Bitcoin Takeover Podcast

Episodes

• S17 E24: Zach Herbert on AI & Hardware WalletsMay 15, 2026 · 2 hr 36 minZach Herbert is the CEO of Foundation, a company which specializes in building hardware wallets that offer extra security features. The latest model, the Passport Prime, aims to also replace YubiKey for Two Factor Authentication and other more expensive encrypted storage devices. But now thanks to AI and the open source app store, new possibilities have opened up. Buy your Passport Prime using promo code ”BTCTKVR” and get a free bumper case, worth $19! Time stamps: 00:01:07 Introducing Zach Herbert, CEO of Foundation 00:03:11 Live Unboxing of Passport Prime 00:04:14 Foundation's Sci-Fi Inspiration 00:05:32 Passport Prime First Impressions 00:08:40 Factory Reset and Resale 00:09:49 Quantum Link and Bluetooth Setup 00:15:24 Firmware Update Process 00:17:43 Haptic Feedback and User Experience 00:20:05 Magic Backup with NFC Key Cards 00:25:50 Restoring from a Magic Backup 00:26:45 User Interface and Upcoming Changes 00:29:02 KeyOS: The Custom Operating System 00:32:36 Active Tamper-Proofing 00:35:49 Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) Feature 00:37:13 The Vault App 00:43:39 Live Device Wipe and Restore 00:48:57 Troubleshooting the Restore Process 00:50:18 Market Position and Competition 00:52:29 How Magic Backup Works 00:56:21 Foundation's Open-Source App Store 01:01:46 Solving Digital Life Security 01:18:07 Giveaway Winner Announcement 01:31:01 Manufacturing Passport Prime in the USA 01:46:06 Thoughts on Duress Mode 01:56:26 AI Integration and Vibe Coding 02:07:29 Business Model and Subscription Service 02:30:39 The Future is Not Air-GappedPlayPlay S17 E24: Zach Herbert on AI & Hardware Wallets
• S17 E23: Hunter Beast & Mark Karpelès on Bitcoin's Quantum UpgradeMay 10, 2026 · 1 hr 4 minHunter Beast is the author of BIP360, the most popular proposal to add quantum resistant signatures to Bitcoin. Mark Karpelès is the former CEO of Mt. Gox and the creator of Tiban wallet. In this episode, they talk about the looming quantum threat. Time stamps: 00:00:56 Introducing Hunter Beast 00:02:38 Hunter Beast's New Role at Surmount Systems and Quantum Urgency 00:05:28 The Timeline for a Quantum Upgrade 00:07:07 The Need for a Concrete Technical Process 00:09:36 Surmount Systems' Fundraising and Mission 00:12:30 What is Surmount Systems? 00:15:09 Mark Karpeles Joins the Conversation 00:16:31 Lessons Learned from Mt. Gox 00:19:18 Quantum Resistance and BIP32 HD Wallets 00:25:22 The Debate on Satoshi's Coins 00:29:09 Timelines for Phasing Out Old Signatures 00:32:24 Long vs. Short Exposure Quantum Attacks 00:33:36 The US Government and Quantum Computing 00:36:59 Quantum Resistance in Other Blockchains 00:42:05 Bundling Upgrades with Quantum Resistance 00:48:26 Bitcoin's Role in Separating Money and State 00:50:06 The Upcoming Ecash Fork 00:53:47 Mark Karpeles at the Conference: a Magic: The Gathering tournament 00:57:07 Mark's New Wallet Project: Tiban, Using Threshold Signatures 01:02:03 Mark's First Time in the USAPlayPlay S17 E23: Hunter Beast & Mark Karpelès on Bitcoin's Quantum Upgrade
• S17 E22: Jeremy Rubin on CTV, Char & Building on BitcoinMay 6, 2026 · 1 hr 23 minJeremy Rubin is the author of BIP 119 (OP_CTV, Check Template Verify) and co-author of BIP 348 (CSFS, Check Sig From Stack). More recently, he started working on Char: a decentralized shared sequencer for Bitcoin layer 2s. In this episode, which we recorded at the LayerTwo Labs booth during the Bitcoin 2026 conference in Las Vegas, we talk about the challenges involved in improving Bitcoin and why Jeremy chooses to be a relentless builder even in an adversarial environment. Time stamps: 00:00:48 Podcast Introduction and Sponsors 00:03:02 Jeremy Rubin's Bitcoin Journey 00:03:24 Introduction to Check Template Verify (CTV) 00:04:44 The Philosophy Behind CTV 00:06:40 CTV for Congestion Control 00:07:57 CTV for Self-Custody Vaults 00:09:35 The Failed Activation of CTV 00:11:25 The "Technical Consensus" Debate 00:13:45 FUD and Misinformation Campaign 00:17:45 Blockstream's Role in Bitcoin Development 00:21:44 The Inevitability of CTV 00:26:04 The State of the Bitcoin Ecosystem 00:28:20 Bitcoin Maximalism and Cypherpunk Spirit 00:29:34 Learning from Other Projects 00:31:52 Bitcoin Cash's Technical Progress 00:35:39 The "Small Blocker" Paradox 00:37:34 Cultural Barriers to Building 00:39:24 The Future of Bitcoin and Freedom 00:43:08 Paul Sztorc's Ecash Fork 00:49:06 Confiscating Satoshi's Coins 00:58:51 The Problem with OP_CAT 01:01:56 Security Practices at Conferences 01:06:01 What Excites Jeremy About Bitcoin Today 01:09:01 On Being a "Difficult" Personality 01:12:20 Introduction to Char 01:15:04 Why Use Proof of Stake? 01:18:38 Final Thoughts on Agency and FreedomPlayPlay S17 E22: Jeremy Rubin on CTV, Char & Building on Bitcoin
• S17 E21: Paul Sztorc Hard Forks Bitcoin to Launch Ecash with Drivechains!Apr 24, 2026 · 2 hr 7 minAfter 15 years of being a Bitcoin-only maximalist and about a decade of promoting BIP300 as a soft fork, LayerTwo Labs CEO Paul Sztorc decided to launch Ecash: a hard fork of Bitcoin in which every BTC holder gets free coins. There's a catch, though: while everyone can claim 1 ecash for every bitcoin that they own, Satoshi can only claim half. Meaning that a returning Satoshi will only be able to claim half his coins, while the other half (550k) is currently being sold to investors in order to fund the development and bootstrapping of Ecash. What's more controversial: the hard fork or the SHAD (Satoshi Half Air Drop)? Only time will tell. But the Ecash hard fork is scheduled to happen in August 2026... unless Bitcoin activates BIP300 in the meantime. Game theory at its finest! Time stamps: 00:00:58 – Paul Sztorc announces the new Bitcoin hard fork project, eCash, sharing his motivation for launching it and setting the stage for the discussion. 00:03:02 – eCash’s technical details are explained, including its smaller 400kB block size and the integration of drivechains (BIP 300) to enhance scalability and flexibility. 00:04:55 – The initial drivechains launching with eCash are described, such as Thunder for scalability, ZSide for privacy, and additional chains like CoinShift, BitNames, and Photon. 00:09:28 – Security aspects of sidechains are discussed, covering the 256 sidechain limit, potential outcomes if sidechains fail, and the risks users face when moving coins. 00:14:26 – The project’s name, Ecash, is revealed, with a comparison to Bitcoin Cash and an explanation of the naming decision. 00:15:40 – Paul delves into the philosophy behind the hard fork, his views on Bitcoin maximalism, and his intention to remain committed to both Bitcoin and eCash. 00:20:35 – Mining dynamics are explored, including SHA256 mining competition, miner incentives, and the potential for MEV (miner extractable value) issues. 00:22:36 – Paul critiques the current state of Bitcoin, highlighting user and developer frustration, stagnation, low transaction fees, and gridlock in development. 00:29:40 – The potential for eCash to attract frustrated Bitcoin builders is considered, with references to similar migrations in crypto history. 00:31:38 – Ethereum’s rise is analyzed as a consequence of Bitcoin’s block size wars, with discussion on missed opportunities and lessons learned. 00:41:06 – The likelihood and impact of further Bitcoin hard forks are speculated upon, focusing on community fragmentation and effects on value. 00:41:49 – Hard forks are framed as healthy competition that benefits investors by providing free coins and stimulating innovation. 00:48:20 – The decision to reassign half of Satoshi’s coins for development and community incentives is explained, addressing concerns about distribution. 00:54:07 – Quantum computing threats, Satoshi’s mining behavior, and the rationale for the coin distribution are discussed in the context of long-term security. 01:36:00 –PlayPlay S17 E21: Paul Sztorc Hard Forks Bitcoin to Launch Ecash with Drivechains!
• S17 E20: Talking Privacy with Amir Taaki, Harry Halpin & Christopher CialoneApr 23, 2026 · 2 hr 42 minAmir Taaki is one of the first Bitcoin developers to join the project and today he stands out as one of the most prominent cypherpunks and privacy advocates. Currently, he is working towards building DarkFi. Harry Halpin is one of the most prominent privacy advocates in academia, and an entrepreneur who focuses on maximizing human rights. Today, he is the CEO of Nym and he works towards normalizing privacy. Christopher Cialone is a big privacy advocate whose current focus is to free the Tornado Cash devs (especially Roman Storm) and the Samourai Wallet devs. In this episode, we talk about everything privacy. Time stamps: 00:01:13 –Introducing Amir Zaki, Harry Halpin, Christopher Cialone 00:02:17 – Harry Halpin discusses Palantir CEO Alex Karp's advocacy for a corporate-state surveillance apparatus and automated AI weapons to ensure US dominance. 00:05:05 – Halpin critiques the Silicon Valley mindset that glorifies war and surveillance, contrasting it with the harsh realities of authoritarian regimes. 00:07:30 – Why programmers should build privacy-enhancing technologies to resist the rise of authoritarianism and mass surveillance. 00:18:26 – Vlad questions whether the US must abandon ethics to compete technologically with authoritarian states like China. 00:19:37 – Harry Halpin argues that true technological innovation comes from freedom and decentralization, not by copying authoritarian control systems. 00:24:34 – Christopher Cialone discusses the Tornado Cash case, where the government is attempting to redefine privacy and stifle innovation. 00:26:14 – Christopher Cialone expresses frustration over the developer community's general silence on legal battles that threaten their freedom to build. 00:33:58 – Neither political party will save crypto developers, citing ongoing prosecutions under different administrations. 00:35:27 – Harry Halpin highlights the hypocrisy of prosecuting legitimate privacy tool developers while ignoring scammers, revealing the state's true priorities. 00:39:02 – Christopher Cialone laments the cultural shift in New York post-COVID, noting increased compliance and a loss of rebellious spirit. 00:39:42 – Prosecutors are accused of deliberately misrepresenting technology to secure convictions against developers like Roman Storm. 00:44:33 – Harry Halpin prepares to leave the show, receives a Zcash giveaway sponsored by Cake Wallet. 00:49:49 – Vlad argues that Bitcoin's privacy development died when Samourai Wallet developers were arrested, causing a chilling effect. 00:53:19 – Amir Taaki advocates for using cyberpunk technology to build parallel systems and reclaim power from a corrupt government. 00:58:03 – Amir reminisces about the early, freer days of the internet and calls for creating a more fun, sovereign online world. 01:01:59 – Amir Taaki provides an update on the DarkFi project, mentioning the upcoming wallet app, bridge development, and marketing plans. 01:03:32 – Amir recounts being detained and deported from muPlayPlay S17 E20: Talking Privacy with Amir Taaki, Harry Halpin & Christopher Cialone
• S17 E19: Deadalnix (Amaury Séchet) on Forking Bitcoin & EcashApr 18, 2026 · 4 hr 29 minAmaury Séchet is the developer who forked Bitcoin in August 2017 to create Bitcoin Cash. Three years later, in the aftermath of an internal conflict about developer funding mechanisms, he also forked Bitcoin Cash to create Ecash (XEC): the evolution of the Bitcoin ABC client which adds the Avalanche protocol for a combination between the battle-tested Proof of Work security and the instant Proof of Stake finality. In this episode, we talk about the evolution of the Bitcoin protocol and why hard forks matter. Time stamps: 00:01:19 Introducing Amaury Séchet 00:03:06 Bitcoin Cash vs. eCash Price & Market Dynamics 00:05:05 Nihilism & Casino Culture in Crypto 00:06:55 Bitcoin Technical Debates: Covenants, Spam, Quantum Resistance 00:09:36 Quantum Computing Threats to Bitcoin 00:13:09 Satoshi’s Coins & Quantum Attacks 00:17:52 Changing Bitcoin’s Core Tenets & Confiscation Proposals 00:22:19 Consensus, Politics, and Forking 00:25:00 Quantum Resistance in eCash & BCH 00:27:16 Hard Forking vs. Scaling for Quantum Threats 00:30:06 Satoshi’s Wealth Across Forks (BTC, BCH, BSV, XEC) 00:32:13 AI, Protein Folding, and Future Tech 00:33:22 Cake Wallet, SideShift, and wallet integration for BCH + XEC 00:36:11 Banks, Bitcoin Standard, and Economic Liquidity 00:37:45 Scaling, Fractional Reserve, and Economic History 00:41:24 Thoughts on Drivechain & Blockchain Extensibility 00:46:49 eCash Technical Differences: Avalanche Consensus 00:52:06 eCash Mining, 51% Attacks, and Security 00:54:17 Bitcoin Scaling Wars: XT, Unlimited, Classic 01:00:10 Fiat, Proof of Work, and Labor Theory of Value 01:02:36 Giveaway Segment & Sponsors 01:09:20 Satoshi’s Block Size Views & Moore’s Law 01:21:14 Small Blockers, Radio Waves, and Node Requirements 01:27:02 Electrum, Fulcrum, and Wallet Infrastructure 01:33:14 Bitcoin Forks Timeline & Technical Upgrades 01:41:06 BCH vs. BTC: SegWit, Schnorr, and Malleability 01:46:08 BCH Forks: SV, Block Size, and Governance 02:04:35 Blacklist, Confiscation, and BSV’s Direction 02:09:15 Gigabyte Blocks & Scaling Challenges 02:42:13 Avalanche Consensus & eCash Upgrades 02:47:57 Cash Tokens, EVM, and Layer 2s 02:54:12 Cash Fusion & Privacy Compared to Monero & Zcash 03:02:32 Future Privacy Improvements & Payment Protocols 03:07:46 Monero, Zcash, and Privacy Scalability 03:25:55 Proof of Stake, Mining Rewards, and eCash Economics 03:27:59 Amaury’s Role, Leadership, and Project Direction 03:39:53 Big Blocker Movement: Sabotage & Self-Sabotage 04:18:07 Bitcoin’s Future, BCH, and eCash Predictions 04:21:56 Which Altcoins Will Survive? 04:24:28 New Scaling Projects & Instant Payments (Quai, Kaspa) 04:31:17 Closing Remarks & How to Follow Amaury and eCashPlayPlay S17 E19: Deadalnix (Amaury Séchet) on Forking Bitcoin & Ecash
• S17 E18: Dr. K (Karl Kreder) on Quai & Scaling Proof of WorkApr 12, 2026 · 3 hr 46 minKarl Kreder, better known as Dr. K, is the architect of the Quai network: a layered blockchain stack which maximizes the power of proof of work to enable high transaction throughput. Similar in design with Peter Todd's idea of Tree Chains, Quai finds itself at the bleeding edge of cryptocurrency research: and might one day help scale Bitcoin too. Recently, Quai got listed on Kraken and appears to be gaining momentum. But the road to mainstream adoption and replacing banks is still long... Time stamps: 00:01:05 – Vlad introduces Dr. K, sponsors, and announces a Zcash giveaway. 00:02:36 – Quai’s recent Kraken listing and its unique proof-of-work scaling approach. 00:03:03 – Vlad and Dr. K demonstrate sending and receiving Quai using the Blip Pay wallet to showcase the user experience. 00:10:06 – Dr. K explains Quai’s block times, statistical and economic finality, and how its security compares to Bitcoin. 00:14:48 – Comparing Kaspa’s approach and block sampling to Quai’s work-sharing model 00:17:29 – Dr. K details how tokens are issued on Quai, merge mining with other chains, and the SOAP protocol. 00:20:43 – Why miners would mine Kwai, market equilibrium, and the concept of emissions neutrality. 00:22:55 – How Quai’s merge mining differs from Monero’s Qubic and its impact on other blockchain security models. 00:24:28 – The potential for other blockchains to migrate assets to Quai and the broader implications for Bitcoin. 00:28:20 – Gavin Andresen’s article, the possibility of Bitcoin migration, and network incentive structures. 00:32:01 – How SOAP forces proof-of-work chains to compete on utility and efficiency in the market. 00:35:04 – Dr. K argues that proof-of-stake is unsuitable for money, using geopolitical examples to support his case. 00:38:11 – Quai’s premine, coin distribution and fairness in the project. 00:41:04 – Quai’s programmability, privacy features, energy dollar, and sharding scalability compared to Kaspa. 00:46:56 – Dr. K explains Kwai’s dynamic sharding, hierarchical chain structure, and proof of entropy minima. 00:53:00 – Dr. K responds to accusations of Quai being a “Bitcoin affinity scam” and emphasizes the project’s mission. 00:55:31 – Why Quai needs its own token and can’t simply function as a Bitcoin L2, the need for reciprocal validation. 00:57:29 – Ethereum’s move to proof-of-stake, the challenges of proof-of-work scaling, and Quai’s unique approach. 00:59:39 – Dr. K announces the giveaway number and reveals the winner live. 01:02:18 – Dr. K reviews Cake Wallet 01:09:23 – Hardware requirements for running a Quai node compared to Bitcoin’s requirements. 01:15:20 – Dr. K explains how archival nodes work in Quai, shard data redundancy, and miner incentives for data storage. 01:18:18 – Quai’s privacy mechanisms and addresses potential threats from quantum computing. 01:25:02 – Dr. K's recent physics breakthrough related to unification and its implications for quantum computing. 01:55:36 – How Dr. K uses AI models like ClaudPlayPlay S17 E18: Dr. K (Karl Kreder) on Quai & Scaling Proof of Work
• S17 E17: Lukas Hozda on BIP110, Bitcoin & RustApr 7, 2026 · 1 hr 38 minLukas Hozda is the incumbent genius at Braiins mining: the Jack of all trades who's been with the company since he finished high school and can get assigned to any project. He wrote "Programming Bitcoin in Rust" and lately he's scrutinized BIP110. Time stamps: 00:00:46 – Introducing Lukas Hosoda, author and Rust developer at Braiins 00:03:08 – Discovering Bitcoin at age 12 and mining 00:07:04 – Career at Braiins 00:09:43 – Braiins Office Mining & ASICs 00:13:01 – Braiins Mini Miner (BMM101) 00:15:16 – Drivechains & Sidechains 00:17:49 – Bitcoin News & Braiins Blog 00:19:01 – Braiins HashPower Product 00:21:39 – Mining Decentralization 00:22:51 – Cake Wallet & Zcash Giveaway 00:24:01 – Terraria Plugin Development 00:27:44 – SideShift & Swapping 00:31:11 – Breadwallet & Node Mapping 00:33:38 – Joining Braiins as a Rust Programmer 00:36:06 – Writing the Book "Building Bitcoin in Rust" 00:39:43 – BIP 110/444 Research 00:40:55 – How Bitcoin's Gossip Network Works 00:44:31 – Mempool & Private Transactions 00:45:54 – Marathon Slipstream . 00:47:10 – History of OP_RETURN & Arbitrary Data on Bitcoin 00:51:19 – Spam, Transaction Fees & Block Size 00:55:18 – UTXO Set Growth 00:57:50 – ZK Proofs & Ethereum 00:58:44 – Nostr Community's Emotional Approach to Bitcoin 00:59:28 – Filtering Challenges 01:01:38 – Ordinal Inscriptions & Developer Response 01:02:54 – Mining Pools & Incentives 01:05:31 – Block Subsidy & Layer 2s 01:07:31 – User Growth, Adoption & Institutions 01:11:09 – BIP 444/110 Analysis 01:15:27 – Data Limits & Programming 01:19:09 – Forks & Market Reactions 01:22:58 – Bitcoin’s Core Values 01:25:49 – Node Running Legal Risks & Institutions 01:29:00 – Giveaway & Closing 01:31:26 – Recurring Bitcoin Debates 01:35:06 – Toxicity in Debates 01:36:35 – Epstein Files & Final ThoughtsPlayPlay S17 E17: Lukas Hozda on BIP110, Bitcoin & Rust
• S17 E16: Summer Meng on Bitmars & Selling Bitcoin ASIC MinersMar 27, 2026 · 1 hr 3 minSummer Meng is the CEO of Bitmars: the largest distributor of Bitmain ASIC miners in Europe and North America. Often described as the ”ASIC Queen”, she is the person to contact if you need to supply a mining farm with the latest and best-performing hardware. In this episode, she talks about the challenges involved in ASIC miner distribution and her journey from simple employee to company CEO. Time stamps: 00:01:12 Summer Meng’s Background & Entry into Bitcoin Mining 00:03:41 Early Experiences & Learning in the Industry 00:05:23 Bitcoin Mining in China & the 2021 Ban 00:07:01 Impact of the Ban & Shift to Overseas Markets 00:09:40 Bitcoin Custody & Company Practices in China 00:11:05 Self-Education & Client Interactions 00:12:17 Client Base & Global Mining Trends 00:12:41 Summer’s Rise to CEO & Company Structure 00:13:14 Bit Mars as ASIC Miner Distributor 00:14:57 Market Centralization & Access to Miners 00:15:59 Largest Orders & Sales Volume 00:17:04 Order Types & Client Diversity 00:18:38 AI Pivot & Second-Hand ASIC Market 00:19:10 Quality Control & Testing of Miners 00:20:25 Relationship with Brains Mining Pool 00:21:39 Mining Market Shift from China to US 00:22:48 Current Market Challenges & AI Impact 00:23:41 Hashrate Trends & Mining Efficiency 00:24:47 Mining Use Cases Beyond Profit 00:25:42 Environmental Narratives & Heat Reuse 00:27:30 Home Mining & Heat Applications 00:28:18 Setting Up Home Mining Heat Systems 00:29:47 Home Mining Devices & Recommendations 00:32:08 Noise & Practicality of Home Mining 00:36:41 Podcast Sponsors & Cake Wallet Giveaway 00:37:41 Cloud Mining & Brains Hash Power 00:39:30 Bitmain’s Market Dominance & Competition 00:41:44 Intel, Samsung, & ASIC Manufacturing 00:43:30 Mining Pools & Market Share 00:44:48 Scams & Safe Purchasing Practices 00:46:12 Educational Materials & Book Translation 00:48:14 Mining Ban Resurgence in China 00:52:02 Legal Status of Mining & Sales in China 00:54:54 Industrial vs. Home Mining Future 00:55:58 Types & Popularity of ASIC Miners 00:56:50 Demand for Non-Bitcoin Miners 00:58:27 ASIC Manufacturers Using Miners Before Sale 00:59:37 Water Cooling & Hydro Miners 01:00:31 Current ASIC Miner Prices 01:01:40 Final Thoughts & Contact Information 01:02:15 Scam Orders & Business AnecdotesPlayPlay S17 E16: Summer Meng on Bitmars & Selling Bitcoin ASIC Miners
• S17 E15: OPNET Smart Contracts on Bitcoin L1 with Danny & ChadMar 25, 2026 · 1 hr 46 minChad Masterson & Charlie Plainview are the co-founders of OPNET: a protocol that brings smart contracts, DeFi & stablecoins to Bitcoin's base layer. No tokens, wrappers, or bridges are required. But how does it really work & how is it different from Omni, Counterparty, and Citrea? Time stamps: Time stamps: 00:00:36 Introducing Danny and Chad from OPNET 00:01:37 Defining OP NET and Consensus Protocols 00:03:19 Comparison to Counterparty and EVM Compatibility 00:05:39 Technical Implementation: Witness Field and Bitcoin Compliance 00:07:32 Leveraging Bitcoin’s Native Scripting 00:09:03 Problems with Meta Protocols and Off-Chain Indexers 00:12:48 Potential for DeFi and Institutional Use 00:14:07 Layer Two Limitations and Liquidity Issues 00:15:35 Scaling and High Fee Environment 00:20:52 Stablecoins and OP 20 Token Standard 00:23:18 Freedom, Use Cases, and Bitcoin’s Limitations 00:27:36 Critique of Liquid and Bridging Solutions 00:31:38 Lightning Network, Taproot Assets, and Payments Use Case 00:34:49 Bitcoin Yield, Loans, and Productive Capital 00:37:44 Criticism from Bitcoin Maximalists: Spam and Competing Tokens 00:42:06 Spam, UTXO Bloat, and Account-Based Model 00:44:51 Miner Incentives, MEV, and Transaction Ordering 00:50:04 Sponsor Plugs and Giveaway 01:04:52 OP NET's Target Audience and User Adoption 01:13:00 Bitcoin’s Role: Peer-to-Peer Cash or Financial Layer? 01:23:00 Permissionless Innovation and Resilience 01:26:39 Emergent Use Cases and Historical Parallels 01:30:16 Airdrops, Incentives, and Early User Rewards 01:32:33 Security and Comparison Between OP-20 and BRC-20 01:34:18 Live DeFi Applications and Fee Experience 01:36:53 AI Coding FUD and Development Process 01:39:51 Decentralization, Node Operation, and Team Size 01:42:26 Final Questions: Criticisms, Wallets, and How to Try OP NET 01:45:37 Outro and ThanksPlayPlay S17 E15: OPNET Smart Contracts on Bitcoin L1 with Danny & Chad
• S17 E14: Kristian Csepcsar on Braiins & The History of Bitcoin MiningMar 20, 2026 · 1 hr 42 minKristian Csepcsar is the Chief Propaganda Officer at Braiins: the first Bitcoin mining pool and also the oldest Bitcoin company in existence. In this episode, he talks about the role that Braiins plays in the Bitcoin world (inside and outside of mining) and the moments that shaped the Proof of Work industry. Time stamps: 00:01:09 Introducing Kristian Csepcsar, Chief Propaganda Officer at Braiins 00:02:13 Brains Company Overview & Mining Book Promotion 00:03:33 Audiobooks & Free Resources 00:05:22 Mining Videos & Norway Whale Salami Story 00:07:42 Brains/Slush Pool History & Name Origin 00:10:32 Short History of Bitcoin Mining 00:10:53 Zcash Mining & Cake Wallet Giveaway 00:12:59 Brains Hardware & Braiins Dock Device 00:15:38 HashPower Marketplace & Solo Mining 00:17:40 Solo Mining Odds & Use Cases 00:23:31 AI Pivot in Mining Industry 00:25:35 Brains’ Giveaway & Newsletter Challenge 00:27:52 Braiins Mini Miner (BMM101) & Mining Software Flexibility 00:29:10 Brains’ Mining Pool Size & Decentralization 00:29:46 Early Bitcoin Mining: CPUs, GPUs, Pools 00:32:07 Slush Pool’s Impact on Prague Bitcoin Scene 00:33:11 Mining Hardware Evolution: GPUs, FPGAs, ASICs 00:34:15 First Mining Pools & Fee Structures 00:36:16 ASIC Era & Bitmain Dominance 00:43:16 Slush Pool Hack & Trezor Creation 00:48:12 Brains’ Growth & Key Bitcoin Mining Events 00:52:17 Brains’ Political Stance & Protocol Upgrades 00:59:11 Mining Pool Centralization & Governance 01:04:07 Brains’ No-KYC Policy & Lightning Payouts 01:07:17 Brains Firmware & Machine Management 01:12:38 ASIC Manufacturing Competition & Challenges 01:17:22 Jack Dorsey’s Bitcoin Investments Critique 01:22:06 Open Source, Feedback, and Community Criticism 01:24:00 Mining Centralization Beyond Pools 01:31:14 Miners’ Role in Bitcoin Governance 01:34:32 Brains’ Business Strategy & Pool Size: Why Isn't Braiins Number 1? 01:40:13 Outro & Final PromotionsPlayPlay S17 E14: Kristian Csepcsar on Braiins & The History of Bitcoin Mining
• S17 E13: Charlie Spears on Blockspace, Bitcoin Culture & OP_NEXTMar 17, 2026 · 2 hr 3 minCharlie Spears is a co-founder of Blockspace media, an organization which specializes in publishing articles and podcasts about Bitcoin mining and scaling. In this episode, we talk about the rise of AI, Bitcoin culture, and the upcoming OP_NEXT event. Time stamps: 00:01:07 – Introduction & Spook Joke 00:05:04 – Blockspace Media Origins 00:08:34 – Technical Glitches 00:11:27 – The Gwart Show 00:13:50 – Bitcoin Media Landscape 00:17:25 – Blockworks vs. Blockspace 00:19:22 – AI’s Impact on Media 00:21:07 – AI Workflow & Security 00:22:30 – Voice Cloning Risks 00:24:41 – AI Content & Authenticity 00:27:45 – AI & Bitcoin Mining 00:30:20 – AI Replacing Creative Work 00:33:02 – Charlie's Music Career & Podcasting 00:36:03 – Cake Wallet Giveaway 00:40:13 – Bitcoin Privacy & Zcash 00:41:18 – Bitcoin Culture Critique 00:47:54 – Altcoins & EVM on Bitcoin 00:51:44 – Lightning Network UX 00:58:20 – Custodial vs. Non-Custodial Lightning 01:01:31 – Scaling Bitcoin & Sponsors 01:06:12 – Giveaway Winner 01:08:22 – AI’s Impact on Mining 01:12:49 – Blockspace Value & Fees 01:19:27 – Bitcoin Development & Conferences 01:27:24 – Covenants & Soft Forks 01:29:13 – Toxicity & Freedom Tech 01:40:58 – Altcoins, DeFi & Bitcoin Openness 01:46:03 – Transaction Fees & Security 01:52:39 – Bitcoin Maximalism Evolution 01:57:59 – OGs, DeFi & Airdrops 02:00:49 – Closing Thoughts 02:03:05 – Outro & OP_NEXT PromotionPlayPlay S17 E13: Charlie Spears on Blockspace, Bitcoin Culture & OP_NEXT
• S17 E12: Ray Youssef on Fighting for the Global SouthMar 7, 2026 · 2 hr 14 minTime stamps: 00:00:46 Introducing Ray 00:02:05 Ray Steps Down as CEO of NoOnes & Legal Troubles Begin 00:03:10 The Arrest & Deportation in Mexico 00:06:29 US Charges & Legal Proceedings 00:11:07 Motivations Behind the Prosecution 00:17:08 Conditions of Release & Ankle Bracelet 00:20:57 NoOnes’ Status & Company Structure 00:25:35 NoOnes vs Paxful in User Base 00:28:39 Product Design Philosophy 00:36:01 Ray’s Legal Restrictions 00:37:15 Cake Wallet Giveaway Winners & Community Engagement 00:41:33 NoOnes’ Peer-to-Peer Trading Volume & Asset Breakdown 00:44:46 USDT, USDC, and Sanctions Workarounds 00:47:33 Other Crypto Developers & Political Prosecution 00:50:14 Ray’s Trial Outlook & US Citizenship 00:57:00 Judicial System & Hope for Dismissal 00:59:48 Intimidation Tactics & Test of Wealth 01:03:15 Charity, Faith, and Pascal’s Wager 01:04:05 Counter-Suing & DOJ Conviction Rates 01:06:48 Faith, Destiny, and the Story of Moses & Al-Khidr 01:19:20 Lessons from the Story & Humility 01:21:06 Ramadan, Blessings, and Resilience 01:23:31 Transparency & Potential Netflix Series 01:25:27 Political Prisoners in Crypto 01:29:43 Leadership, Education, and Building in Africa 01:33:30 Faith as the Foundation of Leadership 01:35:32 Empowering Teams & Creating Leaders 01:37:34 Human Potential, Creativity, and Alignment 01:39:57 Spiritual Warfare & End Times 01:41:41 Malcolm X Speech & Supremacism 01:47:47 Doctrine, Monotheism, and Resistance 01:50:00 Prophecy, End Times, and Christ Consciousness 01:53:46 Bitcoin, Justice, and Community 01:57:41 Ray’s Experience at Utopia & Conference Arrest 02:00:38 Spiritual Adversaries & Respect from Opponents 02:01:37 Mugshot, Merchandise, and Next Steps 02:02:46 How to Support Ray & Future Projects 02:08:45 Post-Trial Plans & Preferred Countries 02:11:19 Identity, Nationalism, and True Resistance 02:13:16 Faith, Productivity, and Facing Adversity 02:13:42 Closing Remarks & SOL Reimbursement StoryPlayPlay S17 E12: Ray Youssef on Fighting for the Global South
• S17 E11: John Carvalho on Bitcoin Depression, Bitkit & PubkyMar 5, 2026 · 3 hr 6 minJohn Carvalho is the CEO of Synonym: the company behind the Bitkit wallet and the Pubky social tagging protocol. In this episode, he talks about the progress he's made with his products, the relevance of BIP110, and two concepts which he calls ”Bitcoin depression” and ”Lightning derangement”. Time stamps: 00:00:47 Introducing John Carvalho 00:01:42 Podcast Sponsorships & Cake Wallet Giveaway 00:03:40 Synonym Company Growth & AI Coding 00:07:10 Startup Lessons & Xotika History 00:10:26 Bitcoin Uncensored & Xotika Freedom 00:12:00 Stablecoins, Tether, and Omni 00:15:00 Bitcoin Block Space & Scaling 00:20:13 Blockchain Ecosystems & Class System 00:23:50 Forks, Scaling, and Store of Value 00:52:00 Blockstream, Core Devs, and Institutionalization 00:59:00 Bitcoin Depression & Lightning Derangement Syndrome 01:02:18 Community Fragmentation & Social Dynamics 01:32:55 Bitcoin Core, Trust, and Governance 01:51:32 Soft Forks, Consensus, and Node Power 02:00:04 Maximalism, Altcoins, and Experimentation 02:04:00 Payments vs. Store of Value 02:13:25 Trust, Society, and Social Scalability 02:16:04 Purpose of Bitcoin & Managing Violence 02:23:03 Synonym, Atomic Economy, and Product Vision 02:30:33 BitKit Wallet Design & Bitcoin Units 02:38:19 Bitcoin Community, Learning, and Evolution 02:55:44 Fashion Brand: Tar and Feathers 03:01:44 Social Media, Virality, and PubKy 03:05:08 Closing Remarks & FarewellPlayPlay S17 E11: John Carvalho on Bitcoin Depression, Bitkit & Pubky
• S17 E10: Mark Karpelès on Mt. Gox, 79956 Bitcoins & Chief P*ssyMar 1, 2026 · 2 hr 30 minMark Karpelès is the former CEO of Mt. Gox, the defunct Bitcoin exchange. Recently, he requested the Bitcoin community to hard fork the chain in order to recover 79956 BTC that was stolen from his exchange. In this episode, he explains all about it. Time stamps: 00:01:19 Introducing Mark Karpelès & His Recent Activities 00:03:29 Mark’s Entry into Bitcoin & Move to Japan 00:06:01 Acquiring Mt. Gox from Jed McCaleb in early 2011 00:08:00 Early Challenges & First Mt. Gox Hack 00:10:20 Handling the Loss & Transparency 00:13:16 Regrets & Lessons from Early Mt. Gox 00:15:09 Mt. Gox’s Rapid Growth & Regulatory Pressure 00:17:15 Rumors: Satoshi & Silk Road Allegations 00:21:16 Security, Hacking Attempts, and Physical Breach 00:24:07 Mt. Gox Bankruptcy, Recovery, and Alexander Vinnik 00:27:00 Technical Details of the Mt. Gox Hack 00:29:05 Evolution of Bitcoin Security 00:35:14 Why Mt. Gox Dominated the Market 00:44:53 Legal Compliance in Japan vs. US 00:48:12 Mt. Gox, Talking to Satoshi, and Early Bitcoin Development 00:51:35 Speculation on Satoshi & Bitcoin’s Future 00:55:30 Mark’s Current Projects: Solana & Meme Coin (Chief Pussy) 00:59:03 Why Mark Isn’t Focused on Bitcoin Anymore 01:00:28 Bitcoin Innovation, Scaling, and Forks 01:14:00 Sidechains and Drivechains Discussion 01:36:10 Mt. Gox as a Cautionary Tale & Exchange Security 01:42:14 Mark’s Life After Mt. Gox & Prison 01:44:58 The 80,000 Bitcoin Hard Fork Proposal 01:51:11 Community Reaction To Hard Fork & Precedent Concerns 01:55:09 Bitcoin Forks & Legal Recovery 02:15:25 Bitcoin Foundation & Developer Funding 02:25:05 Mark’s Current Ventures: VPN (vp.net) & Solana Tools 02:27:02 Bitcoin’s Future in 15-17 Years & Final ThoughtsPlayPlay S17 E10: Mark Karpelès on Mt. Gox, 79956 Bitcoins & Chief P*ssy
• S17 E9: Cameron Robertson on Burner & Bitcoin in 2010Feb 27, 2026 · 1 hr 56 minCameron Robertson first discovered Bitcoin in 2009, after reading a post on hacker website Slashdot. About a year later, he started mining and mingling with other Bitcoin enthusiasts in the Silicon Valley area. More recently, he created a product named the Burner: an affordable, NFC-based card that enables anyone to gift, save, and spend their BTC within a simple browser-based and mobile-optimized interface. In this episode, we talk about the past, present and future of the Bitcoin project: including topics such as mining, open source development culture, and the quantum threat. Get 25% discount on your Burner card purchase with promo code ”BTCTKVR”: https://www.burner.pro/bitcoin Time stamps: 00:01:15 Introducing Cameron Robertson 00:02:45 Cameron's Bitcoin Origin Story 00:03:40 Early GPU Mining & Startup Life 00:04:46 Meeting with Brian Armstrong of Coinbase & Smart Locks 00:06:10 Evolution of the Crypto Ecosystem 00:07:20 Building Self-Custody Tools 00:08:30 Kong Cash: Physical Crypto Notes 00:10:25 Community Reactions to Physical Crypto 00:11:17 NFTs, Halos, and Physical Authentication 00:12:30 Offline Cash: Improved Bitcoin Notes 00:13:30 Denominations, Sats, and Psychological Value 00:15:30 Challenges of Issuing Physical Bitcoin 00:16:22 From Cash Notes to Burner Card 00:17:30 Web-Based Wallets & App Store Challenges 00:18:48 Bitcoin Banknotes & Physical Representations 00:21:01 Casascius, Legal Precedents & Coinage Laws 00:24:28 Mining, Spending, and Store of Value 00:28:22 Early Bitcoin Community & Mining Stories 00:30:02 Bitcoin as Money vs. Store of Value 00:32:07 Unit of Account Challenges 00:37:31 Development Culture: Then vs. Now 00:39:03 Silicon Valley, Meetups, and Early Builders 00:40:58 Money Changes Everything: 2013–2017 00:46:57 Bear Markets, Building, and Lightning 00:50:23 Future Risks: Mining, Quantum, and Hard Forks 00:54:44 Quantum Resistance: Migration and Hardware 00:56:52 Quantum Attacks: Practical Risks and Mitigations 01:03:20 Consensus, Upgrades, and Developer Culture 01:05:41 Ethereum vs. Bitcoin: Governance and Upgrades 01:14:57 Stablecoins, Sidechains, and Payments 01:18:03 Burner Card Demo & Security Model 01:22:36 Technical Details: Secure Element & Open APIs 01:25:49 Third-Party Wallets & Business Model 01:29:31 Supported Coins & Expansion Plans 01:32:44 Naming & Philosophy Behind Burner 01:34:38 Cameron's Non-Shitcoin Picks & Privacy Coins 01:40:08 Privacy vs. Scaling: ZK Tech & Future Hopes 01:44:31 ZK Apps & Privacy Onramps 01:47:24 16-Year Outlook: Bitcoin & Crypto’s Future 01:53:29 No Price Predictions, Just Tech 01:53:37 Promo Code BTCTKVR & Closing ThoughtsPlayPlay S17 E9: Cameron Robertson on Burner & Bitcoin in 2010
• S17 E8: Riccardo Spagni on Bitcoin, Monero & PrivacyFeb 16, 2026 · 2 hr 4 minBetween 2014 and 2019, Riccardo Spagni (aka Fluffy Pony) led the development and engineering efforts of the Monero privacy. But he's also been a prominent bitcoiner since 2011, who did mining and supported e-commerce. He built a solid reputation on the Bitcoin OTC trading platform, created the PayBee and Globee payment processors, and even invented OpenAlias in order to simplify the now-standardized address format. In this episode, we talk about his contributions and what he's currently up to. Time stamps: 00:01:32 – Introduction & Magical Crypto Friends Era 00:02:57 – Challenges of Producing Magical Crypto Friends 00:04:26 – Craig Wright Satire & Community Targets 00:07:59 – Early Bitcoin Community & 2011 Generation 00:08:53 – Satoshi’s Intentions & Early Bitcoin Culture 00:13:00 – Technical Openness & Developer Culture 00:16:34 – Toxicity, Bag Bias, and Gloria Zhao Incident 00:22:27 – Ordinals, Spam, and Censorship Debates 00:29:24 – Privacy, Permissionlessness, and Miner Censorship 00:31:53 – Technical Flaws of Filtering & Forking Lessons 00:41:04 – Bitcoin Cash, Forks, and Movement Unity 00:45:57 – Economic Dogma vs. Technical Reality 00:47:40 – Layer 2, Lightning, and Privacy Limitations 00:49:38 – Magic Wand: Ideal Bitcoin Privacy Upgrades 00:52:31 – ETFs, Custodians, and Institutional Privacy 00:55:00 – Sponsor Plugs & Humanitarian Use Cases 01:02:36 – Samourai Wallet, Toxic Change, and Monero Swaps 01:06:39 – Privacy Coin Market Trends & Bandwagoning 01:12:13 – AI, Privacy, and Global South Crypto Use 01:18:01 – Tron, Justin Sun, and Stablecoin Adoption 01:22:33 – Bitcoin’s Changing Role: Store of Value vs. Money 01:26:15 – MoneroTopia & Legal Restrictions 01:31:50 – Early Bitcoin Support & The Most Serene Republic 01:37:25 – Philosophical Roots of Bitcoin Maximalism 01:39:07 – Personal Stories, Watches, and Fashion 01:43:02 – Weight Loss & Life Updates 01:45:08 – Monero Criticism & Inflation Debate 01:47:29 – Ethereum, Zcash, and Privacy by Default 01:55:20 – Zcash’s Purpose and Venture Funding 02:01:30 – Tari, Zano, and Final Thoughts 02:04:17 – Outro & Future InterviewsPlayPlay S17 E8: Riccardo Spagni on Bitcoin, Monero & Privacy
• S17 E7: Colin Harper on Bitcoin Mining, Epstein E-mails & JournalismFeb 4, 2026 · 1 hr 21 minColin Harper is a veteran Bitcoin journalist, who is known for the well-researched articles that he wrote for Coin Central, Bitcoin Magazine, Luxor Mining, and Blockspace Media. More recently, he became the co-host of the Blockspace Podcast. In this episode, we talk about Colin's insights into Bitcoin mining, the relevance of the recently-revealed Epstein files, and his approach to doing journalism. Read the article about this interview: https://bitcoin-takeover.com/s17-e7-colin-harper-bitcion-mining-epstein-emails-journalism/ Time stamps: 00:01:12 Reminiscing Berlin & Early Bitcoin Conferences 00:02:17 Marxism, Socialism, and Bitcoin’s Political Spectrum 00:04:00 Bitcoin’s Current State & Market Sentiment 00:06:48 Four-Year Cycle & Institutional Adoption 00:07:54 Global Macroeconomics & Liquidity Issues 00:09:43 Quantum Computing Threats & Upcoming OP_NEXT Conference 00:11:52 Exponential Technologies & Market Perception 00:13:38 Braiins BMM & Hashpower 00:15:06 Cloud Mining & Hash Power Marketplace 00:17:33 Mining Revenue, Hash Price, and Market Trends 00:18:20 Block Space Podcast Evolution & US Mining Shift 00:20:20 US Power Grid, Renewables, and Mining Economics 00:24:49 Public Miners, Shareholder Duties, and ASIC Depreciation 00:27:49 Mining Revenue, Ordinals, and Layer 2s 00:38:41 Stablecoins, Bitcoin’s Use Case, and Payments 00:45:42 Paper Bitcoin Summer & Treasury Companies 00:48:04 Treasury Company Capital Structures & Market Impact 00:58:08 Michael Saylor, Leverage, and Market Psychology 01:03:38 Epstein Files, Bitcoin Developers, and MIT Media Lab 01:16:51 Epstein, Block Size Wars, and Regulatory Influence 01:19:48 Closing Remarks & Podcast PlugsPlayPlay S17 E7: Colin Harper on Bitcoin Mining, Epstein E-mails & Journalism
• S17 E6: Vik Sharma on Ending Wars Among Privacy CoinsJan 31, 2026 · 1 hr 48 minLately, Cake Wallet has become the Swiss Army knife for privacy-preserving cryptocurrencies — a description that should be an oxymoron. CEO Vik Sharma joins the show in order to explain how the project went from only supporting Monero to branching out into Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Decred, Nano, and now Zcash and the Lightning network. Did he betray the Monero community? Time stamps: 00:01:16 – Introducing Vik Sharma 00:02:13 – Challenges of Podcasting & Sponsorship 00:03:16 – Lightning Network Integration in Cake Wallet 00:03:49 – Lightning Network Beta & Release Plans 00:04:26 – Technical Approach to Lightning Integration 00:05:25 – Multi-Coin & Lightning Support 00:06:32 – New Cake Wallet UI Overhaul 00:08:01 – Switching Between Bitcoin and Lightning 00:09:29 – Community Reactions & Tribalism 00:10:53 – Decision-Making & Adding Coins 00:12:47 – In-House Development Philosophy 00:14:00 – Zcash Integration Process 00:15:13 – Wallet Features: Node Connections & Privacy 00:16:37 – User Experience & Privacy Features 00:19:04 – Swap Providers & Tor Support 00:21:08 – Cake Pay: Gift Cards & Crypto Payments 00:22:25 – Gift Card Use Cases & Community Reception 00:24:19 – Payment Statistics & 80% Monero Dominance 00:25:52 – Zcash Community Skepticism & Open Source Trust 00:26:43 – Tribalism, Criticism, and Community Culture 00:36:13 – History of Zcash Integration & Domain Sales 00:42:11 – Exchange Listings & Monero Market Decentralization 01:03:44 – Bitcoin Security Budget & Multi-Coin World 01:06:58 – Monero Community Culture & Early Bitcoin Parallels 01:18:13 – Litecoin, Dogecoin, and Altcoin Experimentation 01:25:25 – Cake Wallet’s Growth & Monero Ecosystem 01:30:43 – Concerns About Cake's Market Dominance in Monero 01:33:24 – Upcoming Features: Lightning, Binance Chain, Desktop Focus 01:36:57 – Traditional Finance Integration & Future Plans 01:39:37 – AI in Wallets & User Suggestions 01:41:56 – Closing Remarks & Community EngagementPlayPlay S17 E6: Vik Sharma on Ending Wars Among Privacy Coins
• S17 E5: Paul Sztorc on Bitcoin DerangementsJan 29, 2026 · 4 hrOver the last 6 months, Paul Sztorc has compiled an impressive list of inconsistencies and significant losses from the Bitcoin maximalist camp. He referred to them as ”derangements” and we cover most of them in this brutally honest wakeup call. Read Paul's article: https://www.truthcoin.info/blog/derangements/ Time stamps: 00:01:16 Introduction & Article Overview 00:02:41 Defining Derangements 00:05:31 Truth vs. Loyalty in Bitcoin Culture 00:09:55 Leadership Void & Bitcoin Core Stagnation 00:14:25 Consensus, Soft Forks, and Governance 00:17:46 Block Size Wars & Scaling Debates 00:19:11 Bitcoin Cash, Competition, and Signaling Theory 00:27:27 Bitcoin SV, Craig Wright, and Cultural Derangements 00:31:52 Lightning Network as a Sacred Cow 00:41:14 Treasury Companies & Michael Saylor 00:51:37 Layer Two Labs & Scaling Solutions 00:54:16 Drivechain, Quantum Resistance, and L2 Competition 01:07:24 Soft Forks, BIP Process, and Development Paralysis 01:11:41 Ordinals, NFTs, and Filtering Debates 01:22:36 Attacks on Developers & Community Toxicity 01:25:24 CTV, Jeremy Rubin, and Soft Fork Misunderstandings 01:41:24 Ethereum, Altcoins, and Market Competition 01:51:16 Mining, Miners’ Apathy, and Industry Scaling 02:03:09 Libbitcoin vs. Bitcoin Core 02:17:46 Final Rotation & Store of Value vs. Medium of Exchange 02:35:08 Non-Mined L2s, Rollups, and Miner Incentives 02:52:05 Purity Tests & Cancel Culture in Bitcoin 03:08:35 SegWit Discount & Taproot Critique 03:26:23 Address Formats, BIP47, and UX Derangements 03:36:50 Silent Payments, BIP47 & Privacy Features 03:55:05 Bitcoin Maximalism, Post-Maximalism, and Ideology 03:57:47 Game Theory, Politics, and Drivechain Criticism 04:00:14 Conclusion & Final ThoughtsPlayPlay S17 E5: Paul Sztorc on Bitcoin Derangements
• S17 E4: {ideal} BitVM Optimizations (Robin Linus, Liam Eagen, Ying Tong)Jan 24, 2026 · 2 hr 3 minRobin Linus, Liam Eagen, Ying Tong Lai are the co-founders of {ideal}: an initiative which recently created Argo: a garble circuits scheme which enabled 2000x efficiency gains for BitVM. The group aims to use cryptography in order to advance privacy and scalability in Bitcoin. Time stamps: 00:01:17 Introducing Liam Eagen, Robin Linus & Ying Tang Lai 00:02:17 Origin of Ideal Group & Naming 00:05:03 Funding, Investors & Bootstrapping 00:06:43 Comparison to Other Teams & Technical Progress 00:09:52 Challenges in Auditing & Implementation 00:12:10 Rapid Progress in BitVM & Garbled Circuits 00:14:37 Defining BitVM & Use Cases 00:19:24 BitVM, Soft Forks, and Bitcoin Upgrades 00:23:03 Ideal Solution for Bitcoin Upgrades 00:25:17 Simplicity, Covenants, and Script Upgrades 00:27:06 Favorite Michael Saylor Analogies & Podcast Ads 00:32:47 Bitcoin Maximalism, ETFs, and Institutionalization 00:37:17 Privacy, Censorship Resistance, and Fungibility 00:40:06 Blockchain Analysis & Privacy Risks 00:41:30 Shielded Client-Side Validation & Privacy Protocols 00:45:57 Zcash, Private Pools, and Inflation Bugs 00:51:45 Soft Forks vs. Embedded Consensus for Privacy 01:01:34 Quantum Computing Threats & Post-Quantum Cryptography 01:17:37 Freezing Satoshi’s Coins & UTXO Expiry 01:23:32 Block Space Demand, Ordinals, and Collectibles 01:25:44 Rollups, Block Space, and Bitcoin Culture 01:33:23 Argo: The New Garbling Scheme 01:38:05 Monero, Privacy Coins, and Community Ethos 01:40:25 Future Vision for Bitcoin 01:42:38 STARKs, SNARKs, and Zero-Knowledge Proofs 01:50:08 Conferences, Community, and Outreach 01:58:11 Ideal Project Status, Mainnet, and Naming 02:00:05 Closing Remarks & How to Follow {ideal}PlayPlay S17 E4: {ideal} BitVM Optimizations (Robin Linus, Liam Eagen, Ying Tong)
• S17 E3: Zano Devs on Private TokenizationJan 19, 2026 · 3 hr 54 minAndrey Sabelnikov and Valeriy Pisarkov are the core devs of Zano: a privacy network which enables users to create tokens with privacy. The project's mix of Cryptonote and Zarcanum protocols can also enable private transfers of bridged BTC. In this episode, we talk about how this system works and we inquire about the tradeoffs involved. Time stamps: 00:01:51 – Introduction & Setting the Record Straight 00:02:51 – Val & Andre’s Backgrounds, CryptoNote Origins 00:03:53 – Problems with Bytecoin & Monero’s Launch 00:05:28 – Zano’s Strategic Directions & AI Security Challenges 00:08:51 – Val’s Role in Zano & Technical Evolution 00:13:45 – Network-Level Privacy Incident 00:19:15 – Proof-of-Work vs. Proof-of-Stake Privacy 00:24:11 – Zano vs. Monero: Not a Fork 00:29:22 – Monero Community Criticism & Scam Allegations 00:40:44 – Boolberry Project & Coin Swap 00:43:36 – Premine & Staking Controversy 00:48:29 – Tribalism & Ideology in Privacy Coins 00:53:21 – Differences Between Boolberry and Zano 00:57:32 – Wallet Support vs. Exchange Listings 01:01:03 – Exchange Listing Challenges & Gateway Addresses 01:04:20 – Gateway Addresses & Hard Fork 6 01:11:52 – Upcoming Roadmap: Proof-of-Stake & Full Chain Membership Proofs 01:17:40 – Bridging Bitcoin & Confidential Assets 01:27:52 – Asset Whitelisting & Stablecoin Risks 01:41:01 – Confidential Layer Bridge & Multi-Party Computation 01:51:21 – Zano’s Scalability, Throughput, and Future Vision 01:59:08 – Full Chain Membership Proofs & Quantum Resistance 02:09:17 – Tech Stack Choices & Adaptability 02:27:07 – Why Be Bullish on Zano? 02:54:48 – DeFi Listings, Gateway Addresses, and Privacy Trade-offs 03:19:59 – Network-Level Privacy, Dandelion, and Mixnets 03:26:46 – VPNs, Network Privacy Tools, and Community Integration 03:44:03 – Personal Stories, Early Computing, and Closing RemarksPlayPlay S17 E3: Zano Devs on Private Tokenization
• S17 E2: Tyler Spalding on Bitcoin Payments, Non-Scammy Altcoins & BearsJan 15, 2026 · 3 hr 16 minTyler Spalding is a 2011 bitcoiner whose main focus is payments. As the co-founder and former CEO of Flexa, he has a very unique insight on the cryptocurrency industry. This episode was recorded on the road after visiting the Bear Sanctuary in Romania. 00:00:47 – Introduction & Tyler’s Visit to Romania Tyler discusses his trip to Romania, the bear sanctuary, and his passion for supporting bears globally. 00:04:11 – Background: NASA, Payments, and Early Tech Career Tyler shares his background in aerospace engineering, work at NASA, and transition into software and payments. 00:10:09 – Discovering Bitcoin & Early Involvement Tyler recounts learning about Bitcoin in 2011, reading the white paper, and early mining experiences. 00:12:26 – Bitcoin as Payments vs. Store of Value Tyler explains his initial focus on Bitcoin as a payment system and how his views evolved over time. 00:17:26 – Money, Debt, and the Nature of Currency Discussion on the historical relationship between money and debt, and how Bitcoin fits into this context. 00:20:44 – Bitcoin as Commodity, Not Money Tyler argues Bitcoin is more like digital gold than money, and discusses synthetic assets and stablecoins. 00:22:59 – The One Token Dilemma & Use Cases Exploration of Bitcoin’s dual role as payment and store of value, and the resulting community debates. 00:28:46 – Spending Bitcoin: Early Purchases & Experiences Tyler shares stories about spending Bitcoin, including buying Cubs World Series tickets and other goods. 00:35:38 – Freedom of Choice & Critique of Maximalism Tyler advocates for utility maximalism and criticizes toxic Bitcoin maximalism and intolerance toward altcoins. 00:39:25 – Bitcoin’s Usefulness & 21 Million Narrative Debate on what makes Bitcoin useful, the 21 million supply, and the impact of other crypto projects. 00:41:59 – Altcoins’ Positive Impact on Bitcoin Tyler explains how Ethereum and other projects have benefited Bitcoin’s growth and adoption. 00:45:38 – Digital Gold Narrative & Custodianship Discussion on the digital gold narrative, Bitcoin’s slow/expensive transactions, and the rise of custodians. 00:47:42 – Podcast Sponsors & Wallets Host and Tyler discuss various sponsors, wallets, and services in the crypto ecosystem. 00:55:26 – Use Case Magazine & Documenting Crypto Adoption Tyler introduces his magazine “Use Case,” which documents real-world crypto use cases and includes a hardware wallet. 01:00:48 – Blocksize Wars: Big Blocks vs. Store of Value Tyler reflects on the blocksize wars, his initial support for big blocks, and how his views have changed. 01:09:47 – Forked Coins & Handling BCH Tyler discusses his approach to Bitcoin Cash after the fork and the uncertainty at the time. 01:17:33 – Bitcoin Cash, Scaling, and Miner Dynamics Analysis of Bitcoin Cash’s technical progress, miner incentives, and its ongoing relevance. 01:23:10 – Multiple Currencies & Historical Parallels Comparison of today’s crypto landscape to historical periods with many local cPlayPlay S17 E2: Tyler Spalding on Bitcoin Payments, Non-Scammy Altcoins & Bears
• S17 E1: Bruce Fenton on Suitcoiners & The Spirit of BitcoinJan 10, 2026 · 3 hr 1 minLately, Bruce Fenton has been on fire with his characterization of Bitcoin sellouts who put on suits in order to appeal to institutional investors. Cordially, these people are referred to as ”suitcoiners” -- and in this episode we're roasting them. Time stamps: 00:01:16 Introducing Bruce Fenton, the Wall Street guy who's turned into a cypherpunk 00:02:04 Bruce Fenton's Journey from Wall Street to Cypherpunk 00:02:36 Tokenization, Ravencoin & Bitcoin Maximalism 00:03:26 Early Bitcoin Ethos of Self-Sovereignty 00:09:53 Hal Finney’s Vision for Bitcoin-Backed Banking 00:11:25 Bruce Fenton's Senate Campaign & Political Disillusionment 00:12:19 Limits of Political Change & The Swamp 00:16:25 Generational Shifts & Aging OGs 00:18:06 Campaign Funding with Bitcoin 00:21:14 Bruce Fenton's Filibuster Record 00:23:06 Video Games & Economics 00:28:42 Bitcoin as MMORPG 00:32:20 Maximalism & Community Schisms 00:40:09 5 Altcoins That Aren't Scams 00:45:51 Attack Vectors & Centralization 00:55:17 Legal Risks & Suppression 01:06:01 Libertarian Martyrs: A Tribute to Irwin Schiff, conviction, and cost of principles 01:09:05 Bitcoin Treasury Companies Critique 01:11:33 ETF Hype & Alienation 01:13:46 Store of Value vs Sound Money 01:28:21 Lightning Network Issues 01:31:31 Decline in Payments 01:32:20 Block Size Wars. Lost Innovation & Brain Drain 01:51:16 Satoshi’s Roundtable History 02:02:45 Satoshi's Roundtable Impact 02:03:50 Moving to Dubai 02:27:07 Libertarianism and UAE 02:38:49 Cypherpunk Revival 02:42:00 Early Bitcoin Resources 02:47:37 Tribalism & Open Source 03:00:11 Closing ThoughtsPlayPlay S17 E1: Bruce Fenton on Suitcoiners & The Spirit of Bitcoin
• S16 E65: Moonsettler on OP_CTV & Failing to Improve BitcoinDec 25, 2025 · 10 hr 9 minMoonsettler is a bitconer who adheres to the old school cypherpunk values and believes that the best way ahead is to enable OP_CTV (BIP119) or LNHANCE. However, the biggest problem is the generalized loss of focus. If last year there seemed to be consensus that Bitcoin needs covenants to improve scalability and bring new use cases, now the landscape is rather gloomy. Even Moonsettler changed his Twitter screen name to Doomsettler, as a reflection on this status quo. 00:01:16 Welcome Moonsettler (Doomsettler) 00:02:40 Delayed Interview and Original eCash Debate 00:03:14 Why eCash (Chaumian Cash) Never Took Off 00:04:00 Criticism of Custodial Scaling Solutions 00:05:14 Bitcoin as Decentralized Chaumian eCash 00:06:13 Fake Austrian Economics and Full Reserve Myths 00:08:32 Loss of "No Trusted Third Parties" Culture 00:09:52 Verifiable Supply vs Historical Fraud 00:13:40 Proof of Liabilities in eCash Mints 00:15:42 Cashu Fraud Proofs and Bug Bounty 00:18:20 Chaumian Blind Signatures Explained 00:24:48 Non-Custodial Credit eCash Ideas 00:30:39 Why Debit eCash Won't Scale Bitcoin 00:36:34 Bitcoin Like Linux – Oppose Custodial Layers 00:37:13 Unlimited Paper Bitcoin vs 21M Cap 00:41:25 Loss of Proof of Keys Culture 00:46:26 Doomsettler Mindset on Bitcoin's Future 01:09:30 Early Exchange Compliance Issues 01:11:37 Satoshi's Peer-to-Peer Vision 01:15:13 Satoshi's OPSEC and Disappearance 01:19:13 Craig Wright Not Satoshi 01:26:05 Libertaria and Frontier Culture 01:28:31 No More Frontiers for Freedom 01:39:21 App Delistings and PWA Debate 01:49:16 Twitter Worse Under Elon Musk 01:55:35 AI Ruining Internet Trust 01:56:33 Introduction to Covenants 01:57:04 Covenant = Unbreakable Promise 02:00:55 History of Covenant Discussions 02:01:29 Permanent Encumbrance FUD Debunked 02:03:38 Control Today via Multisig (No Covenants) 02:07:26 Covenants Don't Break Fungibility 02:08:35 Covenants Reduce Trust in L2 02:11:46 Post-Quantum Covenant Advantages 02:13:46 OP_CTV Explained 02:15:42 Non-Interactive L2 Settlements 02:20:23 Congestion Control with Covenants 02:29:08 Ordinals Drama & OP_CAT Risks 02:31:43 Jeremy Rubin Context 02:33:49 LNHANCE Package (CTV + More) 02:36:51 Why LNHANCE is Conservative 02:44:26 2022 CTV Activation Drama 02:47:27 Curiosity vs Annoyance Motivation 02:49:04 Andreas Antonopoulos FUD Clip 02:51:15 Need for Covenant FUD FAQ 02:53:47 Persistent CTV Critics 03:55:27 Covenant FUD Knowledge Base Need 03:56:26 Steven Roose Support 03:57:40 Covenant Table on Wiki 03:58:56 Isolated Op Code Comparisons Issues 04:00:34 OPCAT vs CTV Preferences 04:01:48 Table Inconsistencies 04:02:19 Ordinals Devs Pushing OPCAT 04:03:26 CTV Strengths and Risks 04:10:22 Ideal Packages (Great Script Restoration) 04:43:24 Pink Floyd "The Wall" Analogy 04:45:49 Citadel Critique 04:49:49 Need for New Frontiers 04:51:56 Disagreeable Societies Preserve Freedom 04:54:56 Special Economic Zones for Renewal 04:57:50 Altcoins as Competition/Experiments 04:59:20 Privacy Coins DrivingPlayPlay S16 E65: Moonsettler on OP_CTV & Failing to Improve Bitcoin
• S16 E64: Alex Chepurnoy on Ergo & Bitcoin Smart ContractsDec 23, 2025 · 3 hr 21 minAlex Chepurnoy is a cryptographer & researcher who famously wrote a Bitcoin client in Haskell in only 3600 lines of code. He is currently working on Ergo, a proof of work blockchain which improves upon Bitcoin's design in order to achieve smart contracts and DeFi. How does it work? Let's find out! Time stamps: 00:01:11 Introducing Alex Chepurnoy 00:01:51 Alex’s Bitcoin Discovery & Early Development 00:02:37 Namecoin, SmartContract.com, and Cardano Involvement 00:05:15 Satoshi Theories & Code Analysis 00:07:00 Rewriting Bitcoin & Distributed Systems Perspective 00:08:39 Consensus Protocols & Altcoin Proliferation 00:10:20 Bitcoin’s Early Appeal & Peer-to-Peer Motivation 00:14:08 Bitcoin’s Revolutionary Monetary Model 00:15:45 Staying in Crypto: Problems to Solve 00:17:19 Bitcoin as Digital Gold & Smart Contracts 00:21:29 Ethereum vs. Bitcoin: Contractual Capabilities 00:23:02 Ergo’s Approach: Contracts & Protocol Upgrades 00:26:56 Namecoin’s History & Technical Innovations 00:31:10 Merged Mining & Sidechain Politics 00:34:35 Early Bitcoin Contributions & BTC Scala Client 00:38:49 Conference Presentations & ZeroJoin 00:41:49 Demurrage, Storage Rent, and Bitcoin Upgrades 00:45:01 NFTs, Inscriptions, and Bitcoin Community Divisions 00:50:10 Hard Forks, Immutability, and Ethereum Classic 00:55:17 Markets, Transaction Fees, and Bitcoin’s Security Budget 00:57:59 Lightning Network Limitations & Off-Chain Cash 01:01:58 Challenging Bitcoin’s Scaling & Off-Chain Solutions 01:06:38 Ergo’s Protocol Design & Civil War Lessons 01:08:25 Ergo’s Innovations for Bitcoin 01:15:38 Quantum Resistance & Hard Fork Challenges 01:19:51 Consensus Cleanup & Upgrade Difficulties 01:23:10 Community Proposals & Development Gridlock 01:25:07 Alex’s Tech Stack & Personal Devices 01:31:07 Satoshi’s Identity & Coding Style 01:38:34 NXT, Bitcoin 2.0, and Ethereum’s Success 01:45:35 Proof of Work vs. Proof of Stake 01:50:44 Philosophy of Proof of Work & Fair Distribution 01:53:09 VCs, Token Dumps, and Proof of Work Revival 01:54:16 Proof of Stake Attacks & Network Resilience 01:59:20 Ergo’s Network Parameters & Smart Contracts 02:21:17 Privacy Features: Mixers & Stealth Addresses 02:28:40 Monetary Policy, Emission, and Pre-mine 02:34:09 Monero vs. Zcash: Community & Funding 02:48:03 Bridging Blockchains & Rosen Bridge 02:51:04 Peer-to-Peer Finance & Smart Contract Design 02:53:57 Future Vision: Interconnected PoW Blockchains 02:56:41 Double Merged Mining Sidechains 03:17:45 Community Resources & Getting Involved 03:20:11 Conclusion & Final ThoughtsPlayPlay S16 E64: Alex Chepurnoy on Ergo & Bitcoin Smart Contracts
• S16 E63: David Bailey on NAKAMOTO, BTC Media & The Bull MarketDec 19, 2025 · 2 hr 6 minDavid Bailey is the chairman of Bitcoin Magazine, the organizer of the most successful series of Bitcoin conferences, and the mastermind behind the Nakamoto BTC treasury company. In this episode, we talk about his latest business dealings and the current state of the Bitcoin bull market. Time stamps: 00:01:47 Bitcoin Magazine’s Bitcoin-Only Pivot 00:02:17 Surviving 2018 and the COVID Pivot 00:04:09 Scaling Up: Conferences and Global Expansion 00:05:11 Bringing Politicians to Bitcoin 00:07:35 Trump’s Embrace of Bitcoin and Global Perception 00:09:48 Bitcoin Price Expectations and Political Impact 00:10:56 Presidential Pardons and the Lack of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve 00:14:10 Trump Meme Coins and Industry Signals 00:17:07 Privacy, Regulation, and Privacy Acceleration Thanks to Zcash 00:20:53 Nakamoto Stock Price and Public Company Challenges 00:23:00 Bitcoin Treasury Companies: Purpose and Model 00:24:40 Evolution of Bitcoin Financialization (Banks, ETFs, Strategic Reserves, Reserve Companies) 00:35:42 David Bailey Addresses Accusations of Mismanagement 00:44:00 Bitcoin Price, Narratives, and Community Factions 00:45:05 Bullish Narratives and Breaking the Four-Year Cycle 00:46:21 Core vs. Knots: Development and Forks 00:49:35 Bitcoin Improvement Proposals and Development Stagnation 00:50:28 Jeremy Rubin in the Epstein Files, Bitcoin's Public Perception 00:54:01 Trump, Epstein, and Political Distractions 00:55:00 Bitcoin.com’s Shift and Roger Ver Reflections 01:01:48 BCH Fork, Losses, and Historical Lessons 01:02:41 Conspiracy Theories: Censorship and Satoshi’s Coins Post-Quantum 01:05:00 Quantum Risk and Bitcoin’s Long-Term Security 01:10:24 Altcoins: Legitimacy and Usefulness 01:18:11 Ethereum, Solana, and Bitcoin’s Competitive Edge 01:22:27 Bitcoin’s Youth and Historical Significance 01:22:58 Operation Choke Point 3.0 and Wall Street Resistance 01:30:20 Would David Bailey Become Crypto Czar? 01:34:04 Why Invest in Nakamoto? 01:37:28 Comparing Treasury Companies 01:40:28 If You Could Change One Thing in Bitcoin: Drivechains 01:42:03 Security Budget, Scaling, and Miner Incentives 01:46:50 Bitcoin Price Predictions and the Four-Year Cycle 01:55:02 Social Media, Narratives, and Bitcoin Culture 01:58:24 Bitcoin as Money and Regulatory Setbacks 02:03:13 Closing Thoughts and PardonsPlayPlay S16 E63: David Bailey on NAKAMOTO, BTC Media & The Bull Market
• S16 E62: Abdel's Updates on Starkware & ZK STARKs AdoptionDec 17, 2025 · 2 hr 32 minAbdel is one of the most prolific developers in the Zero Knowledge space. Since our conversation in September, he was able to accomplish so much that he requested another interview to talk about it. So what happened with ZK STARKs that is so important? Time stamps: 00:01:04 Podcast Introduction & Sponsor Acknowledgments 00:02:15 Vlad's Rant on Bitcoin Media & Podcast Landscape 00:03:24 Bitcoin Takeover Podcast Mission & Seven-Year Anniversary 00:04:39 Transition to Abdel’s Updates & ZK-STARKS 00:05:44 Abdel’s Zcash & Bitcoin Proposals 00:07:00 Comparing Bitcoin and Zcash Community Reactions 00:08:36 Altcoins as Experimentation Grounds 00:11:23 Scaling, Rollups, and Drivechains 00:13:10 Abdel’s Proposal for Native STARK Verification 00:17:19 Zcash’s TDE and Layer 2 Possibilities 00:19:22 ZK-Rollups, Privacy, and Regulatory Pressures 00:21:02 Government Surveillance & KYC Concerns 00:24:26 Cultural Stigma Around Bitcoin Privacy 00:25:34 Zcash’s SEC Presentation & Institutional Acceptance 00:28:58 Debate on Privacy, Transparency, and Backdoors 00:30:00 Bitcoin’s Social Layer & Governance 00:32:47 Critique of Bitcoin Perfectionism & Altcoin Dismissal 00:35:49 Bitcoin’s Mission: P2P Cash vs. Store of Value 00:36:49 Learning from Ethereum & Second-Layer Innovations 00:37:24 Sponsor Plugs & BTCfi Introduction 00:40:14 BTCfi: Bitcoin Staking & Yield Mechanisms 00:46:15 Bridging BTC to StarkNet & Atomic Swaps 00:48:36 BTCfi: KYC, Permissionless DeFi, and Institutional Offerings 00:50:59 DeFi Risks & Bitcoin Staking Security 00:51:40 ZK-STARK Verifiers on Bitcoin Cash 00:53:10 Bitcoin Cash, Zcash, and Social Layer Value 00:58:54 Bitcoin Cash’s Technical Innovations & Community Dynamics 01:00:04 Quantum Resistance: Investor Fears & Satoshi’s Coins 01:02:29 Quantum Threat Timeline & Migration Planning 01:10:25 Quantum-Resistant Signatures & Scalability Trade-offs 01:11:20 Hard Fork vs. Soft Fork for Quantum Resistance 01:13:08 Consensus, Confiscation Proposals, and Social Risks 01:17:56 Stagnation in Bitcoin Development & Altcoin Innovation 01:23:12 Ethereum’s Role in Crypto Ecosystem 01:25:24 Zcash’s Dual Incentives & Institutional Recognition 01:28:08 Zcash’s Future: Innovation vs. Ossification 01:30:39 Sponsor Plugs: Noones & SideShift 01:33:42 Quantum Resistance Migration: Hard Fork Efficiency 01:37:11 Bitcoin’s Future: Security, Consensus, and Upgrades 01:43:09 Bull Markets, Technological Breakthroughs, and Lightning 01:45:18 Lightning’s Shift to B2B & Retail Challenges 01:47:02 Bitcoin Treasury Companies & Business Models 01:49:18 Seinfeld Analogy & Bitcoin’s Societal Impact 01:52:11 Magic Wand: Abdel’s One Change for Bitcoin 01:54:03 Legitimate Altcoins & Project Criteria 01:57:16 Monero, Kaspa, Litecoin, and Altcoin Usefulness 02:02:06 ZK-STARKs: Complementary or Standard? 02:06:21 ZK-STARKs for Fast Bitcoin Syncing 02:10:27 Call for Wallet Integration &PlayPlay S16 E62: Abdel's Updates on Starkware & ZK STARKs Adoption
• S16 E61: Alan Szepieniec on Privacy, Scaling & Quantum ResistanceDec 11, 2025 · 2 hr 41 minAlan Szepieniec is a cryptographer & systems architect who specializes in Zero Knowledge proofs. He created Neptune Cash, a L1 network which combines ZK STARKs with Proof of Work in order to have a money system that's private, scalable & quantum resistant. Time stamps: 00:00:00 Intro & Sponsors 00:02:30 Welcome Alan Szepieniec 00:03:02 Alan's Background in Cryptography & Libertarianism 00:05:15 Path to Bitcoin & Privacy Disillusionment 00:07:30 Privacy as Essential for Fungible Money 00:09:44 Network-Level Privacy & Censorship Resistance 00:12:15 Debate on Privacy Improvements in Bitcoin 00:14:01 Scalability Trade-offs with Recursive ZK Proofs 00:17:26 Lightning Network Privacy Limitations 00:22:39 Lightning's Potential for High-Frequency Trading 00:26:41 Custodial Risks & ZK-Proven Custodians 00:31:21 Sponsor: Unstoppable Wallet 00:33:17 Sponsor: Sideshift.ai 00:34:20 ZK-STARKs Explained & vs ZK-SNARKs 00:36:12 Quantum Resistance & Transparent Setup 00:41:56 Drivechains (BIP 300) & STARK Integration Potential 00:44:58 OP_CAT vs Custom Opcodes for STARK Verification 00:49:46 Why Coinjoins Aren't Sufficient for Privacy 00:56:27 Lightning's Unique Privacy Properties 00:56:50 Halo 2 & Removing Trusted Setup from SNARKs 00:58:44 Zcash L2 on Starknet 01:00:26 Why ZK-STARKs on Layer 1 01:03:20 Neptune Cash: Privacy, Scalability & Smart Contracts 01:07:33 Custom STARK Engine & Assembler Language 01:09:09 Proof-of-Work Design & GPU Mining 01:14:08 Inflation Bug & Network Relaunch 01:17:13 Decentralization Roadmap 01:19:00 Current Drawbacks: UX & Proof Generation 01:22:39 Node & Transaction Hardware Requirements 01:29:36 Quantum Computing Threats Discussion 01:33:01 Satoshi's Coins & Quantum Risks 01:36:38 Store of Value vs Medium of Exchange 01:43:13 Regulations Hurting Adoption 01:45:40 Monero Talk & Signatureless Transactions 01:47:58 Monero vs Bitcoin Communities 01:54:06 Adding Lightning Network to Neptune Cash 01:55:06 Lightning Network & Atomic Swaps Potential 01:56:48 Removing Centralized Exchanges via Bridges 01:57:17 Neptune Cash Lightning Network Plans 01:58:36 Prioritizing Faster Proving & Smart Contracts 02:00:36 Rapid Fire: Max Supply (40.5M after burn) 02:01:24 Block Time (9.8 minutes) & Difficulty Adjustment 02:01:56 Block Size (8 MB limit) 02:02:21 Elevator Pitch for Neptune Cash 02:03:17 Sidechain/Drivechain/Rollup on Bitcoin? 02:04:33 Privacy Comparison: Neptune vs Zcash vs Monero 02:05:38 Mutator Set vs Nullifier Set Explained 02:06:48 Privacy Ratings (Zcash 8/10, Monero 9/10 future, Neptune 6-7/10 + scalability bonus) 02:09:18 Scaling Ratings (Bitcoin 9/10, Neptune 8/10 future, Zcash/Monero 6/10) 02:12:24 Price Movement During Interview & Shitcoin Debate 02:14:54 Premine vs Fair Launch Discussion 02:17:35 Ethereum Premine Success & Grin vs Beam 02:19:10 Zcash Dev Fund Model 02:22:17 Building Circular Economies & Network Effects 02PlayPlay S16 E61: Alan Szepieniec on Privacy, Scaling & Quantum Resistance
• S16 E60: Jonathan Bier on Bitcoin Civil Wars & BitMEX ResearchNov 24, 2025 · 3 hr 12 minJonathan Bier is the author of the influential best-seller "The Blocksize War: The battle over who controls Bitcoin’s protocol rules", as well as one of the most prolific and respected researchers in Bitcoin. He is also an active investor who sits on various company boards and advises projects in the space. In this episode, we talk about parallels between the Bitcoin scaling debate and the filter wars, but also highlight some debunked Satoshi Nakamoto claims. Time stamps: 00:01:11 - Introducing Jonathan Bier and Blocksize War Book 00:02:44 - Meeting BitMEX Founders and Starting Research 00:05:31 - Arthur Hayes' Blog Writing and Vision 00:07:32 - BitMEX Success: Leverage, Perpetual Swaps, Troll Box 00:10:43 - FTX Copying BitMEX and Backend Issues 00:11:20 - Binance's Rise and Market Dominance 00:13:49 - BitMEX's Slow Adoption of Stablecoins 00:16:39 - Current BitMEX Volumes and Rankings 00:17:39 - History of Bitcoin Derivatives and Innovations 00:23:49 - Jonathan's First Bitcoin Encounter in 2010 00:26:12 - 2011 Bubble and Mt. Gox Scandal 00:28:02 - Views on Bitcoin Bubbles and Valuations 00:30:19 - Ad: Bitcoin.com News 00:31:00 - Layer 2 Labs Question: Is Lightning a Waste? 00:32:08 - Lightning Network Success and Limitations 00:35:02 - Scaling Challenges and Sidechains 00:37:30 - Current Filter Wars and Ordinals/Inscriptions 00:39:40 - History of Relay Policies and RBF 00:43:49 - OP_RETURN Limits and Debates 00:47:04 - Bitnod.es Website and Node Peers 00:48:39 - Ineffectiveness of Filters 00:50:00 - Super TestNet's Bandwidth Argument 00:51:42 - Generational Crusades in Bitcoin 01:01:55 - London Meetup Stories and Fanaticism 01:15:00 - Loss of Merchants Post-Blocksize War 01:18:13 - Ethereum Benefiting from Bitcoin Decisions 01:18:48 - 2014 OP_RETURN Wars and Counterparty 01:23:03 - Reasons Counterparty Failed 01:27:31 - Mastercoin, First ICO, and Omni/Tether 01:29:37 - Zcash Launch and BitMEX Futures Shenanigans 01:33:26 - Ethereum DevCon 2016 Attack Story 01:35:04 - Conferences Then vs Now 01:38:00 - Cultural Divide in Bitcoin Maxis 01:39:46 - Misconceptions About Bitcoin Core Developers 01:43:25 - Youth of Early Developers Like Tamas 01:46:59 - Criteria for Developers and Unicorn Myth 01:48:41 - Educators in Bitcoin History: From Satoshi to Saylor 01:52:05 - Dumbing Down of Bitcoin Narratives 01:55:34 - Past Idiocy and Learning Curves 01:56:50 - BIP 444 Dangers and Ineffectiveness 02:00:59 - Irony of Anti-Spam Fork and Spam Magnets 02:01:22 - Parallels to Blocksize Wars, Bitcoin Cash Price Peaks 02:03:30 - Excitement and Fear During BCH Surge 02:04:28 - Reasons Big Blockers Couldn't Compete, Craig Wright's Role 02:05:16 - Satoshi's Response to Scaling Concerns (2008) 02:06:05 - Jeff Garzik's Early Block Size Proposal (2010) 02:07:33 - Early Onchain Exchanges and Scaling Realization 02:07:58 - Defining Small Blocker vs Big Blocker 02:08:56 - Surplus Capacity in Blocks Debate 02:10:10 - Cultural Biases: Technical vs Business Sides 02:11:32 - ComPlayPlay S16 E60: Jonathan Bier on Bitcoin Civil Wars & BitMEX Research
• S16 E59: Curtis Green on Bitcoin, Silk Road & ForgivenessNov 14, 2025 · 5 hr 5 minCurtis Green, better knows by OG bitcoiners as "Chronicpain" or "Flush", is a former forum moderator and website administrator of the Silk Road internet marketplace. He is a man who has mined bitcoin early enough to get scammed by Butterfly Labs, and was allegedly also the target of a bounty on assassination markets. He's seen all eras of Bitcoin, and today he seeks to get pardoned by the Trump administration. He will accept donations from community members in order to get the legal help he needs. Read Curtis Green's book, "Silk Road Takedown": https://www.amazon.com/dp/1729436889 Donate to Curtis Green: https://www.satlantis.io/events/1210/Evening-with-OG-Curtis-Green%2C-admin-of-The-Silk-Road Time stamps: 00:01:18 Welcome Curtis Green, Silk Road OG 00:02:06 Seeking Clemency, Focus Shift from Ross 00:04:02 Misnomers, Site Rules & Govt Narrative 00:07:27 Bitcoin Skepticism, Forum Learning 00:11:02 PGP/Key Lessons 00:13:04 Harm Reduction Suggestion, Forum Admin 00:15:23 Freedom Emphasis, Site Growth Post-Schumer 00:17:00 Bitcoin as Freedom Tool 00:21:36 Verify Mindset 00:22:59 Mining & Gifting BTC, Family Rejection 00:26:01 Price Doubts, Ethereum Shift 00:29:02 Arrest Warning 00:33:40 Mining Fun 00:36:02 When Schumer Promoted Silk Road 00:38:17 Arrest Story, Corrupt Agents 00:39:55 BTC Theft by Shaun ridges 00:43:04 Faked Torture, Murder Threat 00:45:04 Playing Dead for 10 Months 00:48:03 Narrative Control, Cash Seizure 00:51:21 Limited DPR Info, Accusations 00:53:28 Site Takedown, Personal Hell 00:55:00 Family Struggles, Entrepreneurship 00:57:12 Book & Documentary Distortions 00:59:45 Corrupt Agents' Trials 01:02:30 Force's Extortion Attempts 01:05:15 Bridges' Theft Details 01:07:50 Sentencing, No Prison 01:10:20 Clemency Petition 01:13:45 Bitcoin Evolution Reflections 01:16:10 Mining Zcash, Privacy Views 01:19:30 Early Bitcoin Doubts 01:22:45 Forum Discussions, Community 01:25:00 Harm Reduction Impact 01:27:30 Global Revolution Hopes 01:32:03 Consensus & Debates 01:34:02 Aha Moments 01:39:01 Narrative Shaping Power 01:41:23 Life Experiences Gratitude 01:43:37 Speaking Out, Misjudgments 01:45:03 Educating on Crypto Choices 01:46:00 Future Optimism 01:47:32 Educators like Antonopoulos 01:49:52 Community Support Moments 01:52:07 Bitcoin Changes Narrative 01:53:02 Lightning Node Experience 01:55:55 Lightning Hopes & Issues 01:57:05 Wrapped BTC Concerns 01:59:14 WBTC on Ethereum Popularity 02:00:14 Block Size Debates 02:02:07 Satoshi's Scaling Views 02:04:33 Lightning Limitations 02:06:00 Scaling Consensus Challenges 02:08:44 Roger Ver's Unity Point 02:10:10 Early Empty Blocks 02:12:04 Zcash Proposal for Bitcoin 02:14:03 Sponsors: NoOnes & SideShift 02:16:42 ShapeShift Confusion 02:18:00 Tunnel Vision on BTC Amounts 02:18:07 Bitcoin Changes & Consensus Hopes 02:18:30 ETFs Caution, Mainstream Adoption 02:19:33 Peer-to-Peer Origins, EarlyPlayPlay S16 E59: Curtis Green on Bitcoin, Silk Road & Forgiveness
• S16 E58: Leona Hioki on INTMAX, ZK Rollups & PrivacyNov 12, 2025 · 2 hr 41 minLeona Hioki is the CEO, co-founder & architect of INTMAX: a ZK rollup layer 2 that focuses on private payments, scalability, and low fees. In this episode, we talk about scaling & privacy tech for Bitcoin & what we can learn from Ethereum. Time stamps: 00:01:17 -Introducing Leona 00:02:47 - Leona Hioki's Background 00:03:38 - Discussion on Past Podcasts and Zcash Pump Dance 00:05:00 - Privacy Trends in Crypto 00:05:26 - INTMAX Overview: Privacy, Scalability, Trade-offs 00:05:44 - Client-Side Validation and ZKP in INTMAX 00:08:22 - Comparison to Zcash and RGB 00:08:46 - INTMAX on Ethereum and Potential Bitcoin Integration 00:11:02 - INTMAX vs. StarkWare 00:14:15 - Stateless vs. Stateful Systems 00:15:05 - Evolution from Plasma to INTMAX 00:18:56 - Similarities to Lightning Network 00:19:47 - Market Dynamics of Ethereum L2s 00:20:25 - ZK Rollups vs. Optimistic Rollups 00:24:45 - Fragmentation in Ethereum L2 Ecosystem 00:26:19 - Role of Money and Base Outage Concerns 00:28:03 - Trade-offs in Decentralization 00:29:34 - Differences Between Rollups and Sidechains 00:32:42 - Bitcoin Script Limitations and ZKP Verification 00:35:18 - Cultural Issues in Bitcoin Upgrades 00:36:56 - Miner Revenue and Drivechains 00:41:58 - Bitcoin in Japan and Satoshi's Name 00:43:24 - Speculation on Satoshi's Identity 00:44:48 - Early Bitcoin Community in Japan 00:45:28 - Post-2018 Regulations in Japan 00:48:37 - Moving to Switzerland for Privacy Projects 00:50:55 - Amir Taaki's Experiences 00:52:37 - Japanese Society and Libertarianism 00:56:30 - Cryptography History and Crypto Wars 01:00:22 - Podcast Milestone and Hardware Wallets 01:02:38 - Trezor Safe 5 and Quantum Resistance 01:05:58 - Quantum Computing and Privacy Risks 01:08:06 - UTXO Model and Bitcoin's Design 01:09:48 - Satoshi's Intentions and Op Codes 01:11:57 - Bitcoin as Money Network, Not Just Digital Gold 01:14:21 - Monolithic vs. Modular Blockchains 01:17:07 - Drivechains and BIP Proposals 01:20:58 - Stateless Clients for Drivechains 01:24:23 - Zcash's Potential and Comparisons to Monero 01:27:52 - Future Scenarios for Zcash 01:30:57 - Zcash vs. Monero Market Focus 01:33:39 - Client-Side Validation for Zcash 01:36:27 - Interactions with Zooko Wilcox 01:39:47 - Proof of Work vs. Proof of Stake 01:46:16 - Fairness in Proof of Work 01:47:17 - Home Mining Devices 01:51:53 - Decentralizing Mining 01:53:05 - AML in INTMAX Privacy Mining 01:56:34 - Confidential Layers and Bridges 01:57:59 - Proof of Innocence in Privacy 02:00:04 - Replacing Centralized Exchanges with DEXs 02:00:48 - Uniswap and Decentralized Fiat Onramps 02:00:44 - Narrative on Zcash vs Monero Exchange Listings 02:01:04 - Zcash Listings on Major Exchanges 02:01:55 - Monero Listings and Volume 02:03:26 - Ranking of Exchanges 02:05:00 - Alternative Ways to Buy Monero 02:05:31 - Flashshift App for Swaps 02:06:34 - Zcash Support in Flashshift 02:07:15 - Zashi Wallet Features 02:08:00 - Planning Privacy Vampires Conference in Romania 02:09:58 - VampirPlayPlay S16 E58: Leona Hioki on INTMAX, ZK Rollups & Privacy
• S16 E57: Trezor Safe 7 Setup with Matej Zak & Tomáš SušánkaNov 10, 2025 · 54 minRecently, Trezor unveiled the Safe 7: the first hardware wallet in the world to include the Tropic Square verifiable secure element chip, a true game-changer for Bitcoin security. In this episode, Matej Zak & Tomáš Sušánka explain how it works. Buy your Trezor Safe 7 (referral link): https://affil.trezor.io/SHuM Time stamps: 00:01:13 - Introduction to the podcast episode and guests (Matej Zak, CEO, and Tomáš Sušánka, CTO of Trezor). 00:01:34 - Discussion of the Trezor Safe 7 product launch event in Prague and the host's excitement about the Tropic Square chip. 00:01:55 - Mention of the live unboxing and potential for things to go wrong. 00:02:17 - Addressing rumors about paying influencers; clarification that no payments were made, only travel costs covered. 00:03:11 - Start of unboxing the Trezor Safe 7, focusing on packaging security and tamper-proof elements. 00:04:31 - Overview of Trezor Safe 7 features: flagship product, auditable secure element, large color touchscreen, premium build quality, Bluetooth connectivity, and quantum protections. 00:07:20 - Explanation of "quantum ready" label: Post-quantum signatures for bootloader updates and device authenticity, not full quantum-proofing for Bitcoin. 00:09:00 - Deeper dive into quantum readiness, industry trends (e.g., Cloudflare, Apple), and why it's not a gimmick. 00:12:51 - Continuation of unboxing: Tamper-proof seals, holographic stickers, and physical security layers. 00:14:18 - Confirmation that devices ship without firmware; installation happens via Trezor Suite for added security. 00:15:26 - Setup process on iPhone: Downloading the app, Bluetooth pairing, and why iPhone compatibility was prioritized. 00:16:10 - Market insights: US as the biggest market, challenges with Apple (MFi program), and opting for Bluetooth over cables. 00:18:30 - Ads segment (Sideshift.ai, Layer 2 Labs, NoOnes.com, news.bitcoin.com). 00:20:13 - Resuming app setup: Privacy options, biometrics, Bluetooth permissions, and pairing code. 00:21:42 - Counting physical security layers (five in total) and their purpose. 00:23:07 - Authenticity checks in the app: Confirming purchase source, seals, and packaging integrity. 00:24:09 - Firmware installation process and confirmation that devices ship with only bootloader. 00:25:05 - Discussion of dual secure elements (Tropic Square T01 and Infineon Optiga Trust M) for enhanced security. 00:26:01 - Bluetooth security: End-to-end encryption using Noise protocol. 00:27:04 - Haptic feedback and one-time code for pairing confirmation. 00:28:00 - Device authenticity verification via secure elements. 00:29:39 - More on quantum readiness: Post-quantum certificates for future implementation. 00:30:23 - Tutorial walkthrough: Power button, menu options, and Tropic Square chip explanation. 00:30:59 - Background on Tropic Square: Origin story, name meaning (Truly Open IC), and founding to create auditable secure elements. 00:32:06 - Experience with proprietary secure elements: DiscoveriPlayPlay S16 E57: Trezor Safe 7 Setup with Matej Zak & Tomáš Sušánka
• S16 E56: Super Testnet on Papa Swaps, BIP 444 & Prediction MarketsNov 8, 2025 · 2 hr 59 minRecently, Super Testnet built Papa swaps: a novel & optimistic way of doing atomic swaps on Bitcoin. In this episode, he talks about his new projects, why he is in favor of filtering the mempool + BIP 444 activation, and prediction markets. Time stamps: 00:01:28 - Intro: Super Testnet's Return to the Bitcoin Takeover Podcast 00:03:03 - Lightning Privacy Wars: Recapping Super's Monero Challenge & Layer 2 Debates 00:03:43 - Papa Swaps Unleashed: Super's Lightning-Fast Innovation Explained 00:04:57 - Submarine Swaps 101: From Layer 1 to Layer 2 in a Flash 00:06:04 - Phoenix Wallet Magic: Splicing vs. Submarine Swaps – Why Capacity Matters 00:07:55 - Birth of Papa Swaps: From Mexico Chats to Single-Transaction Breakthrough 00:09:19 - Why "Papa"? The Hilarious Submarine Speed Pun Behind the Name 00:10:23 - Hedgehog Protocol Update: When Will It Launch? (Spoiler: Probably Never) 00:12:00 - Hedgehog's Fate & Super's Conference Show-and-Tells 00:12:47 - Papa Swaps Deep Dive: Relative Time Locks & Happy vs. Sad Paths 00:14:47 - How Papa Swaps Work: Secrets, HTLCs, & Atomic Swaps Simplified 00:18:33 - Risks & Tradeoffs: Double Spends, RBF, & Trust in Small Transactions 00:21:02 - Block Space Savings: Papa Swaps vs. Boltz, Moon Wallet, & Lightning Loop 00:22:29 - Papa Swaps' Edge in a Crowded Layer 2 World 00:23:29 - Sidechain Shoutouts: Citrea, Alpen, & Scaling Debates Revisited 00:24:32 - Papa Swaps Today: Proof-of-Concept, Mainnet Risks, & Wallet Adoption 00:27:02 - Will Phoenix & Breeze Integrate Papa or Hedgehog? 00:28:47 - Boltz Exchange Scoop: CEO Kilian Rausch & Co-Founder Michael 00:29:35 - Lightning History: Joule, Bottle Pay, & Nostr Wallet Connect Ideas 00:33:06 - Ad Break: Layer 2 Labs' Drivechains 00:34:57 - Sideshift.ai: Swap Stables for BTC 00:37:10 - BIP 444 Drama 00:38:18 - Spam Filters Work for Bandwidth Savings 00:39:32 - Miners' Risks: Orphan Blocks & 50% Filter Adoption Scenarios 00:42:44 - Mempool Art: Portland Hodl's Block Painting Software & Mara Pool Deals 00:44:28 - Spam Defined: Extra Data vs. Permissionless Purity Debate 00:48:21 - BitVM Dreams: Catching Pikachu on Bitcoin Without Spam 00:50:29 - Citrea & Alpen: BitVM 2/3, ZK Proofs, & Data Availability Concerns 00:52:55 - Citrea Marketing Myths: Inscriptions Over OP_RETURN in Launch 00:53:29 - OP_RETURN vs. Inscriptions: Base Space Scarcity & Pruning Debates 00:56:35 - BIP 444 Breakdown: Temporary Spam Ban & Consensus Changes 01:00:06 - Legal Slippery Slope? OFAC Lists, Sanctions, & Permissionless Fears 01:02:05 - BIP 444 Odds & Details 01:07:15 - Inscriptions as Anchors: Layer 2 Onboarding or Hidden Spam? 01:10:26 - OP_RETURN Drama: V30 Update vs Filters 01:13:31 - Community Toxicity: "Knotzis," "Coretards," & Ad Hominem Fallacies 01:16:40 - Pleb Slop & Purity Quests: Dogma vs. Base Layer Privacy Push 01:20:01 - Spam Doesn't Pay Node Runners – Miners Only 01:21:42 - Pro-Choice Nodes: Custom Policies, Wizards, & Hackathon Ideas 01:25:18 - Windows Wizards & Idea Generation: SupePlayPlay S16 E56: Super Testnet on Papa Swaps, BIP 444 & Prediction Markets
• S16 E55: Mert Mumtaz on Zcash, Privacy & ZillionsNov 4, 2025 · 1 hr 30 minMert Mumtaz is the man of the hour: the Zcash bull who successfully popularized privacy in DeFi, and one of the architects behind the spectacular price action we've seen in the month of "ZECtober". In this episode, we talk about the meaning of privacy, why Zcash plays a leading role in this new paradigm, and what "zillions" really means. Time stamps: 00:01:25 - Zcash's Encrypted Messaging Magic: Scan QR for Questions! 00:02:37 - Mert's Zcash Origin Story: From Solana Scaling to Privacy Powerhouse 00:03:52 - Diving into Project Tachyon: Scaling Zcash with Solana Insights 00:04:03 - Untapped Potential: Why Zcash's Story Needs a Epic Rewrite 00:04:40 - Paid Shill Myths Busted: Mert's Honest Zcash Journey Exposed 00:06:20 - VC Conspiracies & Israel Coin Nonsense: Salty Narratives Debunked 00:07:56 - Monero vs Zcash Tribalism: Why Privacy Coins Should Unite 00:09:04 - Privacy as the Ultimate PVE: Battling Surveillance States 00:10:31 - EU CBDC Nightmare: Digital Euros Tracking Your Every Move 00:13:03 - Individual Liberty Through Crypto: Privacy Isn't About Hiding Crimes 00:14:15 - Mert's Bitcoin Discovery: From Uni Skeptic to Crypto Convert 00:17:02 - Bitcoin's Simplicity Wins: Why It Outshines Programmable Chains 00:19:16 - Elevating Zcash to Push Bitcoin Privacy Upgrades 00:19:42 - Cypherpunk vs Austrian: Choose Your Crypto Philosophy 00:22:06 - Mert's Self-View: Builder, Storyteller, No Labels Needed 00:23:02 - Solana Triple-Digit Glory & Zcash Meme Mastery Unleashed 00:24:41 - Engineering Meets Memes: Richard Feynman Vibes in Crypto 00:25:12 - Tweet Chaos: From Shalom Sign-Offs to Zillions Mania 00:25:49 - Zideline, ZECtober, Zovember: Z-Prefix Memes Taking Over 00:26:51 - Pushing Zcash into DeFi: Bridges, Liquidity, and Game-Changing Integrations 00:28:38 - Solana for Offense, Zcash for Defense: The Ultimate Barbell Strategy 00:30:41 - Solana vs Ethereum: Sci-Fi Computer vs Multi-Role Juggernaut 00:33:21 - Ads Shoutout: SideShift.ai & Layer2 Labs Drivechain Magic 00:35:52 - Solana's UX Edge: Why Memecoin Mania Thrives Here 00:38:00 - Vitalik's Node Critique: Solana's Verification Smarts Revealed 00:40:33 - Why Zcash Rocks: Encrypted, Unruggable Internet Money 00:42:10 - Pitching Zcash to Noobs: Private Digital Gold Unlocked 00:45:32 - Bitcoin as HTTP, Zcash as HTTPS: Killer Privacy Memes 00:46:52 - Noah's Ark Fork: Shielding Bitcoin's UTXO Set on Zcash 00:48:25 - Bitcoin's Toxic Shift: From Revolution to Rent-Seeking Stock 00:51:22 - Zcash's Revival: Outperforming Bitcoin with Privacy Power 00:53:00 - Day One for Zcash: Cypherpunk Hackathon & Future Builds 00:54:28 - Zcash Dance Tease: Hitting $400 Milestone Vibes 00:55:04 - Shielded Q&A: Rare Pepe on Zcash? Merchant Adoption Tips 00:59:03 - Ads Plug: NoOnes.com & Bitcoin.com News for Global Crypto Wins 01:02:29 - Privacy on Solana: MPC Wallets & Yield-Earning Mixers 01:03:35 - Monero's 51% Attack Impact: Zcash Pump Unaffected 01:04:44 - P2P Zcash Markets: Hackathon Idea Gold 01:05:45 - FlippingPlayPlay S16 E55: Mert Mumtaz on Zcash, Privacy & Zillions
• S16 E54: Slava Zhygulin & Ros on Stroom Network, Bitcoin StakingNov 1, 2025 · 1 hr 35 minThe Stroom Network presents an interesting proposition: staking your bitcoin on the Lightning network, and earning yield from the transaction fees that routing nodes are collecting. To better explain how this system works, Slava and Ros join the show! Time stamps: 00:01:17 - Introduction to Bitcoin Takeover Podcast Season 16 Episode 54 00:01:23 - Welcoming Slava Zhygulin and Ros from Stroom Network 00:01:52 - Overview of Stroom Network: Liquid staking on Lightning Network 00:02:38 - How Stroom works: Depositing BTC for yield via transaction routing 00:03:55 - Liquid token as receipt for deposited BTC 00:04:21 - Addressing Bitcoin purists' concerns about staking and yield 00:05:32 - Token issuance on Ethereum, redeemable 1:1 with BTC 00:06:37 - Custodian role: Fortuna Custody for secure setup 00:06:49 - User process: Staking BTC, receiving ST BTC token 00:09:06 - Stroom's Lightning node on 1ml.com: 180 BTC capacity, top rankings 00:10:06 - Background: Work with Lightning since 2016, ex-Bitfury team 00:11:15 - Lightning Network capacity: ~5,000 BTC total 00:12:18 - Bullish on Lightning: 4x payment volume growth per River Finance reports 00:14:33 - Lightning's infinite scalability vs. blockchains like Solana 00:16:20 - Node metrics: 127 BTC routed, 65,000 transactions in two months 00:18:00 - Yield source: Real economic activity from routing fees 00:19:06 - Unique BTC yield without proof-of-stake risks 00:19:48 - Comparison to other Bitcoin L2s like Citrea and Alpen Labs 00:22:57 - Custodian details: Fortuna, EU-compliant in Ireland 00:23:37 - Fee structure: 5-10% retained, rest to stakers (bootstrapped at 20%) 00:24:53 - Revenue share model based on routed volumes 00:25:43 - Timeline: Two years of development, challenges with Taproot channels 00:29:04 - Bitcoin covenants: Unlikely to eliminate custodians 00:30:36 - Competitors: Kraken (1% yield), Starkware (2%), Babylon 00:33:06 - Stroom's edge: Yield from real Lightning activity, no token incentives 00:35:24 - Node stats: 65,000 transactions, ~$15M volume 00:36:59 - Average fees: ~0.1%, varies by channel and size 00:38:15 - Profitability estimates: $7,000/month example calculation 00:41:35 - Block (Jack Dorsey's company): 10% APY on $10M node 00:43:32 - Node age impact: Older nodes like Alex Bosworth's attract more traffic 00:45:33 - Encouraging channels: Reliability and high liquidity 00:46:53 - Boosting Lightning adoption: Stablecoins via Taproot Assets, RGB, Lightspark 00:50:27 - Sponsors: Layer 2 Labs, Sideshift.ai, NoOnes.com, Bitcoin.com News 00:53:13 - Node connections: NiceHash, OKX, Kraken, Binance, Wallet of Satoshi 00:56:45 - Fee policy: Dynamic algorithms, 0.1-2 basis points 00:59:36 - Future if Lightning replaced: Bitcoin L2s, BTVM, crosschain swaps 01:00:07 - Long-term vision: Proof-of-stake L2s like Botanics, BTM operators 01:03:07 - Team: Nick Sterningard as advisor 01:03:54 - Challenges in Lightning businesses: LSPs like Phoenix, Breez 01:05:43 - Lightning quirks: Buggy experiencePlayPlay S16 E54: Slava Zhygulin & Ros on Stroom Network, Bitcoin Staking
• S16 E53: Xenu on Bitcoin Culture & Moreno vs ZcashOct 27, 2025 · 4 hr 18 minXenu is the anti-moonboy: someone who is deeply dedicated to promoting digital money as something that you use to purchase goods & services, and a black market connoisseur. In this episode, we talk about Bitcoin & tackle the Moreno vs Zcash debate. Time stamps: 00:01:46 - Welcome to Bitcoin Takeover podcast 00:01:52 - Vlad introduces himself and Xenu 00:02:06 - Debating Zcash vs Monero 00:02:44 - Xenu thanks Vlad 00:03:36 - AI and aesthetics discussion 00:03:41 - Vlad sold XMR for ZEC and Zano 00:04:31 - Zano as CryptoNote fork 00:05:18 - Bitcoin as speculative asset 00:06:55 - Satoshi white paper vs Michael Saylor 00:09:24 - Ordinals and blockchain data 00:10:11 - Filters war and Simpsons meme 00:11:36 - Bitcoin Knots vs Samurai Wallet 00:12:18 - Privacy as key to censorship resistance 00:13:01 - Op_Return and Samourai conflicts 00:14:04 - Luke Dash Jr critiques 00:15:50 - Paul Sztorc and drivechains 00:18:03 - Bitcoin Core devs like Ava Chow, Gloria Zhao 00:20:13 - Potential Bitcoin fork 00:21:45 - Government attacks on privacy 00:23:12 - Adam Back's profile 00:24:15 - Lightning Network failures 00:25:53 - Citrea ceremony and L2 scaling 00:26:36 - Mining sustainability concerns 00:28:44 - Bitcoin Strategic Reserve meme 00:30:30 - Gold vs Bitcoin flipping 00:32:00 - Regulations like MiCA in Europe 00:35:37 - Visa network irony for Bitcoin 00:36:59 - Subverted counterculture 00:39:05 - Rise and Rise of Bitcoin doc 00:41:19 - Coinbase and custodians 00:42:31 - Samourai Wallet plea 00:43:10 - Bitcoin cultural issues 00:45:23 - Tornado Cash devs as heroes 00:46:05 - Ethereum as better cypherpunks 00:48:03 - Ethereum underrated 00:49:19 - Privacy laws outdated 00:50:19 - Roman Storm t-shirt in trial 00:53:44 - Zashi wallet and Near integration 00:55:01 - Zcash culture elitism 00:58:05 - Inflation bug concerns 01:00:25 - Zcash as company token 01:02:01 - Dev fund and delivery 01:03:02 - Dandelion++ from Bitcoin 01:04:15 - Bitcoin rejects privacy tech 01:05:02 - Demand Z-to-Z transactions 01:06:55 - Timing analysis attacks 01:08:14 - Zcash avoiding "smoke" 01:09:29 - Academics funding challenges 01:10:31 - Monero devs like Luke Parker 01:12:04 - Zcash tech in Bitcoin/Ethereum 01:14:11 - Stablecoins using ZK proofs 01:15:04 - Monero quality over quantity 01:17:03 - Memecoins as political statement 01:18:51 - Declining Lightning adoption 01:20:24 - Shielded pool growth 01:21:50 - Zcash self-defeating history 01:22:54 - Zcash vs Monero transactions 01:24:06 - NGPT and merchant usage 01:25:02 - Passion for spending Monero 01:26:27 - Free market dynamics 01:27:06 - Zcash pump as bubble sign 02:27:20 - Zcash progress and integrations 02:27:59 - Project persistence 02:28:24 - Zcash traceable statements 02:28:53 - Forking debate 02:29:53 - Blockstream in Monero 02:30:17 - Liquid network ghost town 02:31:03 - Zcash usage comparison 02:31:50 - Zcash explorer check 02:32:30 - Shielded stats 02:34:05 - Shielded pool growth 02:35:39 - 100% shielded demand 02:36:04PlayPlay S16 E53: Xenu on Bitcoin Culture & Moreno vs Zcash
• S16 E52: Paul Sztorc on Bitcoin's Culture WarsOct 24, 2025 · 1 hr 48 minWhile the Bitcoin Core v30 vs Knots debate went on, Paul Sztorc was hard at work building the Drivechains software. However, this doesn't meant that he doesn't have any opinions about the recent events and their greater significance. Time stamps: 00:01:30 - Welcome to the Bitcoin Takeover Podcast and Paul's Second Appearance This Season 00:02:28 - Bitcoin Civil War: Core v30 vs Knots Debate 00:03:02 - Nick Szabo Joining the Debate and Ties to Samson Mow's Company 00:04:11 - Op Return Limit Silliness and Historical Bitcoin Uncensored Humor 00:05:21 - Shift in Bitcoin Community: From Subversive to Suit Coiner Route 00:06:02 - Resistance Money, Privacy, and Black/Gray Markets 00:09:18 - Rambling Due to Sickness/Jetlag and Software Demo Tease 00:09:29 - LayerTwo Labs Software Overview and Download Instructions 00:11:55 - Tweet on Turning Transactions into JPEGs 00:13:00 - Bit Window Software Explanation vs Bitcoin Knots 00:15:31 - Bit 300 Activator vs Bitcoin Core Pull Requests 00:17:25 - No More Soft Forks in Bitcoin and Activation Challenges 00:18:23 - CTV Almost Activated, Shift to Filter Debates 00:19:10 - Bitcoin's Potential Death from Complacency 00:19:36 - Derangements of Bitcoin Post and Lightning as Sacred Cow 00:20:02 - Tabconf Presentation on Lightning Network Issues 00:22:52 - Lightning Network Blackpill Article and Updates 00:24:40 - Lightning Cult and Misunderstandings 00:26:24 - Promoting Chaumian Ecash and Human Rights Foundation 00:27:03 - Funding R&D: Ecological Impacts and Bad Ideas 00:29:02 - Maginot Line Example: Funding Bad Defenses 00:30:16 - Drivechains Activation on Litecoin Progress 00:31:58 - Next Tests: Testnet 4 and Forknet Realism 00:32:58 - Litecoin Activation Process and Differences 00:34:49 - Dogecoin Merged Mining and Potential Activation 00:35:26 - Sky Doge as First Drivechain Chain 00:36:50 - Bit Window Advantages Over Knots 00:37:25 - Views on Mining Pools and Game Theory 00:40:05 - Critique of Luke Dash Jr.'s Ideas on Pools 00:41:05 - Transaction Relay Policies and Miner Incentives 00:41:47 - Emotional Manipulation in Debates 00:43:13 - Raising Funding and Different Approaches vs Luke 00:44:02 - Marketing: Funny Videos and Memes 00:45:05 - Luke Dash Jr.'s Character and Expertise 00:46:05 - Experts vs Elites in Bitcoin 00:48:08 - Testing LayerTwo Labs Software on OSes 00:48:38 - Windows/Linux Discussion and Preferences 00:59:30 - ZK Rollups and Data Availability on Bitcoin (Post-Truncation) 01:00:06 - Non-Miner L2s Have No Future 01:01:47 - Drivechain as Minimal, Optional Soft Fork 01:02:55 - Tom Cruise Party Analogy for Bitcoin Upgrades 01:03:08 - Derangements of Bitcoin Post Recommendation 01:03:50 - Viewer Comment: Layer 2s Bad, More Altcoins Needed 01:04:03 - Importance of Competition in Crypto 01:07:02 - Altcoins as Regression Due to Switching Costs 01:08:33 - Sponsor Plugs: LayerTwo Labs, SideShift, Bitcoin.com, NoOnes 01:09:07 - Questions: Why Zcash for Fungibility Sidechain? DAGs? 01:13:35 - Prediction MarPlayPlay S16 E52: Paul Sztorc on Bitcoin's Culture Wars
• S16 E51: Sean Bowe on Bitcoin, Zcash & Scaling Privacy with TachyonOct 18, 2025 · 3 hr 39 minSean Bowe is a cryptographer and engineer who is best known for revolutionizing Zcash. After cooperating to fix the inflation bug in the first version of the network, he built Halo to remove the trusted setup – basically obliterating the main reason why Bitcoin did not activate the Zerocash soft fork in 2013. More recently, Sean Bowe announced project Tachyon: an ambitious initiative to scale ZK SNARKs (the technology enabling shielded transactions) to billions of users. Time stamps: 00:01:19 - Sean Bowe's Work on Zcash and Hidden Inflation Bug Fix 00:01:36 - Introduction to Halo and Halo 2: Eliminating Trusted Setup 00:01:51 - Overview of Project Tachyon for Scaling ZK-SNARKs 00:02:43 - Zcash Price Pump and Dance Celebration 00:04:48 - Using Zcash for Encrypted Messages via Zashi Wallet 00:05:42 - Comparing Zcash Messaging to Signal 00:07:17 - Sean Bowe's Early Involvement in Zcash and Bitcoin 00:10:34 - Sean Bowe's Age and Start in Cryptography at 21 00:11:13 - Discovering Bitcoin in 2011 and Privacy Needs 00:13:42 - Contributing to BIP 39 with Slush and Trezor 00:14:19 - Realizing Bitcoin's Lack of Privacy 00:17:50 - Privacy vs. Deniability in Bitcoin and Banks 00:20:23 - Wasabi Wallet and CoinJoins Limitations 00:21:46 - Optional Privacy in Zcash and Wallet Defaults 00:23:16 - Viewer Question: Source of Sean Bowe's Smartness 00:24:47 - Viewer Question: Ideas from Scaling Bottlenecks 00:27:09 - Viewer Quote from Oscar Wilde on Privacy 00:28:07 - Viewer Question: Zcash Network State Meaning 00:30:00 - Viewer Question: Timeline for Tachyon Success 00:33:15 - Chronological Approach to Interview and Tachyon 00:37:33 - Differences Between Zerocoin (Firo) and Zerocash (Zcash) 00:39:55 - Greg Maxwell's CoinJoin and Zerocoin Views 00:42:57 - Moon Math and Cryptographic Assumptions 00:46:33 - Sponsor: Citrea ZK Rollup with BitVM 00:47:19 - Sponsor: Layer2 Labs ZSide Drive Chain 00:49:01 - Sponsor: Bitcoin.com News 00:50:16 - Zcash Leads Crypto Rally News 00:58:49 - Bitcoin's Constraints and Creativity like BitVM 01:05:00 - Zcash Contributors and Zebra Rust Node 01:14:00 - Friendly Forks in Zcash 01:31:00 - Monero Hater Comments and Zcash Anonymity 02:23:00 - Superhero Backstory Tease 02:26:14 - Bitcoin Talk Username and Early ASIC Mining 02:28:35 - Pessimism on Bitcoin Development Speed 02:50:41 - Shielded Zcash Dust Problem 02:52:11 - Quantum Resistance and Self-Transfers 02:53:00 - Long-Term Storage Pool for Quantum Safety 02:54:56 - Avalanche Pre-Consensus like eCash 02:55:04 - Tachyon and Oblivious Synchronization 02:58:56 - Scaling to Billions: Math and No Bottlenecks 03:02:12 - Solving Privacy-Scaling Trilemma 03:04:51 - Off-Chain Secrets and Payment Protocols 03:06:24 - Tachyon as New Privacy Pool 03:12:56 - Wallet Syncing with Tachyon Servers 03:14:50 - Shielded Aggregation in Tachyon 03:17:00 - Tachyon Team Size and Hiring Rust Engineers 03:18:41 - ETA for Tachyon: Next Year 03:23:15 - Greg Maxwell Paper Citation Story 03:25:11 - Explaining ZKPlayPlay S16 E51: Sean Bowe on Bitcoin, Zcash & Scaling Privacy with Tachyon
• S16 E50: Ray Youssef on Why Paxful's TerminatedOct 13, 2025 · 1 hr 46 minOn October 1st 2025, Paxful announced the decision to "wind down operations" and blamed the "misconduct" of co-founder Ray Youssef for the company's trajectory. But Ray Youssef had already moved on since 2023, building NoOnes as a non-US entity which better serves the peer to peer needs of the Global South. In this episode, Ray explains what's going on and what he's planning to do next. Time stamps: 00:01:08 - Introducing Ray Youssef 00:01:15 - Discussion on Paxful Termination and NoOnes as a Better Alternative 00:01:29 - Ray Youssef Accused of Undermining Paxful 00:02:54 - Paxful Press Release on Winding Down Operations 00:03:31 - Ray Youssef's Response and Exit from Paxful 00:03:46 - Warnings About Paxful's 3,000 Bitcoin in Cold Storage 00:04:29 - American Regulations Impacting Paxful 00:05:15 - New Indian Team at Paxful 00:05:27 - BitGo as Former Custodian for Paxful 00:05:53 - Dormant Tax Introduced by Paxful (Taxful Pun) 00:08:36 - Ray Youssef's Beard and Hair Discussion 00:09:23 - Expulsion from Bitcoin Church and Fatwa by High Priests 00:10:07 - Bitcoin as Financial and Monetary System 00:10:44 - NoOnes Replacing Financial Pillar for Global South 00:10:49 - Economic Apartheid Concept 00:11:15 - Ray Youssef Homeless When Starting Paxful 00:11:20 - Ex-Co-Founder (Artur Schaback Implied) as Business Partner Warning 00:11:50 - Executive Team Letters Against Ex-Co-Founder 00:12:03 - Attempt to Shut Down Paxful and Handle 3,000 Bitcoin 00:12:47 - Lawsuit by Ex-Co-Founder on Martin Luther King Day 00:13:03 - Accusations and Projections by Ex-Co-Founder 00:13:27 - Fintech Company Without Engineers During Lawsuit 00:14:23 - Ex-Co-Founder Incompetent as CPO 00:15:05 - $1.6 Million from Ray Youssef to Unfreeze Funds 00:15:29 - Delaware Law Firm Handling Paxful 00:15:35 - New Indian CEO Removing Paxful from LinkedIn Bio 00:16:00 - Ray Narrative on BitcoinMagazine.com 00:16:17 - Ex-Co-Founder Raiding Estonian Office 00:18:32 - Kate Grazic Back for NoOnes Partner Program 00:18:57 - LocalBitcoins Traders at NoOnes 00:19:03 - Paxful Family Reunited at NoOnes 00:19:27 - NoOnes Structure Outside the West 00:21:07 - 3,000 Bitcoin Worth $360 Million 00:24:56 - Own Account Bitcoin Disappeared from Paxful 00:24:59 - Solana Contract Issue in January 00:25:04 - Nick Carter Calling Ray Youssef a Clown 00:25:11 - Ari David Paul Accusing Scamming with NoOnes 00:25:24 - Support for Gaza and Palestine 00:25:30 - Nick Carter and Ari David Paul as Zionists 00:26:19 - Hack During Hajj in Medina 00:27:34 - Solana Bug Leading to Hack 00:28:09 - Ray Youssef Driving a Mini Cooper 00:30:42 - Muy from Ghana as Top Advocate at NoOnes 00:33:07 - Victor Schauberger's Work on Water 00:35:43 - WeChat of the Global South (NoOnes Vision) 00:36:27 - Silk Road Comparison (Clean Version) 00:37:28 - CivKit Project 00:37:34 - Nicholas Gregory (CivKit Collaborator) 00:37:41 - Commerce Block 00:38:29 - DarkFi Project 00:38:34 - Amir Taaki (Narodism) as Original Bitcoin Developer 00:42:38 -PlayPlay S16 E50: Ray Youssef on Why Paxful's Terminated
• S16 E49: Jay Berg on Bitcoin, SidePit & MaximalismOct 10, 2025 · 4 hr 15 minJay Berg joined Bitcoin in 2010 and became the first person to tweet about BTCUSD when the price hit a new high of $12. In this episode, he talks about why most Bitcoiners are wrong in their recent filter debate and how SidePit aims to fix trading. Time stamps: 00:01:57 - Hot take: Maxis wrong, shitcoining new Bitcoining 00:03:00 - Bitcoin kernel: Litecoin, Ethereum, Zcash, Lightning, Liquid 00:03:23 - Bitcoin failed as P2P cash 00:04:09 - Filters vs. OP_RETURN debate 00:05:18 - Luke Dash Jr. fork prediction 00:05:45 - Original sin: No OP_CTV (BIP 119) 00:06:47 - 2017 civil war: Gavin Andresen, Mike Hearn 00:07:45 - Craig Wright conspiracy 00:08:42 - Wright intro: Bitcoin Belle, Gavin signing (2015) 00:09:32 - Debate with Nick Szabo 00:10:02 - Szabo denies Satoshi; Hal Finney, John Nash possibles 00:11:05 - Civil war apology 00:12:08 - Shitcoiner as new maxi 00:12:42 - Code over 21M meme 00:13:58 - Jay's background: Bloomberg, EURUSD 00:14:49 - 1998 digital cash, double spend 00:15:39 - Fortress HFT 00:17:03 - Bitcoin discovery (2009) 00:18:36 - BTCUSD tweets: Newberg Consulting 00:20:00 - 2010-2014 decentralized era 00:21:10 - Roger Ver adoption (2011) 00:21:30 - BitMEX on 2010 data debates 00:22:01 - OP_RETURN war: Counterparty, Omni 00:22:34 - Ethereum rise 00:23:13 - CP FUD on chain 00:23:36 - Cognitive dissonance 00:24:30 - Ethereum wars: Jimmy Song, Samson Mow 00:25:01 - Ethereum scales Bitcoin tweet 00:27:11 - Plebs control post-2017 00:28:05 - 21M changeable 00:29:06 - BIP 42: Pieter Wuille 00:30:23 - Security budget FUD 00:30:57 - Ethereum VM anti-pattern 00:32:25 - Rock-paper-scissors example 00:35:03 - MEV in DeFi 00:38:12 - Ethereum scales post-war 00:38:45 - Roger Ver buy Core attempt 00:38:52 - Luke Jr. block increase 00:39:38 - OP_CTV from no two-way peg 00:40:05 - Blocked by Adam Back 00:41:36 - Full RBF issue 00:42:10 - Sponsor: Layer2 Labs, Paul Sztorc, Drivechain (BIP 300) 00:42:35 - Sidechains: Thunder, Zside, BitAsset, EthSide 00:43:45 - Litecoin BIP 300 test 00:44:26 - Lightning not Bitcoin 00:45:44 - Sponsor: Citrea ZK rollup 00:46:02 - DeFi, Tornado Cash on Bitcoin 00:47:29 - OP_RETURN bytes need 00:50:02 - Lightning custodians 00:50:58 - Lightning as Bitcoin how? 03:26:01 - Zcash soft fork (2013) 03:26:42 - Trump Ethereum: World Liberty 03:27:50 - BIP 300, OP_CTV excitement 03:28:38 - Stubborn fork potential 03:28:49 - Stamp JPEG issue 03:29:11 - Luke Jr. denial 03:30:28 - No real JPEGs 03:32:24 - Gloria Zhao attack 03:32:54 - Matthew Kratter channel 03:33:21 - Mechanic handler theory 03:34:38 - Luke lost Bitcoin 03:35:48 - Richard Heart Hex debate 03:37:20 - Maxi used ETH 03:37:51 - Gresham's law 03:38:56 - Jason Lowery defense 03:40:31 - Naka, David Bailey 03:41:34 - Maxi cycle 03:42:23 - Cult elements 03:42:52 - Hypocrisy: Dogecoin, Litecoin 03:43:30 - Freedom Index: Monero, Zcash, Pirate, Zano, Nym 03:45:43 - Nym mixnet 03:46:44 - Zano tokens, FUSD 03:48:23 - Roger Ver Zano 03:49:40 - Saberhagen Cryptonote 03:51:55 -PlayPlay S16 E49: Jay Berg on Bitcoin, SidePit & Maximalism
• S16 E48: Christopher Smith on Quantus, Bitcoin & Quantum ResistanceOct 7, 2025 · 2 hr 46 minChristopher Smith (aka Yuvi Lightman, aka Ganesha 1024) is the founder of the Quantus network: an mbitious quantum-zk blockchain which he proudly built with his team in just 6 months, with a budget of $500k. In this episode we talk about the threat of quantum computing, how quantum resistant cryptography works, and how Bitcoin can be saved from a potential disaster. Time stamps: 00:01:31 - Introducing Christopher Smith (Yuvi Lightman), known on Soundcloud Music as Ganesha1024 00:02:22 - Quantis: Zero-Knowledge Quantum-Resistant Blockchain 00:02:39 - Christopher's Background, Early Bitcoin Involvement 00:03:41 - Current Views on Bitcoin, All-Time High at $125K 00:04:19 - Discovering Bitcoin in 2012, Contributions to BitcoinJ 00:04:36 - Founding BitMesh: Micropayments via Payment Channels 00:04:42 - Mike Hearn and Payment Channels 00:05:17 - Bitcoin Whitepaper Praise, Satoshi's Genius 00:05:55 - Essence of Money, Overcomplication Critique 00:06:49 - Bitcoin's Corporate Takeover, Cultural Ethos 00:08:38 - SegWit Changes, Big Block Debate 00:09:45 - Bitcoin Cash Sympathy, Shift to Ethereum 00:10:41 - Vitalik Buterin and Gavin Wood as Geniuses 00:10:53 - Lunar Startup: Blockchain Wikipedia with ICO 00:11:08 - Bitcoin Threats: Throughput, Privacy, Quantum Security 00:11:29 - Child Porn Blackmail Tactics in Debates 00:12:18 - Social Bottlenecks in Coordination 00:13:09 - BTC Token vs Network Separation via ETFs 00:14:06 - Proof of Keys Day by Trace Mayer 00:15:23 - No Trusted Third Parties Philosophy 00:16:04 - Cryptography as Military Tech 00:18:04 - Open Source Importance, ERC20 Simplicity 00:19:21 - BlackRock as Central Bank, Cult of Saturn Symbolism 00:20:17 - Bitcoin Threats: Throughput with Shai Reference 00:22:50 - Privacy and Zcash Praise 00:23:32 - Quantus as Bitcoin Fork with Falcon Signatures 00:24:50 - Solana as Big Blocker Inheritor 00:25:04 - Overton Window Constraints 00:26:41 - Quantus Timelines Skepticism, PsiQuantum Investment 00:28:14 - Ethereum Proof of Stake, Stablecoin Control 00:29:27 - Catholic Church Analogy, Satoshi's Time-Buying Quote 00:30:04 - Weaponized Schizophrenia Concept 00:31:09 - Schizophrenia as Catch-All, LSD Benefits 00:32:21 - False Positives/Negatives in Machine Learning 00:33:34 - Arbitrary Thresholds in Science/Medicine/Physics 00:34:46 - Autistic Definitions, Bitcoin Redefinition 00:36:25 - Douglas Hofstadter's Godel Escher Bach Inspiration 00:37:32 - Ads: Bitcoin.com News 00:38:39 - Citrea: ZK Rollup on Bitcoin 00:40:21 - BIP300 Drivechains by Paul Sztorc 00:41:53 - Hacker Ethos, L2 Complexity Critique 00:43:27 - Lightning Network Failures 00:44:22 - Open Source vs Closed Source Thought Experiment 00:47:00 - Check Phrase for Security 01:00:00 - Quantum Mechanics Wave Function Collapse 02:02:17 - Chris Doesn't Sound Like Typical Founder 02:02:50 - Quantus Features: Reversible Transactions 02:05:23 - Check Phrase Innovation 02:07:29 - HD Wallets for Lattice Cryptography, QIPs 02:08:46 - Pro-Social to Industry,PlayPlay S16 E48: Christopher Smith on Quantus, Bitcoin & Quantum Resistance
• S16 E47: Max Hillebrand on White Noise & Private Messaging on NostrOct 2, 2025 · 4 hr 2 minMax Hillebrand makes his 8th appearance on the Bitcoin Takeover Podcast in order to talk about his latest project: White Noise, a private messaging application for Nostr. We also talk about Core v30 vs Knots, Bitcoin layer 2s & other bull market topics. Time stamps: 00:01:07 - Max Hillebrand's Background 00:02:47 - Post-Wasabi Wallet Era and Privacy Challenges 00:04:28 - Nostr Protocol Overview 00:05:58 - Early Nostr Experiences and Key Loss 00:08:51 - Nostr Client Progress and Edge Cases 00:09:58 - Nostr's Relation to Bitcoin 00:13:53 - Hardware Wallets for Nostr Keys 00:18:06 - Nostr Key Backups and Security 00:21:53 - Nostr Search and Web of Trust 00:24:21 - Ads: Bitcoin.com News and NoOnes.com 00:26:12 - White Noise Protocol Introduction 00:27:52 - NIP 44 and Gift Wraps for Encryption 00:30:20 - Signal Protocol and MLS Evolution 00:32:16 - MLS Protocol Details 00:33:23 - Nostr Privacy Limitations 00:35:17 - Trusted Relays and Metadata 00:37:25 - Nostr as Data Delivery Layer 00:38:41 - Self-Authentication in MLS 00:40:02 - Group Creation and Key Packages 00:42:38 - MLS vs. Major League Soccer Joke 00:42:53 - Diffie-Hellman and Scaling to Millions 00:44:24 - MLS Key Tree Structure 00:46:59 - Scalability Benefits of MLS 01:18:00 - Marmot and Nostr Tools 01:25:30 - The Zcash Pump Dance 03:09:25 - Angor Protocol for Recurring Payments 03:14:02 - Bitcoin Script and Smart Contracts 03:15:32 - Great Script Restoration Proposal 03:21:03 - Builder Spirit in Bitcoin vs. Ethereum 03:25:19 - Bills of Exchange and Peer-to-Peer Credit 03:33:09 - Historical Finance and Farming 03:38:35 - Starting Bitcoin Meetups 03:41:43 - Localizing Bitcoin Content 03:44:17 - Recommended Podcasts 03:47:48 - Podcast Benefits and Guest Interactions 03:54:39 - Audience Quality and Impact 03:55:36 - White Noise Future and Building Freedom Tech 03:58:51 - AI Coding and Proof of Concepts 04:00:38 - Nym Mixnet Integration 04:01:54 - Closing Remarks and Future SessionsPlayPlay S16 E47: Max Hillebrand on White Noise & Private Messaging on Nostr
• S16 E46: Val Venis on Bitcoin, Liberty & WrestlingSep 30, 2025 · 4 hr 32 minBack in 2013, former WWE Intercontinental Champion Val Venis bought 24 bitcoins for $80 each. Today, he is a big advocate for freedom, privacy, and the right to benefit from the product of your own labor without extortion. In this episode, we talk about libertarianism, his love for private internet money, and his WWE stories. Time stamps: 00:00:00 - Intro: Val Venis Entrance & Attitude Era Reflections 00:01:51 - Hello Biological Ladies: Modern PC Culture & Twitter Feuds 00:02:46 - Wrestling Eras: From Attitude to Ruthless Aggression & PG Shift 00:03:30 - Political Outspokenness: Why No Hall of Fame Yet? 00:04:35 - Importance of Politics: Social & Financial Impacts on Society 00:05:13 - Val Venis Character: Porn Star Gimmick Ahead of Its Time 00:05:36 - Right to Censor Storyline: Mocking the PTC & Censorship Trends 00:09:51 - Libertarian Roots: Pro-Free Speech Evolution in Wrestling 00:10:03 - Early Political Views: From Socialist Leanings to Awakening 00:11:32 - Tax Trauma at 17: First Encounter with Government Overreach 00:15:13 - Taxation as Immoral: Due Process Failures & Slanted Courts 00:18:45 - Wikipedia Misrepresentation: Beyond Cannabis Advocacy 00:20:02 - Cannabis as Rebellion: Fighting Malum Prohibitum Laws 00:24:24 - Privacy Coins & Freedom: Using Cannabis to Push Liberty 00:30:05 - Slanted Courts & Tyranny: Presumptions Over Facts in Taxation 00:33:30 - Discovering Bitcoin: From Federal Reserve Critique to White Paper 00:35:12 - Money as Bankers' Tool: Inflation as Value Theft via Fiat 00:38:00 - Bitcoin's Appeal: Decentralized, Fixed Supply & Cryptography 00:41:47 - Pizza Purchase Milestone: Bootstrapping Bitcoin to Fiat 00:43:57 - First Bitcoin Buy: 24 BTC in 2013 at ~$80 Each 00:47:48 - Bitcoin as Speculation vs. Fiat Alternative 00:49:38 - Wrestling & Bitcoin Parallels: Value Creation & Sovereignty 01:20:00 - Monero & Privacy: Evading Surveillance in Transactions 01:45:00 - Roger Ver Case: Libertarian Views on Tax Evasion & Justice 02:10:00 - Wrestling Highlights: Val Venis in Video Games & Stats 02:48:00 - Mount Rushmore: Vince McMahon, Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold, The Rock 03:00:00 - Chris Benoit's Legacy: Wrestling Prowess Despite Tragedy 03:15:00 - Shawn Michaels Character Shift: From Annoying to Faithful 03:30:00 - Undertaker's Success: Vince's Protection & Longevity 03:45:00 - Triple H: Business Savvy Over In-Ring Dominance 04:00:00 - Hall of Fame Hopes: Focus on Liberty Over Induction 04:10:00 - One Last Match: vs. Cody Rhodes for Cancel Culture Feud 04:18:07 - Induction Choice: Vince McMahon or Vince Russo 04:20:19 - Bridging Communities: Bitcoin in Wrestling & Fan Demands 04:25:40 - Storyline Ideas: Libertarian Manager & Bitcoin Matches 04:30:20 - Closing: Social Media, Zcash Wallet Setup & Privacy PushPlayPlay S16 E46: Val Venis on Bitcoin, Liberty & Wrestling
• S16 E45: Shai Wyborski on Bitcoin, Kaspa & Proof of Work ResearchSep 25, 2025 · 8 hr 28 minShai Wyborski is one of the three co-authors of the GHOSTDAG paper, and a man who takes pride in his independent thinking and divergent approach to research. As a PhD in quantum cryptography, he's got lots of knowledge to share. But by virtue of his involvement in Bitcoin and Kaspa, he's got stories to tell too. What does the future of Proof of Work look like? Let's find out! Time stamps: 00:01:09 - Welcoming Shai Wyborski 00:01:28 - Dig into GhostDAG; most interesting PoW scaling tech. 00:04:44 - Shai's BTC opinions over time 00:05:21 - How Shai spent BTC on "creativity fuel" (undisclosed). 00:06:31 - Disenchantment: Steam drops BTC (congestion/volatility); SegWit "tyranny" births BCH. 00:10:47 - Rejects SoV; BTC as "decentralized vault" for eternal data archiving. 00:15:44 - BTC probs: Low TPS; LN fails. 00:16:15 - Kaspa suite: Beyond TPS/confirmations. 00:16:59 - Tradeoff: High throughput → no audit; pruning for 10-30yr trust. 00:18:40 - GhostDAG multi-ledger: Parallel processing, flexible tx order. 00:19:45 - Miners: Partial info cuts selfish mining/MEV. 00:20:42 - Enables auctions/oracles (Elliot Mabe block-voting). 00:21:40 - Debunks PoW myths: BTC artifacts (congestion for fees). 00:22:15 - Kaspa: Paradigm shift proof; lessons from protocols. 00:23:24 - Flaw: Fast emission + fair launch = whale buyout. 00:23:49 - Fair ≠ community; coercion w/o social contract. 00:25:10 - Whales fund → control; monetary world nature. 00:27:46 - Balance: Incentives, explicit contracts. 00:30:31 - Mining phases: CPU/GPU/ASIC stages; ultra-ASIC decen lock. 00:32:22 - ASIC-friendly: Cheap/low-power scale. 00:32:47 - Emission: Heavy early; ASICs 80-90% pre-retail. 00:34:29 - Full supply lifetime; tail short?00:35:28 - BTC emission extend 2-4x for social good. 00:37:27 - Kaspa whales: 3 hold 6% ($100M), foundation collusion. 00:38:27 - Kaspa emission: 60% in 1.5yrs emulates BTC adjusted for fast adoption. 00:41:16 - Guitar jam & sponsors.SideShift.ai: KYC-free swaps. NoOnes.com: P2P global south, "lions" mission. Bitcoin.com News: global views. LayerTwo Labs: Drivechains, ETH/Zcash sides. 00:46:49 - Kaspa drivechain?; WBTC custody risks. 00:48:33 - Citrea: ZK-rollup BTC DeFi. 00:49:27 - Alts: Quai grant, Kadena parallels. 00:50:47 - Parallel sec dilution. 00:52:03 - Quai: Selfish mining fixes, Monero 28% vuln. 00:53:01 - Monero RandomX ASIC-hostility. 00:54:02 - PoW specialized non-wasteful. 01:00:00 - Myths: Scalable, non-congested, decentralization. 01:15:00 - Casino stifles ingenuity; hype vs depth (IOTA rush). 01:30:00 - Funding: Retail quick vs VC long (Mobileye 20yr $80B). 01:45:00 - Game theory: Mechanism design incentives. 02:00:00 - Kaspa risks: Whale control, docs issues. 07:00:00 - Music: Beatles Sgt. Pepper post-Pet Sounds. 07:15:00 - McCartney bass; prog Floyd/Crimson.07:30:00 - Pet Sounds "God Only Knows" acapella. 07:43:02 - Pop→exp; Helter Skelter metal. 07:45:36 - Metal thrash/extreme; stoner Pantheon I. 07:47:41 - HS Pantera/prog/funk.07:49:51 -PlayPlay S16 E45: Shai Wyborski on Bitcoin, Kaspa & Proof of Work Research
• S16 E44: Abdel on ZK STARKs & Bitcoin MaximalismSep 17, 2025 · 3 hr 18 minAbdel is a Starkware engineer who, over the last 7 years, went from building EIP 1559 on Ethereum to becoming a Bitcoin maximalist who wants ZK STARKs to happen. In this episode, we talk about his journey & some of Bitcoin's cultural issues. Time stamps: 00:00:59 - Sponsors: Sideshift, Citrea, Bitcoin.com News, LayerTwo Labs, NoOnes.com 00:01:38 - Abdel's unique journey: From Ethereum core dev at ConsenSys to Bitcoin maximalism 00:02:17 - Early Bitcoin curiosity (2011-2012) vs Ethereum's "world computer" appeal 00:03:51 - Fintech background: Working for banks before fighting them 00:04:31 - Always a Bitcoin + Ethereum maxi: Building unstoppable systems 00:06:07 - North Star vs "Nostr": Unstoppable vs compromised systems 00:06:23 - Fintech to DeFi? Payments focus, not advanced trading 00:07:29 - First Ethereum contributions: Smart contracts 00:09:09 - Deep dive: Championing EIP-1559 (fee burn, ultrasound money) 00:11:03 - EIP-1559's governance risks: Changing monetary policy on the fly 00:11:16 - Ethereum's slippery slopes: DAO hard fork to fee burns 00:12:12 - Ethereum as anti-Bitcoin experiment: From colored coins to rollups 00:13:48 - Ethereum Classic hopes; market follows narratives, not fixed supply 00:14:28 - EIP-1559 process: 2+ years of debate vs Bitcoin's immutability 00:15:59 - Boiling frog with Vitalik: Accumulating compromises (trusted setups) 00:18:28 - Ethereum precedents: Premine, PoS migration, rushed upgrades 00:19:14 - Social layer strength: Protects core principles vs nation-states 00:19:41 - Non-tech users in governance: Better than dev-only control 00:22:32 - Educating the social layer: Privacy warnings in Bitcoin tools 00:24:26 - Risks: Bitcoin (tech obsolescence) vs Ethereum (social dilution) 00:26:49 - Bitcoin meetups: Ideology & tech vs Ethereum's builder focus 00:28:00 - Shocking anti-Bitcoin sentiment from Ethereum side 00:29:52 - PoW beauty: External entropy, fair distribution (not Ponzi) 00:31:44 - PoW vs PoS: Tolerating Ethereum's PoS for decentralization 00:34:20 - Bitcoin's privacy crisis: Needs scale + affordability 00:36:43 - Sponsor: Layer2 Labs (Drivechains for sidechains like Zcash fork) 00:38:02 - Sponsor: Citrea (ZK rollup on Bitcoin via BitVM2) 00:40:09 - Citrea drama: Unfair criticism amid filter wars 00:42:40 - Citrea vs Alpen: First-to-market wins (garbled circuits delay) 00:46:01 - Video game analogy: Duke Nukem Forever vs pragmatic launches 00:47:25 - Lesson from Ethereum: Optimistic rollups dominate despite ZK superiority 00:48:56 - Dev events vs mainstream: Bridging tech narratives to plebs 01:10:00 - Fragmentation in Bitcoin community, why plebs dismiss innovation 02:30:00 - Off-topic: Immigration in Europe (Romania/France parallels, economic pressures) 02:38:16 - Bitcoin as catalyst: Inflation from crises drives adoption 02:39:46 - Decentralization as development sign: Small-scale consensus 02:42:11 - New chains start centralized; trust incentives lacking in L2s 02:44:41 - Starkware as bridge to BitPlayPlay S16 E44: Abdel on ZK STARKs & Bitcoin Maximalism
• S16 E43: Vikrant Sharma on Cake Wallet, Bitcoin & PrivacySep 12, 2025 · 1 hr 48 minVikrant Sharma, better known as Vik, is the CEO and founder of Cake Wallet: the first Bitcoin wallet to support both Silent Payments and PayJoins. In this episode, we talk about the wallet's Monero roots & what is next in terms of features. Time stamps: 00:01:05 - Introducing Vik 00:01:24 - Cake Wallet Features for Bitcoin and Monero 00:03:08 - Background Sync Improvements 00:03:49 - Monero.com Wallet Discussion 00:04:41 - Monero Community Insights 00:05:01 - Privacy in Monero Transactions 00:06:33 - Funding and Revenue Model 00:08:29 - Vik's Background in Steel and Tech 00:10:34 - Discovering Bitcoin and Privacy Apps 00:13:22 - Launching Cakewallet for Monero 00:14:23 - Why Start with Monero Over Bitcoin 00:15:35 - Origin of the Name "Cake Wallet" 00:17:36 - Order of Coins Added to Cake Wallet 00:19:09 - PayJoins and Silent Payments 00:21:11 - Citrea 00:22:34 - Layer 2 Labs and Drivechains 00:24:32 - Silent Payments Address Drama 00:25:35 - Qubic Mining Drama in Monero 00:30:42 - Monero's Resilience to Attacks 00:32:53 - Monero as a Stablecoin 00:33:41 - Use It to Win: Spending vs Hodling 00:36:38 - Treasury Company Plans 00:39:28 - Future of Privacy Coins 00:42:58 - SideShift.ai 00:44:20 - NoOnes.com 00:45:29 - Bitcoin.com News 00:46:37 - Taxes and Privacy Coins 00:48:42 - Layers of Privacy 00:59:00 - Zcash and Privacy Experiments 01:00:36 - Growing the Crypto Space 01:02:44 - Supported Coins: Ethereum 01:06:17 - Litecoin and MWEB Integration 01:08:43 - Dogecoin Addition 01:10:37 - Wownero for Monero Community 01:11:17 - Bitcoin Cash Support in Cake Wallet 01:13:30 - Polygon and Tron for Low Fees 01:15:44 - Nano for Feeless Payments 01:17:00 - Decred and Community Overlap 01:18:14 - Zano and Confidential Assets 01:20:06 - Lightning Network Plans 01:21:46 - Zcash Future Integration 01:23:02 - Cupcake Airgapped Wallet 01:26:00 - Considering Kaspa 01:29:56 - Dash Privacy Debate 01:32:20 - Network Effects and Wallet Choices 01:34:57 - Raven Coin Experiment 01:35:43 - Hiring Developers 01:36:18 - Custom Wallpapers and UI Overhaul 01:37:12 - One Seed for All Wallets 01:38:31 - How Many of the Supported Coins Will Survive? 01:39:46 - Multi-Coin Payment Services 01:40:32 - Pay Invoice Feature 01:42:03 - User Data and Privacy Policy 01:45:49 - Node Data Handling 01:47:04 - Advice on Self-Custody 01:48:17 - Where to Follow Vik and Cake Wallet 01:48:51 - Closing RemarksPlayPlay S16 E43: Vikrant Sharma on Cake Wallet, Bitcoin & Privacy
• S16 E42: Michael Tidwell on Bitcoin Drama & TabconfSep 9, 2025 · 2 hr 36 minMichael Tidwell is the organizer of Tabconf, the longest running Bitcoin technical conference which takes place every year in Atlanta. In this episode, we talk about Bitcoin drama & use a fun roulette game to figure out who's guilty of it. Time stamps: 00:01:09 - Welcome and episode gimmick intro 00:01:30 - Sponsors shoutout 00:01:36 - Bitcoin drama discussion starts 00:03:38 - Bitcoin Core vs Knots debate 00:04:28 - Wheel spin: Blame the plebs 00:06:52 - Egg pick: Solution is "use tabs" 00:07:56 - Adam Back's "use tabs" context from 2017 00:09:09 - Paul Sztorc's role and personality 00:10:52 - Defining "pleb" in Bitcoin culture 00:13:42 - Hodlonaut story and Lightning Torch 00:16:32 - Roger Ver interview drama 00:18:43 - Hijacking Bitcoin book discussion 00:22:58 - Layer 2 Labs sponsor plug and drivechains 00:25:14 - Citrea ZK rollup explanation 00:27:48 - Liquid federation vs true sidechains 00:32:39 - Core vs Knots diffs and risks 00:33:52 - Peter Todd's OP_RETURN proposal 00:34:56 - CSAM fears and cultural debates 00:38:05 - Illicit content already on chain 00:40:54 - Multiple Bitcoin implementations history 00:44:03 - Libbitcoin rewrite and optimizations 00:44:37 - Bitcoin Cash fork and implementations 00:46:42 - Potential hard fork predictions 01:46:05 - MEV in Bitcoin via game example 01:47:57 - Drivechains delay: Blame the spooks 01:50:27 - Solution: Hard fork 01:51:59 - Drivechains on Litecoin pros/cons 01:55:01 - Litecoin as testbed for Bitcoin tech 01:57:59 - Stablecoins on Bitcoin layers 02:00:16 - Lightning Network limitations meme 02:01:35 - Lightning critique and distractions 02:04:49 - Lightning wheel spin: Blame Jack Dorsey 02:07:34 - Solution: Listen to Bitcoin Takeover 02:08:28 - Too many Bitcoin conferences issue 02:10:45 - Early Bitcoin conferences like San Jose 2013 02:13:00 - Craig Wright blame: Roger Ver 02:17:08 - Solution: Sell all your Bitcoin 02:18:24 - Reasons to sell all Bitcoin 02:19:47 - BSV community and Craig Wright claims 02:23:28 - Mental health in Bitcoin and seeking clarity 02:27:23 - Bitcoin's robustness to issues 02:31:26 - Advice for newcomers on understanding Bitcoin 02:32:41 - TabConf plug and history books 02:35:05 - Fortune-telling wrap-up and farewellPlayPlay S16 E42: Michael Tidwell on Bitcoin Drama & Tabconf
• S16 E41: Yonatan Sompolinsky on Bitcoin, Kaspa & Proof of WorkAug 29, 2025 · 7 hr 35 minYonatan Sompolinsky is an academic in the field of computer science, best known for his work on the GHOST protocol (Greedy Heaviest Observed Subtree, which was cited in the Ethereum whitepaper) and the way he applied his research to create Kaspa. In this episode, we talk about scaling Proof of Work and why Kaspa might be a worthy contender to process global payments. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Time stamps: 00:01:22 - Debunking rumors: Why some think Yonatan is Satoshi Nakamoto 00:02:52 - Candidates for Satoshi: Charles Hoskinson, Charlie Lee, Zooko, and Alex Chepurnoy 00:03:41 - Alex Chepurnoy as a Satoshi-like figure 00:04:07 - Kaspa overview: DAG structure, no orphaned blocks, generalization of Bitcoin 00:04:55 - Similarities between Kaspa and Bitcoin fundamentals 00:06:12 - Why Kaspa couldn't be built directly on Bitcoin 00:08:05 - Kaspa as generalization of Nakamoto consensus 00:11:55 - Origins of GHOST protocol and early DAG concepts for Bitcoin scaling 00:13:16 - Academic motivation for GHOST and transitioning to computer science 00:13:50 - Turtle pet named Bitcoin 00:15:22 - Increasing block rate in Bitcoin and GHOST protocol 00:16:57 - Meeting Gregory Maxwell and discovering GHOST flaws 00:20:00 - Yonatan's views on drivechains and Bitcoin maximalism 00:20:36 - Defining Bitcoin maximalism: Capital B vs lowercase b 00:23:18 - Satoshi's support for Namecoin and merged mining 00:24:12 - Bitcoin culture in 2013-2018: Opposing other functionalities 00:26:01 - Vitalik's 2014 article on Bitcoin maximalism 00:26:13 - Andrew Poelstra's opposition to other assets on Bitcoin 00:26:38 - Bitcoin culture: Distaste for DeFi, criticism of Ethereum as a scam 00:28:03 - Bitcoin Cash developments: Cash tokens, cash fusion, contracts 00:28:39 - Rejection of Ethereum in Bitcoin circles 00:30:18 - Ethereum's successful PoS transition despite critics 00:35:04 - Ethereum's innovation: From Plasma to ZK rollups, nurturing development 00:37:04 - Stacks protocol and criticism from Luke Dashjr 00:39:02 - Bitcoin culture justifying technical limitations 00:41:01 - Declining Bitcoin adoption as money, rise of altcoins for payments 00:43:02 - Kaspa's aspirations: Merging sound money with DeFi, beyond just payments 00:43:56 - Possibility of tokenized Bitcoin on Kaspa 00:46:30 - Native currency advantage and friction in bridges 00:48:49 - WBTC on Ethereum scale vs Bitcoin L2s 00:53:33 - Quotes: Richard Dawkins on atheism, Milton Friedman on Yap Island money 00:55:44 - Story of Kaspa's messy fair launch in 2021 01:14:08 - Tech demo of Kaspa wallet experience 01:28:45 - Kaspa confirmation times & transaction fees 01:43:26 - GHOST DAG visualizer 01:44:10 - Mining Kaspa 01:55:48 - Data pruning in Kaspa, DAG vs MimbleWimble 02:01:40 - Grin & the fairest launch 02:12:21 - Zcash scaling & ZKP OP code in Kaspa 02:19:50 - Jameson Lopp, cold storage & self custody elitism 02:35:08 - Social recovery 02:41:00 - Amir Taaki, DarkFi & DAO 02:53:10 - Nick Szabo's God ProtocolPlayPlay S16 E41: Yonatan Sompolinsky on Bitcoin, Kaspa & Proof of Work
• S16 E40: Cory Klippsten on Bitcoin Culture & MaximalismAug 22, 2025 · 2 hr 22 minCory Klippsten is the CEO of Swan Bitcoin and has a long history in both traditional finance and the Bitcoin space. In this two-part episode, he talks about why Bitcoin is winning and how the culture around it has changed.PlayPlay S16 E40: Cory Klippsten on Bitcoin Culture & Maximalism