THE Bitcoin Podcast

Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert join THE Bitcoin Podcast for a fiery, wide-ranging conversation on Bitcoin’s Wall Street problem, El Salvador’s renaissance, and the culture Bitcoin lost.

We discuss how President Nayib Bukele transformed El Salvador from a country defined by violence and despair into a global symbol of security, optimism, and Bitcoin-powered possibility. Max and Stacy explain why they see El Salvador as the leading example of a new freedom model built around Bitcoin, AI, education, energy, and strong governance.

The conversation also dives deep into Bitcoin’s financialization: Strategy/MSTR, Wall Street...

American Hodl and Erik Cason return to THE Bitcoin Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on Bitcoin, AI, cryptography, surveillance, socialism / communism, and the future of human freedom.

We explore whether AI is fundamentally communist and centralizing, why Bitcoin may be one of humanity’s greatest tools for preserving individual liberty, and how advances in AI are reshaping the economics of censorship, surveillance, and political power.

Along the way, we examine the resurgence of socialism and communism, America’s founding ideals, the growing crisis of trust in Western institutions, open-source AI, privacy, faith, family, and why buil...

In this episode, I sit down with Matt Odell for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of Bitcoin, Nostr, and freedom tech in an era of accelerating AI surveillance. Matt opens up about why he returned to X after two years on Nostr only, what he got wrong about adoption timelines, and why he still believes open protocols are the only credible path forward. We get into the tension between self-custody and custodial convenience, the surveillance threat posed by AI-powered data harvesting, and how Odell thinks about building resilient, censorship-resistant systems from his own self-hosted stack at home.

In this episode, I sit down with Matt Odell for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of Bitcoin, Nostr, and freedom tech in an era of accelerating AI surveillance. Matt opens up about why he returned to X after two years on Nostr only, what he got wrong about adoption timelines, and why he still believes open protocols are the only credible path forward. We get into the tension between self-custody and custodial convenience, the surveillance threat posed by AI-powered data harvesting, and how Odell thinks about building resilient, censorship-resistant systems from his own self-hosted stack at home.

Kyle Olney joins THE Bitcoin Podcast to discuss Bitcoin policy, open-source software, AI, privacy, and the growing battle between freedom technology and government control.

We examine the Clarity Act and BRCA, what they mean for Bitcoin developers and privacy tools, and why developer protections are critical fight for the future of open-source innovation in America.

Kyle also explores the parallels between Bitcoin and AI, the risks of restricting access to advanced models (e.g. Anthropic's Fable), and why open-source technology is essential for preserving competition, privacy, and individual liberty.

Finally, we zoom out...

Privacy isn’t about having something to hide. It’s about preserving the freedom to act, communicate, and coordinate without coercion.

In this episode of THE Bitcoin Podcast, Walker sits down with privacy advocate, cypherpunk, and Freedom Tech builder Max Hillebrand to discuss his new book, The Praxeology of Privacy.

Max explains how Austrian economics and cypherpunk philosophy intersect, why privacy is a natural consequence of self-ownership and property rights, and how surveillance distorts economic calculation in much the same way that money printing distorts markets.

The conversation explores:

IS THE BOTTOM IN? In this episode, I sit down with on-chain analyst James Check (Checkmate) and sentiment researcher Michael Sullivan to dig into their joint report "Peak Apathy" and what it really means when nobody gives a damn about Bitcoin. We go deep on why this bear market feels different, how language data and on-chain metrics are converging on some of the clearest accumulation signals since 2022, and why the most dangerous thing you can do right now is let the herd talk you out of stacking. "IT'S TIME TO DOUBLE DOWN."

If you've been feeling the...

In this episode of THE Bitcoin Podcast, Walker sits down with coinjoined Chris for a wide-ranging conversation covering Bitcoin security, privacy, memes, AI propaganda, self-custody, and the future of freedom tech. They discuss the rise in violent “$5 wrench attacks” against Bitcoiners, operational security best practices, and why privacy tools and self-custody matter more than ever in an increasingly surveilled world.

They also dive deep into Bitcoin scaling debates, covenant proposals, quantum computing fears, and whether Bitcoin should continue evolving or ossify over time. Along the way, they explore AI-generated media, the changing culture of Bitcoin, the rise of i...

In this episode, I sit down with Michael Sullivan, author of Blood of the Bourgeoisie, to explore his groundbreaking Bitcoin sentiment analysis work that goes far beyond the fear and greed index, tracking individual high-signal Bitcoiners' language at a granularity most hedge funds only use behind closed doors. We also go deep on Blood of the Bourgeoisie, the Bitcoin thriller I had the honor of narrating, which captures the inner conflict every Bitcoiner knows between wanting to burn the system down and finding the more constructive path forward. The conversation dives into language, narrative formation, Bitcoin culture, the psychology...

Allen Farrington returns to THE Bitcoin Podcast to discuss his latest essay “Number Go Down,” the myths surrounding deflation, why fiat economics gets causation backwards, and how inflationary monetary systems distort society itself.

Walker and Allen explore the “paradox of thrift,” why central banking is fundamentally incompatible with free markets, and how fiat money fuels wealth inequality while convincing people capitalism is to blame. They also dive into socialism, Bitcoin as a savings technology, lowering time preference, and the future of Bitcoin scaling technologies like Lightning and ARK.

The conversation also covers Bitcoin Is Venice, the upco...

In this episode, I sat down with Josh Hendrickson, BPI Senior Fellow and Chair of Economics at the University of Mississippi, to dig into the uncomfortable truth that Bitcoin's success has made political engagement unavoidable, not optional. We covered why the normalization of socialist ideas in America is both predictable and dangerous, why the "just leave me alone" mentality always loses to those who refuse to leave you alone, and how the proof-of-work ethos connects Bitcoin's rabbit hole to the kind of first-principles thinking America desperately needs right now.

FOLLOW JOSH:

X: https://x.com...

Why does everything feel harder right now—and why does Bitcoin feel so frustrating at the same time?

In this episode, I sit down with James Check (Checkmate) to break down the reality behind the “cost of living” crisis, why the system no longer seems to work for younger generations, and what Bitcoin is telling us about where we are in the market cycle.

We explore the deeper forces driving rising costs, inequality, and financial stress—before diving into Bitcoin’s current phase: who’s actually selling, who’s buying, and whether this painful stretch is setting up...

Rob Wallace from Bitcoin News is not your typical Bitcoiner, this is a guy who spent four years living in Shanghai, bought his first 2.2 bitcoin at an ATM in 2016… only to have them stolen at a Las Vegas airport. We cover the macro chaos unfolding around us, why Eastern Europe might be civilization's last immune system, and what the Fourth Turning actually looks like from the inside. We dig deep into the corporate Bitcoin treasury mania: who's holding the line and who already blinked. Mainly, we discuss why the next wave of bitcoin adoption will come from a crisis.

Giacomo Zucco joins Walker America to discuss Bitcoin spam, ordinals, inscriptions, Bitcoin Core, Core v30 / OP_RETURN, Knots, and why he thinks the BIP-110 soft fork will fail—and why that’s a problem. They break down the technical and political fight over spam filtering, consensus changes, and the future of Bitcoin nodes. Zucco argues that while spam is real, BIP-110 is the wrong solution—and its failure could damage the movement trying to fight it.

Key Topics:

• Plan B Lugano + the rise of Cypher Tank

• Is Bitcoin Core compromised?

• Bitcoin spam vs cens...

Walker sits down with Paul Keating from Primal to talk about where Nostr is three years after Nostrica, why adoption has been slower than the early hype suggested, and why that may have been a good thing. They explore Primal’s vision, creator onboarding, Bitcoin zaps as a native internet business model, circular Bitcoin economies like Bitcoin Jungle, the coming wave of Nostr apps that hide the protocol from end users, and why human-first, sovereignty-preserving social tools matter more than ever in an age of AI slop, algorithmic addiction, and centralized digital identity.

Key topics discussed

Walker sits down with Rational Root for a deep dive into Bitcoin’s current market structure, bear market vibes, and why this cycle has felt so different, and whether the four-year cycle is still intact. Root argues Bitcoin is in a bear market phase, explains why institutional adoption and ETF flows created a more distributed top instead of a classic parabolic blow-off, and lays out why the next few months may look more like bottom formation than immediate breakout. They discuss the role of long-term holder distribution, why 100k became such a major psychological level, how business cycles and ha...

Walker goes live on Nostr with Alex Gleason (Soapbox) and Derek Ross to talk about the new AI + Nostr builder renaissance: why Nostr beats federated “decentralization”, how Alex accidentally ended up helping build Truth Social off the Mastodon stack, and why AI-first, permissionless app building is exploding. They break down Soapbox’s suite—Shakespeare (in-browser AI app builder), Agora (activist coordination + anti-blackout tooling), Treasures.to (real-world geocaching), plus the agent economy experiments: OpenClaw, Quilly, Moltbook, and Clawstr—where bots post, zap, and evolve personalities. They also dig into BitChat, Cashu, and more. The big takeaway: the barrier to building is basical...

Lyn Alden is back on THE Bitcoin Podcast to break down why this cycle left so many of us feeling like we should be more excited than we are. We get into why $126K, despite being a new all-time high, fell short of what the fundamentals suggested was possible, and what that tells us about where retail and sovereign demand actually stands. We also dig into the macro picture, the Fed, the new chair, Bitcoin vs Quantum narrative, AI as a deflationary force, why DOGE couldn't actually move the needle on government spending, and what geopolitical catalyst might finally...

Today, I sit down with Brandon Gentile, fellow Bitcoin content creator and homeschooling father, to talk about the war most people don't even know is being fought. We cover the late-stage fiat death spiral, multiple societal cycles converging all at once, why Max Pain is probably unavoidable, and why separating education from the state matters just as much as separating money from the state.

FOLLOW BRANDON:

NOSTR: https://primal.net/brandon_gentile

X: https://x.com/brandon_gentile

PARTNERS & DISCOUNTS:

Erik Cason is back and we're diving deep into some uncomfortable truths. We talk about government corruption, the Epstein revelations, and why most people will never wake up from the Matrix. Erik breaks down his Crypto Sovereignty philosophy, the Orange Party concept, his Vora AI project for true digital sovereignty, and why Bitcoin is fundamentally political with a capital P.

FOLLOW ERIK:

NOSTR: https://primal.net/erikcason

X: https://x.com/Erikcason

VORA: https://www.vora.io/

PARTNERS & DISCOUNTS:

What's the biggest threat to Bitcoin? Is it Quantum? Developers? BIP110? Governments? Or something else entirely…

In this episode, I sit down with Bitcoin OG Jimmy Song for a nuanced conversation about the state of Bitcoin development and governance. We dive into his 2011 origin story, unpack the store of value vs medium of exchange debate, and explore why he believes ossification is actually better for Bitcoin than constant protocol changes. Jimmy pulls no punches on Taproot's broken promises, explaining why the UX realities never materialized despite developer optimism.

We dig deep into the BIP 110 soft fo...

In this episode, I chat with Eric Yakes, author and founder of Epoch Ventures, about his Epoch Ventures 2026 Bitcoin Ecosystem Report, covering 21 predictions for Bitcoin's evolution this year. We tackle Bitcoin's path to taking gold's market share, the rotation trade catalyst that could drive prices to $150K+, and how Bitcoiners are accidentally FUDing themselves with quantum computing concerns. The conversation also explores the failure of crypto's "fat protocol thesis," Bitcoin's growing mainstream media acceptance, and the rise of application-layer adoption through projects like chat.

PARTNERS & DISCOUNTS:

“Bitcoin would be at $221,696 per coin right now if it were not for all of the pleb slop.”

This is episode three of Bitcoin After Dark. I talk with Ben Justman and Richard Greaser about Pleb Slop and wine and stuff. Check out Ben's wine, Peony Lane Wine. It's good.

PARTNERS & DISCOUNTS:

"The problem is that our beef industry is under attack and people don't realize that."

In this episode of The Bitcoin Podcast, host Walker America sits down with Tom Taber, Executive Director of The Beef Initiative, to expose what they argue is a deeply broken, centralized, and captured beef industry — and to explain why food sovereignty may be as important as monetary sovereignty.

Tom breaks down how government subsidies, USDA regulations, and corporate consolidation have created a system where a handful of processors control the majority of beef distribution, ranchers don’t set their own pric...

A firsthand account of Venezuela’s collapse under socialism—how fear, censorship, hyperinflation, and capital controls destroyed property rights—and why Bitcoin offers a path to real ownership, financial sovereignty, and freedom when institutions fail.

In this episode of THE Bitcoin Podcast, Walker America speaks with Mauricio Di Bartolomeo about Venezuela’s economic collapse, the Chaves and Maduro regimes, life under socialism, what Venezuelans really think about Trump taking out Maduro, and why removing a dictator does not instantly restore freedom. Drawing from firsthand experience, Mauricio explains how fear, censorship, capital controls, and the breakdown of property rights h...

"Right now, all you have to worry about is how are you going to stack more corn? Because while everyone else is freaking out, you have an opportunity."

This is episode two of BITCOIN AFTER DARK. These episodes are originally live streamed as "emergency broadcasts" and I figured I might as well put them out as regular episodes.

For this rip I'm once again joined by Nathan from Bitcoin Mentor (https://x.com/theBTCmentor) - find his show on @BTCSessions channel here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxdf8G0kzsUUG-UJmHAIkQfqFTM-wVsUh&si=8lnPPI4PYBDCFg5m

Preston Byrne is a technology and free-speech lawyer who’s been on the front lines of a growing international battle over online speech. We dig into how governments in the UK, EU, and Australia are attempting to project their censorship regimes onto American companies, and why

Preston is representing platforms like 4chan and Kiwi Farms in direct opposition to those efforts.

We explore the UK’s Online Safety Act, the escalating push for age verification and VPN crackdowns, and why these laws pose a direct threat to the First Amendment. We also unpack the GRANITE Act...

In this episode of THE Bitcoin Podcast, Walker America is joined by open-source developer Jeff G to explore the growing clash between freedom tech and the surveillance state. They discuss White Noise, a decentralized messaging app built on Bitcoin-adjacent cryptography and Nostr, and the Marmot protocol that enables secure, private communication without centralized choke points. The conversation expands into the broader implications of digital identity, metadata surveillance, AI-driven monitoring, and the shift from physical repression to financial and digital control. Together, they make the case for decentralized money, private speech, and open protocols as essential tools for preserving individual...

“If the internet could move value natively… would you use anything else?”

I sit down with David Marcus, a true fintech veteran and the co-founder and CEO of Lightspark. You might know him from his time at PayPal, Meta where he led Messenger, or the ambitious Libra/Diem project. Now, he’s on a mission to build the open internet of money—on Bitcoin.

We dive into David’s fascinating journey through startups, global payments, and Silicon Valley, before unpacking the philosophy and architecture behind Lightspark. We explore how Bitcoin is evolving beyond store of value into a...

"I am incredibly, incredibly bullish right now."

In this episode, I chat with Marty Bent, co-founder of TFTC, host of Rabbit Hole Recap, and one of the most clear-headed voices in Bitcoin media. We dig into the state of Bitcoin markets and why Marty remains deeply bullish despite volatility, before moving into a wide-ranging conversation on Nostr, live streaming, and the cultural shift toward open protocols. If you’re trying to understand how Bitcoin, family, culture, and politics all collide in this moment, and where optimism still makes sense, this episode is for you.

PARTNERS & DI...

Today I talk with Keonne Rodriguez, co-founder of Samourai Wallet, who is set to report to prison on December 19 unless he gets a pardon from President Trump… In April 2024, two Bitcoin software developers, Keonne Rodriguez and William "Bill" Lonergan Hill, were violently arrested in their homes in a pre-dawn militarized raid by the FBI for running Samourai Wallet—a non-custodial Bitcoin wallet—despite no prior warnings and full compliance with the law as they and their advisors understood it.

Keonne on X: https://x.com/keonne

GET INVOLVED: https://billandkeonne.org/

SIGN THE PETITI...

In this episode, I chat with Preston Pysh, investor, educator, and host of Bitcoin Fundamentals on The Investor’s Podcast Network. We dive into everything from confusing macro signals and monetary policy pivots to his thoughts on the evolution of the four-year cycle. We also get into the political chess game of the Fed, what Trump might be planning for Powell’s replacement, and how institutions like Harvard are signaling strong conviction in Bitcoin. If you’re trying to make sense of the weird vibes in the market, this episode is for you.

PARTNERS & DISCOUNTS:

"Bitcoin is the best money that humanity has ever invented, discovered, whatever you want to say. There's 21 million forever. There's infinite fiat forever. Do the f***ing math. This isn't that complicated. You just have to stack sats."

This is episode one of BITCOIN AFTER DARK. These episodes are originally live streamed as "emergency broadcasts" and I figured I might as well put them out as regular episodes.

If you are bearish or worried about bitcoin right now, then this episode is for you.

For this rip I'm solo for the first part...

"Our government is very, very corrupt. That's why we're here."

In this episode, I chat with Alex McShane, a longtime Bitcoin builder, events producer, and deep thinker on everything from protocol development to the culture wars within Bitcoin. We dive into the reality of self-custody and the problems with deceptive hardware wallet marketing. We also explore the rise of open-source funding models and Nostr’s challenges with product-market fit.

Alex opens up about his background running massive conferences, his early work with Bitcoin Magazine, and his thoughts on whether the Bitcoin space is heading toward re...

“If you’re measuring Bitcoin in dollars, you haven’t left the matrix yet.”

In this episode of THE Bitcoin Podcast, Walker America sits down once again with Jeff Booth, author of The Price of Tomorrow and co-founder of Ego Death Capital, for a deep dive into the real state of the world:

– Why the natural state of a free market is deflation

– How fiat money, credit crises and “liquidity tightening” create the illusion that Bitcoin is failing

– Why nothing has changed in Bitcoin… and everything has changed in the legacy system

Jeff e...

In this episode of THE Bitcoin Podcast, Walker America talks with Angela McArdle—Chair of the Libertarian Party Mises Caucus and former Chair of the Libertarian National Party—about her path from local civil-liberties activism in Los Angeles to high-level federal political influence, including her pivotal role in negotiating Ross Ulbricht’s presidential pardon.

Angela outlines her strategy for transforming the Libertarian Party from a spoiler into a “kingmaker” that leverages ballot access and voter blocs to secure policy concessions and cabinet roles from major candidates. She also details her ongoing work to fight escalating “lawfare” against Bitcoin develo...

In this episode, I chat with Max Hillebrand, a devoted advocate for freedom tech and a long-time contributor to the Bitcoin and privacy space. Max and I dive deep into the philosophical and technical underpinnings of privacy, sovereignty, and the decentralized future we’re all building toward.

If you’ve ever questioned the fragility of our current systems or wondered what it means to truly own your freedom, this conversation will not only make you think, it might just light a fire under you.

PARTNERS & DISCOUNTS:

"I actually view Bitcoin as a way to keep the crown jewels of our civilization, the West, shining… If that goes out, then the whole world goes dark. And so that's what I think is the most important thing. I think Bitcoin is going to help save Western civilization."

What happens when you build a Bitcoin-only bank inside the belly of the U.S. financial system? River CEO/CTO Alex Leishman breaks down what it's like to build a Bitcoin bank, why Bitcoin saves western civilization, and what Bitcoin means for America.

PARTNERS & DISCOUNTS:

"I still think that there's enormous upside left. I truly believe we're going to hit 10, 20 million dollars per coin… I'm going to be buying Bitcoin at ten million dollars per coin because where else are you going to park your wealth?"

In this episode of THE Bitcoin Podcast, Walker America sits down with Nico from Simply Bitcoin to talk about the real choice humanity faces: Bitcoin or Slavery. From censorship-resistant social media and YouTube bans to Bitcoin Zen and the coming war between freedom money and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), this conversation dives deep into the fu...

"Fiat is the time thief. This is the biggest immoral part of all of this monetary system that we're trying to solve for. It's taking time away from you."

Summary

In this conversation, Walker and TC discuss the launch of the TimeChain Calendar mobile app, TC's journey into Bitcoin, and the evolution of the Time Chain Calendar project (https://timechaincalendar.com ). They explore the importance of visualizing Bitcoin's mechanics, including halvings and difficulty adjustments, and reflect on the design and user experience of the app. The discussion emphasizes the significance of continuous learning in the...