet has broken shared reality, and how AI, Spotify and algorithmic feeds are creating a more homogenised culture. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Fernando Nikolic: https://x.com/basedlayer

“Bitcoin’s value prop remains unchanged and a 50% drawdown isn’t something that should scare you. It should be viewed as an opportunity.” Joe Consorti is back on the show to break down why he thinks the Bitcoin bottom may be closer than many people expect, why $50k is the key level to watch, and why October or November could mark the final low before Bitcoin begins moving into its next bull market. We discuss: – Bitcoin below $60k – Whether the four-year cycle is still alive – The role of inflation, oil, midterms, and global liquidity – Why capital has rotated into the AI trade – Michael Saylor, Strategy, MSTR, STRC – Why central banks can’t stop printing money – Why the Bitcoin thesis remains unchanged THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Joe Consorti: https://x.com/JoeConsorti

“The game has changed, it’s very clear.” Matt Dines is a fixed-income portfolio manager and host of Mind Print Hash. In this episode, we get into why he believes the dollar system has already changed and why Bitcoin may be the endgame. For decades, global markets have been built around the offshore dollar system: LIBOR, Fed backstops, QE, ZIRP and the assumption that every crisis ends with more liquidity. But Matt argues that world is being replaced by something very different: a Treasury-led dollar system built around T-bills, SOFR, regulated stablecoins and a new set of geopolitical incentives. We discuss why 2022 was such an important inflection point, how the move from LIBOR to SOFR changed the structure of dollar markets, why the GENIUS Act matters for stablecoin rails, and what Treasury dominance means for the Fed, global credit and Bitcoin. We also get into MicroStrategy and STRC, the risks facing Bitcoin treasury companies, why dollar liquidity still drives Bitcoin markets, how geopolitics is reshaping the financial system, the path to a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, and why holding real Bitcoin still matters. Bitcoin is not just another risk asset in this transition. It may become the base layer for a new monetary system, but getting there will be volatile, political and tied to the future of the dollar. In this episode: Strategy, STRC and Bitcoin treasury company risk From Fed dominance to Treasury dominance The end of the petrodollar Why capital markets are war by another means The path to a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Why Bitcoin is the endgame THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Matt Dines: https://x.com/LeveredUSTs

“The market is trying to find a villain right now—and Saylor is that guy.” Adam Livingston explains the pressure building around Michael Saylor, MicroStrategy and STRC as the preferred stock trades at $88, well below its $100 par value. Is STRC broken, or is the market mispricing Strategy’s credit risk? Adam explains how STRC works, why its yield has climbed above 13%, whether it can recover to par, and what Strategy’s capital structure means for MSTR shareholders. We also get into dilution, dividend coverage, Strategy’s use of its cash reserve and whether Saylor is now forced to keep accelerating his Bitcoin strategy. We also get into the Bitcoin bear market, the possibility of a market bottom and why Adam believes the current environment is presenting a major buying opportunity. In this episode: Why STRC is trading below par Whether Michael Saylor is trapped The risks facing MSTR shareholders Bitcoin treasury companies and “digital credit” Bitcoin’s potential market bottom The Fed, inflation and monetary repression THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Adam Livingston: https://x.com/AdamBLiv

“The whole goddamn thing is a charade… finger in the air, wild-ass guess, total gaslighting and bullshit.” In this episode, Lawrence Lepard is back on the show to explain why the Fed is trapped between persistent inflation, an accelerating sovereign debt crisis and a financial system that cannot withstand genuinely tight monetary policy. Lawrence breaks down the Fed’s retreat from forward guidance, why its new playbook gives policymakers cover to change course without warning, and why he believes today’s hawkish stance will ultimately give way to rate cuts and more money creation. We also explore his “decade of inflation” thesis. He argues that the cycle began in 2020, that double-digit inflation is still ahead, and that a major disruption in the Treasury or bond market could trigger a “break-glass” response from the Fed, sending Bitcoin, gold and other hard assets dramatically higher. In this episode: • Why the Federal Reserve is abandoning forward guidance • How the Fed could redefine inflation • The sovereign debt problem • Why double-digit inflation is coming • Lawrence's outlook for Bitcoin and gold THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Lawrence Lepard: https://x.com/LawrenceLepard

“The real battle is not communism versus capitalism. It’s not the radical left versus the far right… They’re all a different flavour of the same agenda.” Simon Dixon is an entrepreneur & investor. In this episode we get into the decline of American hegemony, the rise of a multipolar world, the petrodollar, China, BRICS, Iran, Venezuela, energy, AI, surveillance and the institutions that operate above elected governments. He explains why he sees war, debt and political polarisation as mechanisms that move capital, concentrate wealth and reshape the global order. We also discuss where Bitcoin fits into all of this, why Wall Street wants it held in custody, and how leverage is used to separate people from their Bitcoin. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Simon Dixon: https://x.com/SimonDixonTwitt

“The dollar endgame is still in play, but it’s going to play out much differently than most people think.” Peruvian Bull, is a macro analyst and the author of Dollar Endgame. In this interview, we discuss why the collapse of the dollar is unlikely to play out the way most people expect, why the dollar remains so dominant despite America’s worsening debt problem, and why Japan may be the clearest warning signal for what comes next. We get into the eurodollar system, stablecoins, treasury demand, the yen carry trade, QE, yield curve control, zombie companies, and the ways central banks continue to create new tools to kick the can down the road. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Peruvian Bull: https://x.com/peruvian_bull

I still believe we've got 100X in front of us in the next 10 years… Bitcoin becomes undeniable." Peter Dunworth is the co-founder of The Bitcoin Adviser. Bitcoin is at $62,500, down 50% from the all-time high, and sentiment is the worst it has ever been. So why is the most bullish man in Bitcoin calling this the best buying opportunity in history? We discuss why the bottom is closer than you think, why the next cycle breaks every model, the wall of AI money waiting to rotate into Bitcoin, how the Clarity Act turns the US dollar into a global stablecoin empire, the coming death of all fiat currencies and the 30% property crash heading for Australia. In this episode: Why this is the best buying opportunity in Bitcoin's history The case for 100X in the next 10 years Why the AI trade will rotate into Bitcoin The Clarity Act: a global dollar takeover Saylor, Strategy and the S&P500 double standard Why property is "near uninvestable" THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Peter Dunworth: https://x.com/PeterBTCAdviser

"We are taught that the state builds our economy, but the reality is that every act of intervention is an act of wealth destruction." Max Hillebrand joins the show to tear down the Keynesian fallacies that keep us in a cycle of manufactured poverty and systemic theft. We go deep into the Austrian framework to explain why privacy isn't just a tech feature, it is the bedrock of a free economy. We discuss:\ The Theft Trap: Why taxation and inflation are definitionally coercion, and how they silently redistribute wealth from the productive to the state. \ The Broken Window Fallacy: Why building things we don’t need and destroying wealth through war is the ultimate economic delusion. \ The Consumption Trap: How state-manipulated metrics like GDP force us to prioritise over-consumption over the savings required for actual prosperity. \ The Minimum Wage Fallacy: A practical breakdown of why state interventions inevitably price the most vulnerable workers out of the market. \ The Cypherpunk Solution: Why increasing the cost of state attack and decreasing the cost of private defense is our only path to an unstoppable, parallel economy. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Max Hillebrand: https://towardsliberty.com/ The Praxeology of Privacy: https://towardsliberty.com/pop

“In the end, it’s the economic majority of users who decide what Bitcoin is.” Wicked and MrHodl join the show to break down why BIP110 won’t change Bitcoin. We get into the fight over arbitrary data on Bitcoin, why they believe BIP110 fails to solve the problem it claims to address, and why miner signalling alone does not define consensus. The conversation covers Bitcoin Core, Knots, the blocksize war, SegWit, BIP148, spam, soft forks, hard forks, nodes, miners, exchanges, and the role of the economic majority in defending Bitcoin’s rules. Is BIP110 a serious proposal, a virtue signal, or an attempted replay of old battles? And if Bitcoin can be changed without broad consensus, what does that mean for decentralisation? THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny MrHodl: https://x.com/MrHodl Wicked: https://x.com/w_s_bitcoin

“We are in the digital gold rush to acquire as much Bitcoin as humanly possible.” Jeff Walton joins the show to break down the rise of Bitcoin-backed credit, Strive’s SATA instrument, and why perpetual preferred equity could become one of the most important capital market innovations in Bitcoin. We discuss why SATA is now paying daily dividends, how Strive thinks about risk, reserves, leverage, and Bitcoin coverage, and why these new credit instruments may become a structural buyer of Bitcoin through both bull and bear markets. We also get into Strategy’s role as the market leader, the shift away from convertible debt, the future of Bitcoin treasury companies, proof of reserves, custody risk, institutional adoption, and whether Bitcoin credit could eventually reprice the entire credit market. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Jeff Walton: https://x.com/PunterJeff

“Whoever blinks first wins.” Mechanic joins me to discuss the controversial BIP110 proposal, the fight over spam and inscriptions, and whether Bitcoin users can force a consensus change without support from the major mining pools. We get into miner power, node enforcement, UASF game theory, soft forks, and whether Bitcoin is drifting away from its original purpose as money. Mechanic argues that Bitcoin’s strength comes from ordinary users enforcing the rules, not corporations, exchanges, or miners. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Bitcoin Mechanic: https://x.com/GrassFedBitcoin

“Trust the process. The money will be printed.” Arthur Hayes returns to the show to explain why he believes the Bitcoin bull market is back on, and why the next move higher will once again be driven by global liquidity. In this episode, we discuss why war, AI, supply chain fragility, rising bond market stress, and political incentives all point in the same direction: more spending, more debt, and more money printing. Arthur explains why governments are not going to choose austerity, why the inflationary tax is the path of least resistance, and why Bitcoin remains the trade in a world where fiat liquidity keeps expanding. We also get into the risks ahead: AI-driven job losses, social unrest, energy and commodity shocks, the fragility of the Treasury market, and the possibility of another policy panic. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Arthur Hayes: https://x.com/CryptoHayes

“We’re in an era where the monetary system is changing. The world is going to look very different on the other side of this thing.” Checkmate is back on the show to explain why Bitcoin may already be back in a bull market and why the bigger story is not just the price, but the system beginning to crack. We get into his case that the bottom is likely in, why the $60k flush looked like a real capitulation event, and the levels that matter now. Checkmate breaks down the on-chain data behind his 80% bull-market thesis, why bears may be running out of road, and what happens when sentiment flips from selling rips to buying dips. We also get into rising bond yields, broken fiscal systems, the end of trust in government debt, Bitcoin vs gold, ETF flows, Strategy/MSTR risk, Coinbase custody risk, and why the world is moving towards assets that sit outside the system. We then get into Australia’s proposed capital gains tax changes, why Checkmate sees them as a direct attack on savers, builders and young people, and why tax policy may become one of the next major battlegrounds for Bitcoiners. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Checkmate: https://x.com/_Checkmatey_

“The alpha is still in Bitcoin. But it’s just by treating Bitcoin as money.” Brian De Mint is the head of marketing for Club Orange, a real-world social network for Bitcoiners. In this episode, we discuss why Bitcoin’s next phase may not just be holding the asset, but building a real economy around it: Bitcoin meetups, IRL community, the case for spending sats, merchant adoption, Lightning payments, Bitcoin mining as a free-market energy solution, and why treating Bitcoin as money can create stronger economic relationships between Bitcoiners. We also get into food and health to medicine, nutrition and the incentives behind the institutions we’re told to trust. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Brian De Mint: https://x.com/BrianDeMint

Harry Sudock and Rory Murray from CleanSpark join the show to explain how Bitcoin miners are building entirely new treasury strategy around Bitcoin. Instead of simply mining Bitcoin and selling it for cash, companies like CleanSpark are now borrowing against it, generating yield from it, using it as collateral, and turning their Bitcoin balance sheet into a tool for expansion. We get into why Bitcoin may become the best collateral in global markets, how miners are using treasury strategies like covered calls and basis trades to increase returns, why Bitcoin backed lending markets are rapidly maturing, and how these strategies could completely reshape the way companies manage capital. We also discuss the AI data centre boom, why Bitcoin miners are expanding into AI infrastructure, how Bitcoin and AI are competing for energy, and why the future of Bitcoin mining may actually become more decentralised as AI grows. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Harry Sudock: https://x.com/harry_sudock Rory Murray: https://x.com/sprainhill

Jonathan Pollock is Product Lead for Bitkey. In this episode, we get into wrench attacks, why physical coercion is a structural weakness of private key ownership, why seed phrases may be creating more risk than they solve, and why most self custody setups rely too heavily on users never making a mistake. We talk about the trade offs between security, privacy, recovery, inheritance, and ease of use, alongside BitKey’s new hardware update and the company’s plans to build time delayed vaults designed to protect users during violent attacks. We also get into collaborative custody, covenants, insurance, ETFs versus self custody and why permissionless money still matters. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Bitkey: https://x.com/Bitkey

“Bitcoin can change the world because the world can’t change Bitcoin.” Jack Mallers is back on the show to break down his vision for 21, Strike, and the next phase of Bitcoin’s monetisation. Jack explains why he doesn’t want to build another pure Bitcoin treasury company or another crypto casino, but a full-stack Bitcoin business: financial services, lending, custody, infrastructure, mining, capital markets, and a balance sheet built around Bitcoin. We get into the proposed acquisition of Strike, Bitcoin-backed lending, proof of reserves, why profitability matters, and why he thinks the best Bitcoin company won’t simply be the one that owns the most Bitcoin. We also discuss where Bitcoin fits in a world moving towards war, inflation, energy shocks, multipolarity, and whether fiat can survive another crisis. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Jack Mallers: https://x.com/jackmallers

“If your system can’t survive without inflation, the problem isn’t deflation.” Allen Farrington and Sacha Meyers return to the show to break down one of the most misunderstood ideas in economics: deflation. Allen & Sacha are the authors of Bitcoin is Venice, in this episode they get into their latest essay, Number Go Down, where they challenge the core assumptions behind modern macroeconomics. They argue that the idea inflation is necessary for a healthy economy is not grounded in reality, but in flawed models, bad incentives, and a fundamental misunderstanding of how growth actually happens. We get into why the 2% inflation target is arbitrary, how Keynesian economics confuses credit collapse with true deflation, and why falling prices driven by innovation might actually be the most important signal of a functioning economy. We also explore the paradox of thrift, malinvestment, and why distorted price signals lead to systemic fragility. Allen and Sacha explain why saving is the foundation of real growth, how deflation can drive investment rather than kill it, and why trying to “manage” the economy through measurement and intervention is fundamentally misguided. We also get into debt, why inflation acts as a hidden bailout mechanism, and what a world built on sound money might actually look like. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CLUB ORANGE CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Allen Farrington: https://x.com/allenf32 Sacha Meyers: https://x.com/sacha_meyers

“Money on the internet is still broken.” David Marcus returns to the show to break down why moving money globally is still slow, fragmented, and expensive and how Bitcoin could fix it. David explains how the current system is built on disconnected networks that extract fees, delay payments, and capture data. His solution is a new kind of global account built on Bitcoin infrastructure that unifies dollars, Bitcoin, and stablecoins into a single system that works instantly across borders. We get into why platforms like Uber and YouTube could become financial hubs, how stablecoins might accelerate Bitcoin adoption, and why open networks tend to beat closed systems. Finally, we discuss the future of AI agents that can hold and move money on your behalf, and what that means for privacy, control, and Bitcoin as the underlying monetary layer. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CLUB ORANGE CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\\\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny David Marcus: https://x.com/davidmarcus

“There’s a reality here that you guys are all asleep to… we are the only alternative path.” American HODL & Peter McCormack join the show to break down the growing divide across the West, the collapse of trust in institutions, and whether the current political system is already failing. We’re moving from a high trust to a low trust society, where incentives are broken, democracy is increasingly unstable, and the middle ground between left and right is disappearing. As countries like the UK decline economically and culturally, the risk isn’t just stagnation, it’s escalation. We get into whether this leads to conflict or some form of authoritarianism, why freedom is so difficult to sell politically, and whether Bitcoin can realistically act as an alternative system. We also discuss the collapse of the middle class, AI-driven disruption, the role of media in accelerating division, and whether Bitcoin arrives in time or simply becomes a hedge against what comes next. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CLUB ORANGE CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\\\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny American HODL: https://primal.net/hodl Peter McCormack: https://x.com/PeterMcCormack

“Bitcoin has a chance of losing the energy conversation.” Michael Dunworth joins the show to break down what happens when AI and Bitcoin collide over the world’s most important resource: energy. Michael argues that as AI demand explodes, governments and corporations will prioritise data centres over Bitcoin mining, potentially rationing energy and pushing Bitcoin to the margins. At the same time, AI is set to drive massive job displacement, reshape global infrastructure, and concentrate power into a handful of dominant players. We get into whether this is an existential threat to Bitcoin or a hidden tailwind for decentralisation, how AI could reshape energy markets, why Bitcoin mining might survive as a balancing layer for AI grids, and whether AI itself ultimately chooses Bitcoin as its native money. We also discuss nation state adoption, the risk of governments seizing Bitcoin, the centralisation of custody, and why Bitcoin’s biggest risk right now might be losing focus. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CLUB ORANGE CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\\\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Michael Dunworth: https://x.com/MichaelDunwort1

“Bitcoin’s values are easy to defend until they become inconvenient.” Rob Hamilton returns to the show to get into Bitcoin as a hero’s journey, and why its next great test may already be here. Rob explains how Bitcoin evolved from a cypherpunk rebellion into an institutional asset, and why that shift is creating a new fault line inside the network. As more Bitcoin moves into ETFs and corporate treasuries, the question is no longer just whether Bitcoin succeeds, but who defines what it is. We get into the debate around quantum computing, whether vulnerable coins should ever be frozen, and why that decision could trigger a chain split. Rob lays out the tension between protecting the network and preserving Bitcoin’s core principles, and why this may become the most important battle since the block size wars. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CLUB ORANGE CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Rob Hamilton: https://x.com/Rob1Ham

"The days of imperial America as the global hegemon will be drawing to a close." Dr. Jeff Ross returns to the show to break down why the dollar system is ending and what comes next. Jeff argues we're already living through the collapse of the post-war financial order, the petrodollar is dying, oil is being traded in yuan, gold, and Bitcoin for the first time since the 1970s, and the US is entering a new era of yield curve control and structural inflation. We get into his three burners framework, why he thinks we're in World War III, the coming civil unrest from AI-driven job displacement, why Trump and Bessent are pushing stablecoins, and what it all means for Bitcoin. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CLUB ORANGE CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Jeff Ross on Substack: https://substack.com/@jeffross191961

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CLUB ORANGE CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Ansel Lindner: https://x.com/AnselLindner

“There's a 50% chance that by 2033, quantum computers can break Bitcoin.” Alex Pruden joins me to explain why the threat may be much closer than most Bitcoiners think, what a real quantum attack on Bitcoin would actually look like, and whether bitcoin developers are doing enough to prepare. We get into the real risk to self custody, exposed public keys, whether Satoshi’s coins could become a target, how a migration to quantum resistant signatures might work, and why this debate could become one of the most important and divisive fights in Bitcoin’s future. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CLUB ORANGE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\\\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Alex Pruden: https://x.com/apruden08

“You’ve been deceived your entire life.” Jeff Booth returns to the show to break down Bitcoin, AI, inflation, debt, deflation, and the kind of systemic chaos that could reshape everything people think they know about money. If Jeff is right, we are heading into a period of supply chain shocks, inflation spikes, mass money printing, job destruction from AI, and a brutal repricing of the global economy. In this episode, Jeff explains why the natural state of the free market is deflation, why Bitcoin is the only real path to agency, why trusting digital credit and custodians could end in disaster, and why most people still cannot see the system they are trapped inside. We also get into whether Strategy and the digital credit thesis are dangerous for Bitcoin, why AI changes everything faster than most people realise, and what a true Bitcoin economy might actually look like. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CLUB ORANGE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Jeff Booth: https://x.com/JeffBooth

“This is like DEFCON 5. This is a catastrophe.” The debt crisis is already here. Governments are spending far beyond their means, inflation is quietly eating away at living standards, and the only real escape route is more debasement dressed up as growth. Add in an energy shock, AI driven job losses, and rising social unrest, and the question stops being whether the system is breaking. It becomes how long they can keep it going. In this episode, I sit down with Lyn Alden to break down the real state of the global economy. We get into why sovereign debt crises are a slow moving process, why the US has already crossed into a new era of fiscal dominance, and why Lyn believes the Strait of Hormuz is the biggest macro risk in the world right now. We also discuss inflation, war, food and energy shortages, AI replacing white collar work, the path toward UBI, and whether this debt cycle could be the one that finally pushes the fiat system to its limit. Plus, Lyn shares the personal story behind her rise, from homelessness as a child to becoming one of the most respected macro thinkers in the world. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CLUB ORANGE CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Lyn Alden: https://x.com/LynAldenContact

“We’re subject to monetary domination. We can’t do without money because the vast majority of people have absolutely no say over how money works. That’s an injustice.” In this episode, I sit down with philosopher Bradley Rettler in Bedford to explore two questions that are going to define the future: what AI is doing to human thought, and whether our monetary system is fundamentally unjust. We get into what thinking actually is, whether LLMs are really thinking, and why using AI as a substitute for your own reasoning may make you worse at reasoning for yourself. Bradley explains why this matters, not just for productivity, but for education, moral agency, and the risk that a small number of companies could end up shaping how millions of people think. We then turn to Bradley’s new paper on monetary justice. He breaks down the idea of monetary domination, how the Fed and the commercial banking system concentrate power over money creation, and why that leaves most people trapped inside a system they have no meaningful say over. We also get into where Bitcoin fits into all of this, whether it offers an escape from monetary domination, and why the divide between Bitcoin as freedom money and Bitcoin as digital gold is becoming harder to ignore. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CLUB ORANGE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Bradley Rettler: https://x.com/rettlerb

"No innovation will ever change the world more than 2%. Even Bitcoin." Junseth is a Bitcoin OG who's been here since a week after pizza day. He returns to challenge every narrative the tech world is selling you, from AI replacing all jobs to the metaverse that never existed. Junseth makes the case that the future is being imagined by people who think the best state of the world is living in your bedroom and never coming out, and that the rest of us don't have to elect to live in that world. He explains why AI adoption will be far slower than anyone thinks, why the people predicting the end of jobs are still hiring programmers, and why the Gell-Mann amnesia effect means you shouldn't trust any of the expert timelines. We also get into whether Bitcoin has actually done anything yet, why Bitcoin is boring and that's a good thing, the emergence of political factions and BIP 110, whether AI consciousness and belief in God are diametrically opposed, why the agent economy might reshape the internet, and why if you lose your job you should just go start a trash bin cleaning business. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CLUB ORANGE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Junseth: https://x.com/verysmallclaims

"If there's going to be printing, it's going to be the hardest printing they've ever done. There isn't another option." Eric Yakes returns to break down the macro landscape as global debt hits historic levels, private credit shows real cracks, and the commodity shift accelerates under geopolitical fracture. Eric explains why the gold rally isn't about one event but a structural inflection point decades in the making, why private credit could be the next financial crisis and how the only path forward likely involves the hardest printing central banks have ever done. We also get into AI's second-order effects on startups and job markets, why the agent economy could be a major bridge to Bitcoin adoption, the death of proprietary software, the quantum narrative versus the actual threat, and why Bitcoin at $70K is deep value. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CLUB ORANGE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Eric Yakes: https://x.com/ericyakes

At 5am, Lauren Rodriguez woke to laser sights, a drone flying through her house, and 40 armed federal agents raiding their cottage, all because her husband built a Bitcoin wallet. Keonne Rodriguez co-founded Samurai Wallet in 2015, a non-custodial Bitcoin wallet with privacy features including Whirlpool, their CoinJoin implementation. For nearly a decade, the wallet operated openly on the Google Play Store with no issues. Then on April 24th, 2024, the FBI and IRS launched coordinated raids on the Rodriguez home in Pennsylvania and co-founder Bill Hill's home in Portugal. The charges: conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money service business and conspiracy to money launder. The problem: FinCEN's own guidance stated that non-custodial wallets are not money transmitters. And six months before indictment, prosecutors asked FinCEN directly whether Samurai was a money service business, FinCEN said no. The prosecutors buried that answer, a Brady violation. Lauren walks through the full story; the raid, the discovery process involving 17 terabytes of evidence, the sudden judicial switch from a neutral judge to a former chief of the SDNY criminal division, the five-minute hearing where every defense motion was denied without explanation, and the impossible math of a plea deal versus a 25-year trial exposure with a hostile judge. Keonne is now serving a five-year federal prison sentence. Lauren is fighting for a presidential pardon for both Keonne and Bill. Sign the petition and support their case at BillandKeonne.org. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CLUB ORANGE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Lauren Rodriguez: https://x.com/leamuirleyn Sign the Petition & Donate: https://billandkeonne.org/

"5 to 10% is going to cause immense damage. When cash flows stop at the margin, everything collapses because of leverage." Nik Bhatia returns to break down the macro landscape as war in Iran sends oil to $100, the dollar surges, and volatility clouds the outlook. Nik explains why he's wiped the slate clean on his macro thesis, why the US economy may still avoid recession despite the chaos, and how the Genius Act could reshape the global dollar system through stablecoins. We also get into AI job displacement, why treasuries are still the bedrock of global finance, Bitcoin's decoupling signal, and whether the four-year cycle is finally dead. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CLUB ORANGE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Nik Bhatia: https://x.com/timevalueofbtc

Is Bitcoin's four-year cycle still intact, and what does that mean for the next six months? In this episode, I sit down with The Rational Root to break down where we are in Bitcoin's cycle, why on-chain data is flashing bear market signals despite Bitcoin holding up through the Iran war, and what the bottom formation could look like from here. We discuss the shift from retail hype to institutional adoption, why OTC buying from ETFs and treasury companies dampened this cycle's price action, how gold and AI stole Bitcoin's mindshare, and whether passive flows from the likes of Saylor could prevent another leg down. Root walks through his key on-chain charts and explains why he thinks there's still a probability of one more drop before Bitcoin starts its next move up. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CLUB ORANGE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny The Rational Root: https://x.com/therationalroot

"Our entire financial system will blow up without their factories, without their oil. And they know that. So they can wait." Luke Gromen is a macroeconomic analyst, investor and founder of FFTT. In this episode, we get into whether the Iran war exposed a far bigger geopolitical shift than most people realise, why Luke thinks missiles and drones may have changed global power forever, and what all of this means for oil, markets, Bitcoin and the future of the dollar system. We also get into why Bitcoin held up better than expected during the conflict, why Luke still thinks risk assets face serious danger ahead, and how AI could trigger a major credit event faster than almost anyone expects. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN CLUB ORANGE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Luke Gromen: https://x.com/LukeGromen