The Kevin Rooke Show

Daniel Buchner is the Head of Decentralized Identity at Block, the company formerly known as Square. In our talk, Daniel helped me understand the concept of identity, why and how identity can be decentralized, and how having self-sovereignty over your identity can change the relationships and the power dynamics between users and the apps we use today. → TBD: https://tbd.website/ → DIF: https://ide...

Tom Chojnacki is the founder of Satsback, a platform that helps you save in bitcoin whenever you shop online. In our conversation, Tom and I discussed the concept of Sats back rewards, why consumers love Bitcoin as a form of loyalty points, and the addressable market for retail and e-commerce rewards. →Satsback: https://satsback.com/ Sponsors → Voltage: https://voltage.cloud?utm_source=kevinrooke&...

Sam Walker is a Senior Software Engineer at Strike, and the creator of a new app called Reacher that aims to solve email spam with Lightning payments. In our conversation, Sam and I discussed exactly how Reacher works, how Lightning can eliminate spam all over the internet, and some of the new business models that may emerge on a Lightning-powered internet. → Reacher: https://www.reacher.me/ Today...

Julie Landrum leads International Strategy & Growth for OpenNode, a Bitcoin payment processor built on the Lightning Network. In our conversation, Julie and I discussed the addressable market for Bitcoin payments, the hidden fees traditional payment processors charge, and the challenge of overcoming the network effect of fiat payment systems. → OpenNode: https://www.opennode.com/ Today’s show...

Lyn Alden is an investor and analyst who needs no introduction on this show. In our conversation, Lyn and I discussed her interest in Bitcoin’s Lightning Network, liquidity as a network effect, the impact of stablecoins on Lightning, nation-state Bitcoin adoption, and much more. → Lyn Alden: https://www.lynalden.com/ Today’s show is sponsored by Voltage and ZEBEDEE. → Voltage: https://voltage.clou...

Zero Fee Routing is the pseudonymous operator of one of the world’s largest Lightning Network routing nodes. As the name implies, Zero Fee Routing doesn’t charge fees to route payments, and as a result has become a major hub of Lightning connectivity, routing over 10 BTC of payment volume per day. In our conversation, we discussed their strategy of selling liquidity and routing for free, their dec...

Dennis Reimann is a programmer at BTCPay Server, a self-hosted, open-source Bitcoin payment processor. In our conversation, we discussed how BTCPay Server works and the plug-ins that will be built on top of it, the benefits and drawbacks of Lightning for merchants, and value 4 value as a business model. → BTCPay Server: https://btcpayserver.org/ Today’s show is sponsored by Voltage and ZEBEDEE. →...

John Cantrell is the pseudonymous creator of Sensei, a lightning node implementation focused on making Bitcoin accessible to the entire world. In our conversation, we discussed exactly what Sensei is, Sensei’s relationship to Spiral’s BDK and LDK, the broader Lightning implementation landscape, and emerging payments use cases that could be built on Lightning. → Sensei: https://l2.technology/sensei...

Simon is the co-founder of the Mempool Open Source project, an explorer for monitoring Bitcoin transactions, mempool congestion, network fees, and more. In our conversation, we discussed the value of building Mempool as an open-source, self-hosted project, the Liquid Network’s role as a side chain on Bitcoin, peer-to-peer exchanges like Bisq, and the debate around Bitcoin’s transaction fee sustain...

Stelios Rammos is the co-founder of Geyser, a Bitcoin crowdfunding platform built on the Lightning Network. In our conversation, we discussed the pros and cons of fiat crowdfunding platforms, the ways Lightning can improve accessibility for fundraisers, as well as stablecoins, censorship resistance, and the Geyser roadmap. → Geyser: https://geyser.fund/ The Lightning Round is sponsored by Voltage,...

Lisa Neigut is a member of Blockstream’s Lightning team, and the co-founder of Base58, branded as the world’s best Bitcoin education company. Lisa and I discussed her work at Blockstream, the differences between Lightning implementations, as well as centralization risks and educating Bitcoin developers at Base58. → Core Lightning: https://blockstream.com/lightning/ → Base58: https://www.base58.inf...

Cory Klippsten is the co-founder of Swan Bitcoin, as well as a Bitcoin angel investor and educator. Cory and I had a wide-ranging conversation, starting with Cory’s work at Swan, and then getting into the Lightning work Cory is doing, startup investing, the macro-economic picture, educating Bitcoiners, and more. → Swan Bitcoin: https://www.swanbitcoin.com/ → The Bitcoin Canon: https://www.swanbitc...

Pierre Rochard is a Bitcoin advocate, entrepreneur, and a Product Manager at Kraken, where he played a key role in launching Kraken’s Lightning Network integration. Pierre and I discussed exactly how Kraken’s Lightning integration was launched, the trade-offs that exchanges face when considering integrating with the Lightning Network, and a wide array of Lightning Network predictions. → Kraken: ht...

Anders Helseth is a senior analyst at Arcane Research, and helped create their State of The Lightning Network report. Anders and I discussed the Lightning Network metrics covered in his report, the pace of innovation in Lightning since the report was published, and potential catalysts that could spur on further Lightning adoption. → Arcane Research: https://www.research.arcane.no/ → The State of &...

Abubakar Nur Khalil is the CEO at Recursive Capital, a ₿ Trust board member, and a co-founder at Qala. Abubakar and I discussed his role in overseeing Jack Dorsey and Jay Z’s ₿ Trust, Bitcoin and Lightning adoption in Nigeria and Africa more broadly, investing in African Lightning startups through his work at Recursive, and educating the next generation of Bitcoin developers. → Recursive Capital:...

Bryan Solstin is a US Senate Candidate with a campaign focused on making Bitcoin legal tender in America. Bryan and I discussed the steps required to make Bitcoin legal tender, Bitcoin’s effect on the US political landscape today, how the Lightning Network will fulfill Bitcoin’s ability to be a medium of exchange, and the second-order effects of America on a fiat vs. Bitcoin standard. → Bryan Sols...

Brian Murray is a partner and the COO at Craft Ventures, a VC firm dedicated to finding the next generation of world-changing companies. Brian shared a fascinating perspective on Bitcoin, Lightning, startup investing, and the ways in which the Lightning Network will be impactful to different sets of people all over the world. I learned a ton from this conversation, and I know you will too. → Craft...

Michael Bumann and Moritz Kaminski are the co-founders of Alby, a Chrome extension that enables anyone to send Bitcoin over the Lightning Network directly from their browser. Michael, Moritz, and I spoke about exactly how Alby works, the similarities and differences between Alby and Metamask, why Alby chose to build on WebLN and LNURL, as well as a wide-ranging discussion covering identity, value...

Ken Kruger is the CEO and Founder of Moon, a company making it easy for anyone to spend their Bitcoin anywhere online. Ken and I spoke about exactly how Moon enables this functionality, Moon’s partnership with VISA, the challenge for traditional payment platforms to innovate on Lightning, as well as a wide-ranging discussion covering privacy, censorship, and emerging Lightning applications. → Moon...

Justin Rezvani is the CEO of Zion, a Bitcoin company re-imagining social media on the Lightning Network. Justin and I spoke about how Zion differs from traditional social media apps, the importance of peer-to-peer communication and value transfer, how Value 4 Value changes people’s behavior, and Zion’s business model and adoption metrics to date. → Zion: https://www.getzion.com/ The Lightning Roun...

Oleg Mikhalsky is a Partner at Fulgur Ventures, a VC firm focused on investing in Bitcoin and Lightning Network companies. Oleg and I spoke about why Fulgur is so excited about the Lightning Network, new business models enabled by Lightning, attracting founders to build on Lightning, valuations in the Lightning startup ecosystem, and the different types of adoption the Lightning Network is seeing...

Chris Stewart is the founder of Suredbits, a company focused on building financial applications and markets directly on the Bitcoin protocol. Chris and I spoke about Bitcoin’s smart contract limitations today, the ways in which DLCs could enable new applications for Bitcoin, how DLCs, CFDs, and Oracles work, and the future applications of Bitcoin smart contracts that Chris is excited about. → Sure...

Adam Curry is one of the pioneers of podcasting, and is playing an integral role in advancing the Podcasting 2.0 movement, and the Value 4 Value business model. Adam and I spoke about his background in broadcasting, the ways in which the podcast industry has evolved, his work on the Podcast Index, the value of earning and engaging directly with your audience, and the new features being built into...

Alyse Killeen is the Founding Partner at Stillmark, a Bitcoin focused VC firm.   Alyse and I spoke about her focus on investing in Bitcoin companies, the things Alyse looks for in founders and startup pitches, and the particular segments of Bitcoin and the Lightning Network she is most excited about in 2022.   → Stillmark: https://www.stillmark.com/  The Lightning Round is sponsored...

Hussein Badakhchani is the CTO at Noah, a Bitcoin company building what they believe is the money app of the future. Hussein and I spoke about the new products Noah is building, the different mechanics that help people earn, save, spend, and pay money on Noah, and the future of payments on the Lightning Network. → Noah: https://noah.com/ The Lightning Round is sponsored by Voltage, where you can a...