Bitcoin Policy Institute

Sam Lyman and David Beckworth discuss how dollar stablecoins could shape the dollar’s global role and compete with central bank digital currencies. Their conversation covers access to Federal Reserve payment infrastructure, tokenized reserves and Treasury securities, and how banks and new payment providers might adapt to a more digital financial system. Recorded during Day 1 of Freedom Tech DC 202...

Representative Nick Begich joins Anthony Pompliano to discuss the American Reserve Modernization Act and the case for a long-term U.S. Bitcoin reserve. They examine self-custody protections, federal and state custody arrangements, transparency and audits, and the legislative choices behind the proposal. Begich also reflects on his early Bitcoin experience and the lessons of Mt. Gox. Recorded durin...

Andrew Bailey presents cypherpunk humanism as an approach to technology centered on human flourishing and individual control. Using encrypted communications, Bitcoin, and locally operated AI as examples, he explores how people can protect privacy, build direct connections, and use machines to support their own lives and communities. Recorded during Day 1 of Freedom Tech DC 2026, September 22, 2026...

Matthew Pines explores how AI could accelerate scientific discovery and turn advances in mathematics and physics into new technologies in energy, materials, and health. He argues that open science, independently verifiable results, and broad participation can help translate those advances into shared prosperity and human flourishing. Recorded during Day 1 of Freedom Tech DC 2026, September 22, 202...

Alex Thorn connects the freedom to transact, use AI, and publish software with the history of encryption and the crypto wars. He discusses Bitcoin self-custody, protections for software developers, and access to hosted and local AI tools as foundations for individual agency in an economy increasingly coordinated by code. Recorded during Day 1 of Freedom Tech DC 2026, September 22, 2026, in Washing...

Tommy Eastman joins Matthew Burtell to discuss the strategic case for open source AI and Nous Research’s Hermes Agent. They explore control over data and models, competition and costs, distillation, and the policy choices affecting open AI development. Recorded during Day 1 of Freedom Tech DC 2026, September 22, 2026, in Washington, DC. Presented by the Bitcoin Policy Institute. SPEAKERS Matthew B...

Jon Pelson joins Ken Egan to discuss the telecommunications infrastructure that digital assets and other freedom technologies depend on. Drawing on Wireless Wars, Pelson examines network security, Chinese telecom equipment, and the FreedomNet initiative, including sovereign control, permissionless innovation, and commercial incentives for resilient communications. Recorded during Day 1 of Freedom...

Zack Shapiro examines the challenge of addressing advanced AI risks while preserving freedom, privacy, and human control. He discusses alignment, the dangers of concentrated power, and principles for evidence-based safeguards focused on frontier capabilities, alongside open models, independent research, and pluralism. Recorded during Day 1 of Freedom Tech DC 2026, September 22, 2026, in Washington...

Michael Saylor joins Conner Brown to discuss the relationship between digital intelligence, Bitcoin, and digital capital. The conversation covers capital formation, digital currency, AI agents, and the policy choices they believe will shape technological innovation and American competitiveness. Recorded during Day 1 of Freedom Tech DC 2026, September 22, 2026, in Washington, DC. Presented by the B...

Jack Dorsey, CEO of Block, joins David Zell, President of the Bitcoin Policy Institute, for a conversation about open-source AI and the freedom to build. They discuss Block’s Goose and Buzz tools, how AI is changing work, and the policy choices shaping access to advanced models, security, and competition. Recorded during Day 1 of Freedom Tech DC 2026, September 22, 2026, in Washington, DC. Present...

Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK) reached Congress by an unusual route: founding software companies and holding Bitcoin since 2013. BPI's David Zell sat down with him at PubKey to talk about how a builder's instincts shape the way he legislates, his bill to give the U.S. a strategic Bitcoin reserve, and the policy questions AI is raising faster than Washington can answer them. The conversation runs from Beg...

Why did Tether launch a U.S. stablecoin now? Why does Coinbase have so much influence in Congress? And what’s really behind the SEC–CFTC harmonization push? Bitcoin Policy Hour breaks down the biggest regulatory stories shaping Bitcoin’s future plus a deep look at the debasement trade driving gold, silver, and potentially bitcoin higher.🔶 Connect with Zack Shapiro on X: https://x.com/zackbshapiro...

Why are banks fighting stablecoin yield and why does it matter for Bitcoin? Zack Shapiro, Ken Egan, and Zack Cohen, break down the political battle unfolding in the U.S. Senate and why Coinbase’s opposition could derail market structure reform in the latest Senate bill. From developer protections to self-custody rights, this episode explores what’s at stake for the future of Bitcoin in the United...

In this exclusive interview, Congressman Warren Davidson announces the introduction of the Bitcoin for America Act, legislation that could redefine how the United States adopts Bitcoin and how Americans fulfill their tax obligations. Hosted by Conner Brown, Head of Strategy at the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI), this premiere episode of the BPI Spotlight Series explores:• Codifying the Strategic B...

In episode 15 of The Bitcoin Policy Hour, Washington is tightening its grip on crypto. Zack Cohen, Zack Shapiro, and Ken Egan of the Bitcoin Policy Institute are breaking down what that really means for your wallet and your freedom to build. From the fallout over the leaked DeFi regulation memo to renewed fights on Capitol Hill over self-custody and market structure, this week’s discussion dives i...

In episode 14 of the Bitcoin Policy Hour, the BPI team breaks down one of the most consequential stories in Bitcoin policy to date. The U.S. government has seized one of the largest Bitcoin troves in history — approx. 127,000 BTC — from a massive “pig-butchering” scam ring. With the now-enacated SBR, the federal government is now empowered to add this to its hoard of Bitcoin. The team unpacks the...

In this conversation, Renee Sorchik sits down with Dr. Joshua Hendrickson and Dr. Craig Warmke to discuss their new paper, Sanctions and Sanction-Resistant Money. They explore the concept of “Hash Handcuffs” — the idea of enforcing U.S. sanctions on the Bitcoin network — and whether such attempts are technically feasible or economically effective. The discussion examines potential pressure points...

Congress is waging a war on Bitcoin wallets through the CLARITY Act — a market structure bill that could either protect self-custody and open-source developers or dismantle them at the last minute. In episode 17, special guest Kyle Olney joins to break down what the bill really says, why the Satoshi Needs You campaign is rallying Bitcoiners, and how Washington politics could decide the future of p...

In an era where free markets are increasingly shaped by state power, investors need to understand the nexus of geopolitics, political economy and exponential technologies as a tool of statecraft. BPI’s Matt Pines and Zack Shapiro join Zack Cohen to examine how U.S. industrial policy, AI breakthroughs, and Bitcoin regulation are converging to reshape global markets. The conversation explores the la...

In this conversation, Renee Sorchik discusses with Dr. Joshua Hendrickson and Dr. William Luther the implications of their research on Bitcoin, focusing on the relationship between block size, security, and the price of Bitcoin. They explore how block congestion can act as a deterrent to criminal activities, the empirical analysis of breaches and fraud, and the historical context of the block size...

In this episode, Renee Sorchik, VP of Research at the Bitcoin Policy Institute, sits down with Brent Buchanan, CEO of Cygnal, America’s leading polling firm, and Troy Cross, professor at Reed College and co-founder of the Nakamoto Project. Together they dive deeper into new polling data and survey findings on Bitcoin adoption, ownership, and public perception. The conversation explores who really...

What future risk does quantum computing pose to Bitcoin, and how can we think of those risks in terms of their potential geopolitical outcomes? In this episode of Bitcoin Policy Hour, Matthew Pines, Zack Shapiro and Zack Cohen recap the "Crypto Week" legislative wins, followed by a deep dive on the "Q-Day" threat—the moment quantum computers become powerful enough to threaten B...

In this episode of the Bitcoin Policy Hour, the Bitcoin Policy Institute's Zack Cohen and Zack Shapiro are joined by special guest David Zell, (BPI Co-founder) to break down Crypto Week in DC, including the Genius Act, anti-CBDC legislation, and the Clarity Act. The team analyzes the recent surge in Bitcoin price action, the growing role of institutional capital, and how partisan politics are...

Elon Musk’s newly-stated alignment with the so-called “America Party” might mark a turning point in Bitcoin politics—but could it also polarize Trump against BTC? In this episode of the Bitcoin Policy Hour, BPI’s Matthew Pines, Zack Shapiro, and Zack Cohen unpack the political chessboard as Elon steps closer to Bitcoin. Chapters: 00:00 – Elon’s Political Power & Bitcoin Alignment 01:04 – Myste...

The U.S. government is running it hot — and Bitcoin may be the only exit. In episode 8 of the Bitcoin Policy Hour, the Bitcoin Policy Institute team — Executive Director Matthew Pines, Head of Policy Zack Shapiro, and Associate Zack Cohen — break down what just happened with the Big Beautiful Bill and why it matters for Bitcoin, inflation, and America’s fiscal future. They dive into the last-minut...