Fundamentals of Fundamentals

In this episode, I sat down with Charlie Stevens to explore what happens when actuarial thinking collides with Bitcoin, hard money, and the future of retirement income. We started with Charlie’s path through the actuarial profession in Ireland and into insurance consulting, then unpacked how reserve assumptions, capital rules, discount rates, and regulatory incentives shape the insurance world far...

Today I sit down with my longtime friend Sly Goomba for an unfiltered conversation about identity, debt, sovereignty, and faith. We trace our early Bitcoin zealotry, why the label “Bitcoiner” feels empty today, and how paper Bitcoin, institutions, and interest-rate theater shape people’s behavior far more than we want to admit. From credit-card traps to mortgages, we wrestle with whether rates eve...

In this solo riff, I challenge an Overton window many Bitcoiners (and I once) held sacred: that Austrian economics is a complete economic theory rather than a powerful tool for debunking bad ones. Sparked by reading Irreducible by Federico Faggin, I draw a parallel between classical vs. quantum physics and classical vs. Austrian economics, arguing that Austrian thought excels at telling us what ec...

In this episode, I sit down with Steven Lubka to reflect on the last few years of Bitcoin culture—from the electric energy of 2021–2023 Twitter Spaces to why the vibe inevitably tracks the price. We dig into how higher interest rates changed capital allocation, why dispersion has returned to markets, and how that raises the bar for real innovation versus ZIRP-era junk. We also revisit the UK LDI s...

7/11 Bitcoin en Español event at Pubkey NYC: https://www.satlantis.io/events/1663/Bitcoin-en-Espa%C3%B1ol Local Block Market # 7 at Olde Mecklenburg Brewey LoSo, Charlotte, NC: https://www.satlantis.io/events/2203/local-block-market-7 Delgado's Fuego Store: https://delgadosfuego.com/collections/all MotivPeru's Copa Bitcoin 2026 at Huanchaco, Peru: https://motivperu.ngo/en/copa-bitcoin/ I’m joined...

In this episode, I sit down with Keith Gardner, founder and CEO of Branta, to unpack a deceptively simple but critical missing piece in Bitcoin: pre‑payment verification. Fresh off the Vegas conference energy, we talk about how real‑world spending still feels nerve‑wracking—from my early Ledger Live panic to sending tuition via an Unchained vault—and why man‑in‑the‑middle risks and fat‑finger erro...

I sit down with Jordan Bush to trace an unlikely arc—from a chance connection at PubKey’s Danish Christmas lunch to a candid deep-dive on faith, Bitcoin, and personal transformation. We swap stories from Nashville beefsteaks and Austin meetups, then get honest about career upheaval, trusting God without a safety net, and how money metaphors run through Scripture. We explore “Thank God for Bitcoin,...

http://www.magicinternetmath.com https://zeuspay.com/btc-for-institutions X: @Fundamentals21m In this long-overdue episode, I take a hard, first-principles look at so‑called “digital credit” — issuing liabilities against Bitcoin — with MicroStrategy/Strategy’s preferreds as the prime case study. I lay out what works (clear dividends, accrual features, and board accountability mechanisms) and what...

Twitter: @scottlindberg93 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stlindberg/ Nostr: npub19jkuyl0wgrj8kccqzh2vnseeql9v98ptrx407ca9qjsrr4x5j9tsnxx0q6 Free Market Kids info: Site: https://www.freemarketkids.com Twitter: @freemarketkids Discount code "FUNDAMENTALS" for 10% apparel and games on our Free Market Kids' website is good through end of the month. Free Market Kids — Money Literacy Games &...

First-ever guest episode! I’m joined by novelist and Bitcoiner Avi Burra for a soul-to-soul conversation about art, risk, and what Bitcoin does to our lives and relationships. We unpack his fiction 24 and the sequel July 18 without spoilers—touching on grief, double lives, treasure hunts, OP_RETURN breadcrumbs, and a dash of magic realism inspired by hypnotherapy and Rudolf Steiner. Avi shares how...

In this episode, I sit down with Seth, the builder behind Zap Cooking, to unpack how a simple idea—sharing recipes on Nostr—grew into a full-stack, food-first social experience with zaps, a built-in self-custody wallet, social feeds, AI cooking tools, and a peer‑to‑peer marketplace. We trace the project’s roots from early “Nostr Cooking” experiments to today’s Zap Cooking at zap.cooking, talk thro...

https://www.magicinternetmath.com In this solo episode, I press on an uncomfortable but important gap in Bitcoin’s “don’t trust, verify” culture: the moment you actually buy. We obsess over self-custody, nodes, air‑gapped cold storage, Tor, and Lightning—but almost nobody verifies the asset at point of purchase. I explore why that blind spot exists, how escrow and multisig workflows could mitigate...

In this solo “special” for Episode 5, I step back from our usual co-hosted format with Rob to share the why and how behind Magic Internet Math. I walk through what’s live today—100+ free courses, skill-building games, and several proof‑of‑concept video series—and explain the core idea driving it all: teaching math as a liberal art. I trace the project’s roots through my own journey from actuarial...

https://www.magicinternetmath.com In this solo “Fundamentals of Fundamentals” episode, I dig into the real economics of guarantees—what they are, why they always cost something, and how misunderstanding their boundaries breeds bad decisions. I walk through intuitive examples (from a 3 PM pickup promise to banks and letters of credit) and the institutional mechanics I used to run—hedging market exp...

In this solo rip, I unpack why the term “Plebslop” resonated so hard and use it to frame a bigger critique of purity tests in Bitcoin culture. I trace how the pleb meme drifted from useful humility to low-signal tribalism, how post-FTX call‑out dynamics hardened into gatekeeping, and why “protecting plebs” became a trap for engagement farming. From my own journey—years leading in woke circles, fai...

In this emergency FoF, I address a mischaracterization sparked by a boost I left for my friends at The Bugle Weekly and their conversation with Matt Odell. I set the record straight: I don’t have “Odell Derangement Syndrome.” My criticism after last year’s Rabbit Hole Recap comedy event in Nashville wasn’t about jokes or stage chops—it was about the aftermath and the culture of fear I witnessed ar...

Summary: This conversation explores the unique nature of hodling Bitcoin as a distinctly human action, contrasting it with the capabilities of artificial intelligence and the challenges faced by institutions in maintaining Bitcoin holdings. The discussion highlights the limitations of AI in predicting human behavior, the inherent pressures on institutions to sell, and the potential for governments...

risk-fundamentals.ghost.io/everybody-has-a-price/ summary This conversation explores the dynamics of power, reputation, and economic warfare in the context of revolutionary movements and the emergence of Bitcoin. It discusses how historical methods of suppressing dissent have evolved from overt violence to more insidious tactics like reputation smearing and co-optation. The discussion culminates i...

Summary This conversation explores the rise and fall of two Bitcoin companies, Swan and Fold. Swan was once highly respected and known for calling out scams in the industry, but their reputation took a hit when their custodian, Prime Trust, went bankrupt. On the other hand, Fold built alternative rails and avoided the Prime Trust issue, leading to their upcoming IPO. The conversation raises the qu...

Summary. In this conversation, Fundamentals reflects on his transition from a long career in the fiat world to the world of Bitcoin. He compares his journey to the biblical story of Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus, and contemplates the purpose of his deep dive into mathematics. He discusses the importance of personal integrity and conviction in navigating the Bitcoin world and contrasts himself wit...

In this episode, the host shares two stories from his stand-up comedy journey. The first story is about a disastrous performance in New York where the crowd hated him, but he learned to overcome it by using self-deprecating humor. The second story is about dealing with a heckler, where he found the courage to stand up for himself and gained a newfound confidence. These stories highlight the challe...

In this solo rip, Fundamentals discusses the concept of integrity and how it is not related to morality. He explains that integrity is the foundation for fulfilling commitments and achieving goals. Fundamentals emphasizes that the size of one's commitments is limited by their level of integrity. He gives examples of commitments such as having more Bitcoin at the end of the year and making it in li...

Summary. In this conversation, Fundamentals discusses various aspects of the Bitcoin ecosystem, focusing on the market for block space and its significance. The conversation begins with an introduction and appreciation for the feedback received. Then, the discussion moves to Bitcoin Mechanic's statements about the block space market and high fees. Fundamentals emphasizes the importance of market d...

In this solo episode, Fundamentals discusses the concept of mathematics and Bitcoin as time machines. He explores how math can solve problems more efficiently and how Bitcoin's ability to traverse space enables it to provide a sense of time. Fundamentals also delves into the importance of learning math and how Bitcoin can enhance the learning process. He emphasizes the significance of Bitcoin in t...