In this episode I talk with Umi Miyahara, Business Development Lead at Breez. Breez is a self-custodial Lightning-as-a-Service company bringing peer-to-peer bitcoin payments to apps and services globally with the free and open-source Breez SDK.  We talk about Umi’s journey through traditional finance and fintech startups, her Bitcoin story, and the evolution of the Lightning Network. ‍--- Connect with The Transformation of...

In this episode I talk with Trey Sellers, VP of Enterprise Sales at Unchained. Unchained are global leaders in collaborative custody solutions for Bitcoin with their Unchained Vault product that uses a multi-sig arrangement so that there is never a single point of failure for your Bitcoin. We discuss some of Trey’s writing about the FIRE movement: Financial Independence, Retire Early, and how a low-time-preference strategy of saving and investing can help you achieve financial independence...

In this episode I catchup with Dr. Simon Collins. We discuss some new research that Simon has contributed to in his new affiliation with the Digital Assets Research Institute along with the Satoshi Action Fund, providing academic insight for measuring and understanding Bitcoin adoption. We talk about the next steps for Simon’s Bitcoin mining company, Stackr, as they look to expand their operations in some exciting new directions internationally. Finally we discuss Lightning Pay, which is...

This episode is a release of the “Bitcoin in New Zealand” live panel talk in collaboration with Bitkiwi at their event at Dux Central in Christchurch, July 20, 2024.  We had three awesome guests, James Viggiano, Brad Henderson, and Andrew Wells. There are some great Bitcoin projects happening in New Zealand and I’m excited for the future. A big thank you to everyone who attended the event, it was great to catchup in person and for me to get back home for a little bit.  ‍--- Connect with...

I talk with Sam Kivi, CTO and Director at Grid Share, a New Zealand company building flexible load infrastructure centred around renewable energy and Bitcoin mining. We talk about Grid Share’s Bitcoin mining operation at Monowai Hydroelectric Power Station in the South Island of New Zealand, their plans to grow the business to explore methane capture from landfills enabled by Bitcoin mining, and the broader opportunities for demand response and renewable energy infrastructure growth in New...

In this episode I talk with Jason Crowe, a business leader who has worked with iconic New Zealand product brands such as phil&teds, Garage Project, and Goodnature.  We discuss Jason’s time working in the banking world and his decision to leave it, as well as how he has come to understand Bitcoin and how it impacts business and finance. Finally we talk about the proof of work of sports and how athletes and sports teams may be able to incorporate Bitcoin thinking into the way they fund...

In this episode I talk with Dr. Simon Duff, a Research Economist and Bitcoiner. We discuss what a high-value agricultural sector may look like for New Zealand, and the opportunities for exporting premium products to the world, perhaps even priced in Bitcoin.  ‍--- Connect with The Transformation of Value X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/TTOVpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Nostr at: npub1uth29ygt090fe640skhc8l34d9s7xlwj4frxs2esezt7n6d64nwsqcmmmu Or send an...

I talk with Bitkiwi Paul, co-organiser of Bitkiwi, New Zealand’s premier Bitcoin events.  We talk about quite a few things: minimalism in what we own, the work of Art in the Age of AI, meaning making and the role of sports in the nation state, all seen through a Bitcoin lens. I am glad to share that I will be back in New Zealand soon and will be at the Bitkiwi 10 event on Saturday July 20th in Christchurch. As part of the event I will be hosting a panel talk about the Future of Bitcoin in...

I talk with G Sovereignty, a Bitcoiner based in Hong Kong and developing applications on Nostr as well as host of the Nostrovia Podcast. We talk about a presentation that G gave titled Bitcoin vs. The State: Four Phases of War, exploring the power dynamics of Bitcoin, its security model, and the steps that the state may enact as it begins to comprehend the true implications of Bitcoin upon its exorbitant privileges.  We also discuss the future of Bitcoin-powered economies and what these...

In this episode I speak with Cecilia Macaulay, a permaculture designer from Australia. We discuss what permaculture means, her story, and how aspects of Bitcoin thinking have entered into her practice. We talk about the State as a predator in the ecosystem of humanity as well as the importance of cleaning up your house and building social capital and communities, especially when times get tough. ‍--- Connect with The Transformation of...

I speak with Ian from the Victorian Bitcoin Technology Club, a not-for-profit incorporated club supporting Bitcoin education and grassroots bitcoin adoption in the state of Victoria, Australia. We discuss the background to starting the club, how it acts as a backwards-compatible organisation for interfacing with the legacy world while also embracing Bitcoin principles. We also talk about the club’s mission, their plans for the future, and how they are trying to operate on a Bitcoin...

I speak with Dr. James Kierstead, a Research Fellow with the New Zealand Initiative focussing on higher education policy, including academic freedom. James co-hosts Free Kiwis!, a podcast dedicated to free speech in New Zealand, and also has a background in classical studies, in particular democracy in Ancient Greece. We talk about the declining state of New Zealand universities and the impact this has on graduates bringing their ideologies into the public sector. We also dive into the...

In this episode I host the Kiwi Bitcoin Builders monthly catchup for May 2024 (Recorded 26 May). There was just a few of us this time talking about running our own Bitcoin Lightning nodes, self Sovereign AI, silent payments, PayNyms and more. If you would like to share a Bitcoin project or business that you are working on in New Zealand do please reach out to me and we can connect, just send me an email me at [email protected] --- Connect with The Transformation of...

I speak with Antony Dapiran, a prominent Australian lawyer and award-winning author, who has become widely known for his writing and commentary on the protest movement in Hong Kong and the reaction from the State. We talk about his book City On Fire: The Fight for Hong Kong, we explore the history of the city and its unique monetary and political situation, as well as the role of censorship, Bitcoin, freedom technology, and more. ⁠🎉 Use discount code TTOV to get 10% off your BTC Prague...

I speak with Brad Loewen, host of Beyond the Price, exploring Bitcoin adoption in East Asia. Brad and I both attended the Bitcoin Asia conference in Hong Kong recently, organised by BTC Inc, the same company behind Bitcoin Miami, Bitcoin Amsterdam, Bitcoin Magazine, along with their investment arm UTXO Management. Now it was clear that there would be some ordinal-related discussions at the conference which I wanted to verify for myself, however I was not expecting the sheer degree of...

In this episode I speak with Mikey Smith, a Kiwi Bitcoiner working in the world of mortgages and finance. Mikey gives some perspectives on the New Zealand housing situation, the slow train wreck that is the Government, and what the longer term outlook might be for the country. We also dive into personal responsibility, creating value, and fishing off of Norfolk Island. 🎉 Use discount code TTOV to get 10% off your BTC Prague...

I speak with Andrew L. Wilson, Author and Professor of History of Christianity as well as a Bitcoiner and host of The Disentanglement Podcast, exploring privacy tech and the surveillance state. We talk about infrastructure, AI, money, and democracy: the challenges of our generation.  We also discuss an article that Andrew wrote from before he knew about Bitcoin, about local currencies and circular economies that has some interesting parallels. 🎉 Use discount code TTOV to get 10% off your...

I catch up again with Ben Jarvie a writer and kiwi Bitcoiner working for Amber App, a Bitcoin-only exchange. We talk about Ben’s recent travels to El Salvador and Madeira, and we reflect on the declining situation of my beloved home country, New Zealand, and in particular the economic violence that the State and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand continues to unleash upon the people through its egregious manipulation of the money. But that said, we know that Bitcoin fixes this, and we are here...

I talk with Brad Henderson, a Power System Engineer and Head of Engineering and Design at ElectroNet, a New Zealand-owned consultancy firm. Brad share some exciting details about a new Bitcoin mining facility that his firm has been involved with on the West Coast of New Zealand. We discuss what energy sovereignty might mean for New Zealand, including the importance of electrifying the economy and how Bitcoin mining and solar power may help create energy abundance.  ‍--- Connect with The...

I host the Kiwi Bitcoin Builders monthly catchup for April 2024 (Recorded 7 April). This is a way to bring together people working on awesome Bitcoin businesses and projects in New Zealand. We share what we have been working on and what has been happening in the space. We hear about the Bitcoin Alive conference that was held over in Sydney, follow up on the success of the Lightning Pay beta, as well as hear from SatFlow, a new Kiwi Bitcoin business exploring MEV on Bitcoin. If you would...

I talk with Matyáš Kuchař, co-founder of BTC Prague in the Czech Republic, Europe’s largest Bitcoin event. We talk about BTC Prague’s origin and Matyáš's connection to New Zealand. We also discuss the Bitcoin scene more broadly in the Czech Republic, with a number of well-known Bitcoin companies and projects emerging from the country. I will be attending BTC Prague 2024, in June which is going to be awesome. There are some great speakers lined up including Adam Back, Michael Saylor,...

In this episode I talk with Christian Lewe from Blockstream Research. Christian is working on Simplicity, a more robust programming language designed as an alternative to Bitcoin Script. To own Bitcoin is to be able to spend it, and the way we currently do this is with Bitcoin Script which has challenges and limitations that means it can be very unforgiving to work with, and it limits more complex transactions and arrangements because you cannot formally verify what will actually...

I talk with Rupert Carlyon, Founder and Managing Director of Kōura Wealth KiwiSaver. KiwiSaver is the voluntary retirement savings scheme for New Zealand and Kōura Wealth offers a Carbon Neutral Crypto Fund KiwiSaver product, which is Bitcoin only. This is a way for everyday kiwis to get some kind of Bitcoin exposure with government and employer matched contributions and tax benefits. New Zealand was very late to the game with retirement savings schemes and the impact of this is beginning...

In this episode I talk with Brett Scott, author of The Heretic’s Guide to Global Finance and Cloudmoney: Cash, Cards, Crypto and the War for our Wallets. He also runs the substack Altered States of Monetary Consciousness. Brett does a lot of work supporting the protection of physical cash, and I reached out to him about an article he wrote “The War On Informality” which explores the implication of financial surveillance by credit cards and private banks. This is a thought-provoking...

I talk with Kieran Nolan about his work combining Bitcoin, teaching, and open-source technology. Kieran’s official role is STEM Wizard, teaching at a primary school in Melbourne, Australia.  He has been able to bring tech and learning together into the classroom, including helping kids to run Bitcoin nodes, building projects on Nostr, setting up Minecraft servers with other schools, and more. We discuss teaching and learning, and how kids can be better equiped for our rapidly changing...