The Bitcoin Frontier

Bitcoin might still be wildly undervalued—and Adam Back explains why. In this episode, we sit down with Adam Back, CEO of Blockstream, early cypherpunk, and inventor of hashcash, the proof-of-work system that inspired bitcoin mining. Adam shares the story of receiving the first known email from Satoshi Nakamoto, why he didn’t buy bitcoin until it hit $100, and how early ideas like b-money and bit...

In this episode, we sit down with Vijay Boyapati, author of The Bullish Case for Bitcoin, to explore where we really are in the current market cycle and what comes next. Vijay breaks down four frameworks for valuing bitcoin, explains why gold parity is almost inevitable, and outlines how ETFs and corporate treasury strategies are reshaping adoption. We talk through HODL waves, why the current pric...

What if bitcoin could spark a nuclear renaissance? In this episode, we’re joined by Ryan, better known as Nuclear Bitcoiner, to explore the intersection of nuclear energy and bitcoin. Ryan shares how bitcoin aligns with long-term infrastructure like small modular reactors and how it may reshape the economics of power generation. We walk through the advantages of nuclear over wind and solar, the im...

What happens when a former underground miner and Navy fighter pilot goes all in on bitcoin? In this episode, we sit down with George Bodine to find out. George shares his unique journey—from hauling rock beneath the earth to flying jets—and how it led him to see bitcoin as the only escape from a broken monetary system. We explore his view on inflation, the collapse of the American dream, and why h...

What if bitcoin really is decoupling from the stock market? In this episode, we’re joined by Rational Root, creator of the Bitcoin Strategy Platform and one of the top on-chain cycle analysts in the space. We explore whether macro chaos and rising gold prices are setting the stage for bitcoin to chart its own path. Root breaks down how the 4-year cycle could break, what historical data says about...

Energy production is broken—and rebuilding it could unlock a new era of abundance. In this episode, we sit down with Isaiah Taylor, founder of Valor Atomics, to explore how cheap energy can reshape the world. Isaiah shares his family’s history with the Manhattan Project, why nuclear innovation stalled in the West, and how Valor is building modular giga-sites to produce cleaner, cheaper energy at s...

What if bitcoin development stopped tomorrow? In this episode, we sit down with Mike Schmidt, Executive Director at Brink, and Buck Perley, Director of Product Engineering at Unchained, to explore the state of open source development and why it matters more than ever. Mike shares his path from software engineer to funding bitcoin core developers, while Buck recounts his early bitcoin experiences i...

In this episode, we dive into bitcoin's impact on the future global monetary order with Natalie Smolenski, an anthropologist and bitcoiner. We discuss her thoughts on how bitcoin challenges the state's monopoly on currency, invoking Karl Marx's unexpected agreement that gold, a commodity, originally embodied money—not the state-minted currencies. Natalie explains her fascination with the concept o...

What happens when a certified financial planner sells two homes to buy bitcoin? In this episode, we sit down with Jessy Gilger, Senior Advisor at Sound Advisory, to explore the radical shift happening inside the financial advisory industry. Jessy shares how he went from flipping houses to building multi-generational wealth on a bitcoin standard, and why more clients—and even advisors—are quietly m...

What happens when corporations and nations wake up to bitcoin’s dominance? In this episode, we sit down with Matt Cole, former CalPERS portfolio manager, to discuss why every public company will eventually hold bitcoin and how the U.S. is already falling behind in the global bitcoin race. Matt shares his journey from managing $70 billion in fixed income to realizing bitcoin’s role as the ultimate...

What happens when a small AI company moves its entire treasury into bitcoin? In this episode, we sit down with Drew D’Agostino, founder of Crystal, to unpack his bold decision to adopt a bitcoin standard. Drew shares how the 2022 bear market forced him to rethink his company’s financial strategy, the challenges of onboarding employees to bitcoin, and how he uses bitcoin as a hurdle rate for busine...

This episode was recorded moments before the U.S. made its biggest financial decision since 1971. In this episode, we sit down with Bryan Jacoutot, attorney and bitcoin policy expert, to break down the push for a U.S. strategic bitcoin reserve. We explore the 20-year HODL mandate in Senator Lummis' bill, Trump's policy shift, and why nation-states could face bitcoin FOMO. Bryan explains how the U....

How did a simple golf tournament turn into one of the most unique bitcoin events in the world? In this episode, we sit down with the key organizers and participants of the Max & Stacy Bitcoin Golf Invitational in El Salvador to unpack how this event came to life. We explore the surprising connection between bitcoin and golf, the challenges of organizing a major bitcoin event from scratch, and...

Could bitcoin mining reshape the global energy grid? In this episode, we sit down with Zach Bradford, CEO and President of CleanSpark, to uncover how mining and energy industries are converging. Zach shares how stoicism influences his leadership, why CleanSpark navigated past bull and bear cycles so effectively, and his take on whether bitcoin will ever see another 80% drawdown. We discuss the ris...

Is the U.S. on the brink of creating a national strategic bitcoin reserve or will Zoom (NASDAQ: ZM) buy bitcoin first? In this episode, we sit down with Eric Semler, Chairman of Semler Scientific, seasoned investor, and founder of TCS Capital, to discuss why he believes bitcoin will not only match gold’s valuation but far exceed it. Eric shares his early exposure to bitcoin, the pivotal moments th...

In this episode, we sit down with Jeff Park, Head of Alpha Strategies at Bitwise, to discuss his journey from trading derivatives at Morgan Stanley to becoming a leading voice in bitcoin. Jeff shares his perspective on the nature of money, why he sees bitcoin as speech rather than currency, and how its volatility is both a challenge and an opportunity. We break down the implications of the US doll...

In this episode, we sit down with Radu, an engineer at Amazon and deep thinker in the bitcoin space. Radu shares his journey from discovering bitcoin in 2015 to developing a unique thermodynamic perspective on its inevitability. We discuss how he ties bitcoin to the laws of energy, his insights into bitcoin as perfected digital energy, and the role of proof of work in anchoring its value. Radu exp...

In this episode, we sit down with Skot, electrical engineer and creator of Bitaxe, the first open-source ASIC bitcoin miner. Skot shares his journey from IoT hardware development to designing hardware for bitcoin mining, including his early experiments with FPGAs in a university lab. We discuss the significance of open-source mining for bitcoin’s future, the challenges of hardware and firmware dev...

In this episode, we sit down with Tad Smith, founder of Durable Money, partner at One Roundtable Partners, and former CEO of Sotheby’s and Madison Square Garden. Tad reflects on his journey from leading global companies to teaching strategy and finance at NYU Stern. We discuss his teaching methods, including the Amazon case study that captivated students, and how it applies to understanding bitcoi...

In this episode, we sit down with Kenny Florian, former UFC fighter, broadcaster, and co-host of the Anik & Florian Podcast, to discuss his journey from martial arts to bitcoin. Kenny reflects on his fighting career, the lessons learned from competition, and how his mindset shifted when he discovered bitcoin in 2017. We explore the parallels between the discipline of fighting and the principle...

In this episode, we sit down with George Selgin, Director Emeritus at the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, to explore his views on money, markets, and bitcoin’s role in the global economy. George shares his journey from studying marine biology to becoming a leading voice in monetary economics and discusses how definitions of money have evolved. We examine bitcoin’s...

In this episode, we recap the top 5 episodes of 2024 on The Bitcoin Frontier, reflecting on the show’s growth, standout moments, and what’s ahead in 2025. We’re joined by Jose, Director of Media Production at Unchained, to discuss the podcast’s journey, including hitting 1.5 million views and 17 years of watch time this year. We highlight key episodes featuring expert guests who tackled topics lik...

In this episode, we sit down with Daniel Batten to explore the six megatrends shaping bitcoin this cycle, from sovereign wealth funds and pension funds entering the market to miners becoming net buyers instead of sellers. Daniel shares his take on bitcoin ETFs as a game-changer for traditional finance and the growing potential for national bitcoin reserves. We discuss whether this cycle will break...

In this episode, we sit down with Hunter Beast, a developer focused on making bitcoin quantum resistant. Hunter shares his journey from discovering bitcoin in 2017 to working on a Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP) aimed at securing the protocol against future quantum threats. We explore how quantum computers could compromise elliptic curve cryptography, why P2PK coins are at risk, how address reu...

In this episode, we sit down with Junseth, a long-time bitcoiner and co-host of the legendary Bitcoin Uncensored podcast. Junseth shares how he got started in bitcoin, his views on the evolution of the bitcoin community, and his take on the cycles of bitcoin podcasts and companies. He provides insights into the rise of social engineering scams, his experience confronting phishing attackers, and th...