The Becoming Sovereign Podcast

In this episode, Brandon Karpeles sits down with Maxx, widely known on Nostr as Source Node, to discuss his journey from corporate automotive sales to becoming the newest member of the Sovreign team. This episode takes a highly esoteric turn, venturing beyond traditional Bitcoin topics into philosophy, spirituality, and alternative history. Maxx shares why he walked away from the fiat corporate wo...

In this episode, Brandon sits down with Rev Hodl, a homesteader who left the Los Angeles post-production industry to build true sovereignty in southwest Michigan. They discuss how Rev integrates Bitcoin into his homesteading to align with the permaculture ethic of non-extraction, and how local communities are building resilient networks. Rev breaks down the concept of the "Mesh Citadel"—...

In this episode, Brandon sits down with Stu Lackey and Jon Gordon, founders of Sound HSA, to discuss the intersection of sound money and sound health. They explore how the traditional $5 trillion U.S. healthcare system is burdened by administrative bloat and misaligned incentives, and how Bitcoin offers a path forward. Stu and Jon break down the massive benefits of the Health Savings Account (HSA)...

In this episode, Brandon sits down with Halston Valencia , a marketer at Bitcoin Well, to discuss the growing crisis of financial nihilism among Gen Z and how Bitcoin offers a viable escape route from the fiat matrix. Halston shares her journey of grinding through three jobs while studying at USC, the realization that traditional economics courses weren't teaching the truth about money, and ho...

In this episode, Brandon sits down with Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise, to explore the rapidly changing landscape of institutional Bitcoin adoption. Matt shares his frontline experience pitching Bitcoin to wealth advisors, family offices, and institutions, shedding light on why traditional finance has historically been so slow to adopt the asset. In this episode, we cover: Instit...

In this mind-bending episode, Brandon is joined by Eric V Stacks (co-host of the What is Money show) to discuss the intersection of Bitcoin, quantum physics, and spiritual reality. Eric shares his fascinating 17-year journey of growing cannabis in Humboldt County, California, navigating the brutal regulatory environment, and ultimately selling his farm when he realized Bitcoin was the ultimate che...

In this episode, Brandon sits down with Michael Diederich , the owner of Snorkel Hot Tubs , to discuss his transition from a corporate career at Microsoft to running a physical business rooted in craftsmanship and Bitcoin. Michael shares the story of how he found Snorkel (a company founded in 1979), why he cashed out his retirement to buy it, and how he is slowly transforming a legacy brand into a...

In this profound episode, Jeff Booth , author of The Price of Tomorrow and Founding Partner at Ego Death Capital , joins Brandon to discuss the psychological and economic shift required to live on a Bitcoin standard. Jeff challenges the very foundation of our economic reality, explaining why deflation is the natural state of the free market and why the current inflationary system is a "matrix" des...

The world is waking up to the reality of broken money. In this episode, Brandon Karpeles sits down with Sam Callahan , Director of Strategy and Research at Orange BTC (OranjeBTC), to discuss how they are bringing a Bitcoin treasury strategy to Latin America. Sam shares his unique journey from working in professional sports science (helping athletes like Derrick Rose avoid injury) to diagnosing the...

We are living in a system that is rigged against the average person. In this episode, Brandon Karpeles sits down with Natalie Brunell , host of Coin Stories and author of the new book Bitcoin Is for Everyone . Natalie shares her powerful personal story of emigrating from Poland, watching her family struggle in a new country, and realizing that the American Dream is slipping away due to a broken mo...

Real estate is the oldest asset class in the world. Bitcoin is the newest. What happens when you combine them? In this explosive episode, Brandon Karpeles sits down with Grant Cardone , the 10X mogul, real estate tycoon, and sales expert, to discuss his groundbreaking strategy to merge physical property with digital scarcity. Grant explains why the traditional banking system is broken and why he b...

Wall Street hates change. They like fees, bureaucracy, and the status quo. In this episode, Brandon Karpeles sits down with Anthony Scaramucci , founder of SkyBridge Capital and author of The Little Book of Bitcoin , to discuss why the traditional financial system is fighting so hard against the inevitable future of money. Anthony shares his personal journey from being a Bitcoin skeptic ("I don't...

What happens when you run out of fiat to buy Bitcoin? You start selling your value directly for sats. In this episode, Brandon Karpeles sits down with Alessandro , the founder of Sat’s Oil , to discuss his journey from the high-end Italian hospitality industry to becoming a Bitcoin-only merchant. Alessandro shares a live tasting of his family's extra virgin olive oil and explains why quality produ...

The year 2025 has been a transformative one for Sovereign. In this special internal roundtable episode, host Brandon Karpeles is joined by the Sovereign "brain trust": Jeff Newman (Chief Revenue Officer) and John Balkam (Chief Marketing Officer). Together, they reflect on the pivot from a content-focused startup to a full-service Bitcoin business consultancy, and map out the vision for 2026. They...

Bitcoin has the best engineering in the world, but does it have the best storytelling? In this episode, Brandon Karpeles sits down with Armani Cotton , professional basketball player, former VP at Swan, and founder of Cypherpunk Studio . Armani argues that "number go up" isn't enough to capture the world—we need to build worlds, culture, and experiences that people want to step into. He breaks dow...

Online shopping has become a nightmare of drop-shipped trash, censorship, and endless scrolling through sponsored junk. In this episode, Brandon Karpeles sits down with Eric FJ , founder of Conduit and a key builder in the decentralized marketplace movement on Nostr. Eric explains why the "Legacy" models of Amazon and Shopify are failing consumers and merchants alike, and how NIP-99 is building a...

In this episode of The Bitcoin Business Podcast , Brandon Karpeles sits down with Auggie , founder of Ink Blot Farm — a regenerative homesteader producing lamb, pork, lard, honey, deodorant, and other hyper-local goods for Bitcoin. Auggie’s journey represents the growing movement of farmers and small producers who are using Bitcoin to rebuild local economies, strengthen community food systems, and...

The banking industry is waking up to the threat of Bitcoin—and they are fighting back. In this episode, Brandon Karpeles sits down with Marty Bent , founder of TFTC, host of Rabbit Hole Recap , and partner at Ten31, to discuss the state of the media, the "crypto" distraction, and the silent war banks are waging against Bitcoin companies. Marty shares his journey from a disillusioned finance analys...

Bitcoin isn’t just a hedge anymore—it’s becoming a foundational tool for businesses trying to survive inflation, rising costs, and a broken monetary system. In this episode, Brandon Karpeles sits down with Stephen Cole , long-time Bitcoiner, investor, community builder, and now co-founder & CEO of Castle , a Bitcoin treasury platform built specifically for businesses. Stephen brings decades of...

In this episode of The Bitcoin Business Podcast , Brandon Karpeles sits down with Jason Keil , founder of Polaris Payments and Bitcoin Payments Advisor , to break down the real problems merchants face inside the legacy payments industry. After 15 years in merchant services, Jason has seen it all — the fraud, the fees, the fax-based chargebacks (yes, still happening in 2025), and the constant stres...

In this episode of The Bitcoin Business Podcast , Brandon Karpeles sits down with Tyler Stevens , founder of Exergy , a company transforming Bitcoin miners into efficient heating systems for homes and businesses. Tyler’s journey from Lockheed Martin aerospace engineer to Bitcoin entrepreneur is a testament to how innovation meets sovereignty. After realizing that Bitcoin miners convert nearly 100%...

In this episode of The Bitcoin Business Podcast , Brandon Karpeles sits down with Scott Marmoll , founder of Capital B Advisory and former Vice President at Cantor Fitzgerald , to discuss how Bitcoin is transforming corporate finance, debt markets, and the way business owners think about value. Scott shares his journey from M&A and private equity to launching Capital B Advisory—a Bitcoin-nativ...

In this episode of The Bitcoin Business Podcast , Brandon Karpeles sits down with Josh , founder of Sats4Snacks.com , to talk about how he turned a simple idea—freeze-drying fruit—into a fully Bitcoin-native business. From discovering Bitcoin through Podcasting 2.0 to accepting payments via BTC Pay Server , Josh’s journey represents what it looks like to build a parallel economy where value exchan...

In this episode of The Bitcoin Business Podcast , host Brandon Karpeles sits down with Rick , co-founder of CryptoCloaks , a Bitcoin hardware company that started as a small 3D printing project and grew into one of the most recognized names in Bitcoin manufacturing. Rick shares how a passion for tinkering and problem-solving turned into a full-time business serving Bitcoiners worldwide. What began...

Brandon Karpeles discusses the importance of Bitcoin awareness, personal health experiences, and the connection between mindset and health. He emphasizes the value of health and time over Bitcoin, shares insights on generational wealth and its potential with Bitcoin, and explores the role of Bitcoin in business. Bitcoin is smaller than you might think. Health and time are more valuable than Bitcoi...