Inflection Point

In this episode, Co-Founder of StarkWare Eli Ben-Sasson joins the show to explore the philosophical and technical crossroads between Bitcoin and Ethereum. He recounts the early hopes of building zk-tech on Bitcoin, the cultural rift that pushed innovation elsewhere, and why Bitcoin’s potential remains limited without soft forks. Eli argues for a future where Bitcoin’s principles—decentralization,...

In this episode, Didi Taihuttu—aka the "Bitcoin Family" patriarch—shares the origin story behind selling everything to go all-in on Bitcoin, from early GPU mining and Dogecoin experiments to surviving bear markets and living unbanked for nearly a decade. He discusses why he believes Bitcoin is the only true tool for financial freedom, the moral cost of traditional finance, and how the rise of stab...

In this episode, Founder & CEO of Surus.io Patrick Murck joins the show to reflect on Bitcoin’s rise to a fresh all-time high, its original mission of financial autonomy, and the tension between price appreciation and real-world use. He discusses stablecoins as dollar-compatible tools, why market structure reforms are stalled, and how his new company enables tokenized real-world assets with bankru...

In this episode, Alex B from Ark Labs joins the show to discuss how Arkade, a new Bitcoin scaling protocol, enables off-chain programmability without bridges, preserves self-custody, and avoids global state constraints. He discusses complementarity with Lightning, unlocking Bitcoin-native capital markets, programmable contracts, synthetic assets, and how Arkade could transform Bitcoin financial in...

In this episode, CEO of Swan Cory Klippsten discusses Swan Bitcoin’s Series C raise and its partnership with a French semiconductor company pivoting into Bitcoin treasury accumulation. He explains the rise of leveraged Bitcoin equities, how these companies use debt markets to acquire Bitcoin, and the potential influx of institutional fixed income into Bitcoin. Cory breaks down risks, opportunities...

In this episode, Bitcoin core developer Peter Todd discusses the rise of Bitcoin Knots, censorship debates, op_return limits, miner incentives, the challenges of blocking ordinals and inscriptions, scaling via Lightning, the future of Bitcoin development, and more. Enjoy! — Follow Peter: https://x.com/peterktodd Follow Rizzo: https://x.com/pete_rizzo_ Follow Supply Shock: https://twitter.com/Suppl...

In this special interview live from Permissionless IV, Rizzo sits down with Bitcoin OG & Core developer Jeff Garzik to reflect on Bitcoin’s early days, the culture shift from experimentation to ossification, and his belief that Bitcoin’s social and monetary network would have emerged regardless of specific developers. Garzik critiques Lightning as a failed detour, champions Layer 2s like Hemi for...

In this special bonus episode, we dive into the takeaways from Permissionless IV, unpacking the biggest industry narratives and themes shaping crypto today. We discuss the future of stablecoins, give a candid macro outlook, and explore how Big Tech is positioning itself as the next crypto overlord. Finally, we reflect on some predictions we got wrong – and what we learned from them. Enjoy! — Follo...

In this special episode of Supply Shock live from Permissionless IV, Pete Rizzo hosts a panel of top builders pushing the frontier of Bitcoin development: Jeff Garzik (Hemi), Muneeb Ali (Stacks), Eli Ben-Sasson (StarkWare), and Hong Kim (Core). They debate where to build in the Bitcoin ecosystem, the evolving use cases for Bitcoin L2s, and how to make BTC productive through lending, yield, and int...

In this episode live from Permissionless, Milk Road founder Kyle Reidhead joins the show to discuss the drivers of Bitcoin demand, the impact of the Israel-Iran war, and whether crypto money will chase crypto IPOs, treasury companies, or something else. We also discuss Michael Saylor & Strategy, who wins the stablecoin boom, what the future for Bitcoin looks like, and more. Enjoy! — Follow Kyle: h...

In this special episode from the Empire podcast, Blockworks unveils its new Token Transparency framework—an initiative designed to close the information gap and bring much-needed clarity to the crypto space. Dan Smith, Head of Data at Blockworks, explains how this framework will reshape how token projects operate and why transparency is the key to crypto’s future. Enjoy! — Follow Dan: https://x.co...

In this episode, Bitcoin historian Pete Rizzo joins the Milk Road Show to share his thesis on the coming explosion of Bitcoin treasury companies and why they may drive the next major inflow into Bitcoin. He explains why stablecoins and NFTs were once ignored just like Bitcoin treasuries are now, why thousands of firms—not dozens—might soon hold BTC, and how this could mirror past crypto waves like...

This week, Rizzo is joined by Nolan Bauerle and Michael McSweeney for a heavyweight clash of Bitcoin visions: Jack Dorsey vs. Michael Saylor. The panel breaks down Dorsey’s developer-first, decentralized payments push versus Saylor’s Wall Street-centric, corporate treasury strategy. They debate who's funding Bitcoin’s future, who’s leading the charge in public perception, and which model holds up...

In this episode, Bitcoin OG Isaac Miller recounts his journey from HODLing coins in 2013 to becoming a cultural icon through viral videos and meme coins. He reflects on the shifting ethos of Bitcoin—from its cypherpunk roots to political adoption and corporate backing—while warning that many early believers have lost touch with the tech’s evolution. Miller also defends his engagement with meme coi...

In this episode, veteran Bitcoin developer Matt Corallo joins to discuss why second layers like Lightning and Ark are essential for scaling Bitcoin — and why current laws put them at risk. He breaks down the regulatory blind spots threatening non-custodial wallet developers, and advocates for the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act to preserve open-source Bitcoin innovation in the U.S. Corallo als...

Live from the Bitcoin 2025 conference, Adam Back and Sean Bill of Blockstream break down the quiet but massive shift underway as institutions, pensions, and sovereign funds begin allocating to Bitcoin. They discuss Blockstream's mining investment strategies, institutional Bitcoin income funds, and the rise of Bitcoin treasury companies like MicroStrategy. They explain how institutions are navigati...

In this episode, Rizzo & Nolan Bauerle dive into the race between MicroStrategy and BlackRock to become the largest holders of Bitcoin. They compare Michael Saylor’s singular, leveraged BTC accumulation strategy with Larry Fink’s sprawling ETF-driven approach at BlackRock. They explore how each firm’s structure, incentives, and regulatory realities impact their ability to scale Bitcoin ownership—a...

In this episode, Swedish MP Dennis Dioukarev discusses his viral proposal for Sweden to adopt a strategic Bitcoin reserve—an unprecedented move in the European Union. He breaks down the flawed logic of the Swedish Central Bank's dismissal, explains how Bitcoin aligns with values of freedom and transparency, and outlines the political path forward through Sweden’s governing coalition. Dennis also w...

In this episode, Bitcoin Developer Sergio Lerner joins the show to discuss Bitcoin’s latest development battles–from the OP_RETURN data wars to the future of programmable Bitcoin through BitVMX. He argues that filtering Bitcoin transactions restricts innovation, outlines the real-world financial use cases enabled by protocols like RSK, and explains how new Bitcoin Layer 2s can enhance scalability...

In this episode, Ryan Selkis joins the show for his self-proclaimed 'last crypto interview' to discuss his whistleblowing about Mt. Gox’s insolvency, his role in securing Trump's support, and the controversy around him bringing the culture wars to crypto. We also delve into the FTX collapse, crypto vs. Bitcoin, and more. — Follow Ryan: https://x.com/twobitidiot Follow Rizzo: https://x.com/pete_riz...

In this episode, Chris Guida unpacks the OP_RETURN debate, argues that Bitcoin must protect its cultural values to survive, and warns that without strong norms, Bitcoin risks becoming Ethereum 2.0. He challenges the idea that Bitcoin is truly permissionless, critiques miner incentives, and defends filtering policies as vital to preserving decentralization. — Follow Chris: https://x.com/cguida6 Fol...

In this episode, cryptography legend Phil Zimmermann—creator of PGP—reflects on his role in the original “crypto wars,” the mixed societal impact of Bitcoin, and why he’s both intrigued by and cautious about Bitcoin’s role in human rights, crime, privacy, and global monetary systems. He applauds Bitcoin’s resistance to autocracy and surveillance but critiques its volatility, energy use, and crimin...

In this episode, Janusz joins the show to discuss the growing tension in the Bitcoin community over layer two (L2) scaling, especially around rollups like Citrea. We also unpack a proposed change to the OP_RETURN limit, the ideological split between Bitcoin core devs and cultural purists (aka "filters"), and the implications for Bitcoin’s long-term scalability and security models. Enjoy! — Follow...

In this episode, Guy Malone and Adam Simecka join the show to discuss Roswell, New Mexico starting a strategic Bitcoin reserve, Bitcoin’s role in local governance, and how Roswell is approaching its Bitcoin custody. We also delve into building the new Fort Knox, Adam’s history in Bitcoin, and more. Enjoy! — Follow Guy: https://x.com/RichNFrenz Follow Adam: https://x.com/AdamSimecka Follow Rizzo: h...

In this episode, Rob Hamilton of Anchorwatch joins the show to discuss his company serving Bitcoin insurance to individuals and businesses, the corporate adoption narrative dominating this cycle, and the insurance and custody challenges for corporations holding Bitcoin. We also delve into shifting culture and values in crypto, whether the financialization of Bitcoin is a good thing, mapping the Bi...