Read_938 – Modern Money Only Works By Cheating – Part 1
“This piece is my attempt to finally map the terrain I’d been circling for years: Bitcoin’s hardness, its fragility, its human governance, and its uneasy relationship with a world that increasingly runs on elastic money and digital abundance. It’s not a defence. It’s not an indictment. It’s an audit.”
~ Hugh Hendry
We keep pretending modern money is a stable system, but Hugh Hendry explains the quiet part out loud: fiat only survives by cheating, bending the rules, and offloading pain onto the future.
What if Bitcoin’s “flaw” – its rigid, unchanging code – is actually the only way to stop the cycle of constant bailouts? We’ve become so addicted to monetary elasticity that we’ve lost sight of what it means to have an asset that doesn’t bend. And Hendry’s brutal audit of our financial landscape serves as a perfect reminder of why the current system is so inherently fragile. If you want to understand why we need an anchor that refuses to compromise, you need to listen in.
Check out the original article: Modern Money Only Works By Cheating by Tyler Durden (Link: https://www.zerohedge.com/crypto/modern-money-only-works-cheating-if-youre-long-bitcoin-or-not-long-bitcoin-read)
Host Links
Guy on Nostr (Link: http://tinyurl.com/2xc96ney)
Guy on X (Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann)
Guy on Instagram (Link: https://www.instagram.com/theguyswann)
Guy on TikTok (Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguyswann)
Guy on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@theguyswann)
Bitcoin Audible on X (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible)
The Guy Swann Network Broadcast Room on Keet (Link: https://tinyurl.com/3na6v839)
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Get 10% off the best Bitcoin board game in the world, HODLUP! Or any of the other great games from The Free Market Kids! Use code GUY10 at checkout for 10% off your cart! (Link: https://www.freemarketkids.com/collections/games-1)
“If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves. Moving, be like water. Still, be like a mirror. Respond like an echo.”
~ Bruce Lee
Chat_164 – Skating To Where The Puck Will Be with Matt Hill
“We are trying to make it possible for people to use computers as simple of a statement as this: use computers, without intermediaries and custodians. The more they do, the more the lines will diverge. Until there’s a chasm between the centralised model and the decentralised model with a clear line between them. And we will force either a reconciliation at the natural, technical level, let the best product in the market win, or we will force the hand of the authoritarians to say that our model is illegal.
And then we have a different reconciliatory approach. Which is, okay, it’s revolution time.”
~ Matt Hill
Big tech platforms have spent years trapping us behind their gates. And honestly, I am sick of it. The “cloud” is just someone else’s computer, and companies are skimming our data at every single turn. CEO of Start9, Matt Hill, is my guest today, and is actually doing something about it. We sat down to talk about how bad the institutional theft of our privacy has gotten, and why building your own digital escape hatch is no longer just for hardcore nerds.
Matt brought the fire in this one. He walks me through the absolute beast that is StartOS 0.4.0 — the OS they spent the last three years rebuilding from absolute scratch. He also gave us the rundown on their upcoming StartWRT router, and breaks down how they finally made complex networking feel like putting together simple Ikea furniture.
But the conversation goes way deeper than just hardware and updates. We get into the existential threat of AI, what happens when people get automated away, and why you desperately need to run your agents locally. Matt sees the current systems sinking like the Titanic, and we spend a lot of time trying to figure out exactly how to scramble for the higher decks. If you have been procrastinating on taking control of your own computing, this conversation will give you the push you need.
Chapters
(00:00:00) – The divergence of centralized and decentralized models(00:06:34) – Rebuilding StartOS and extending development timelines(00:10:05) – Introducing StartWRT and true open-source routing(00:32:18) – The danger of centralized cloud computing infrastructure(00:44:06) – AI advancement and the loss of human purpose(01:06:14) – Unchecked inflation theft negating time-saving technology(01:18:09) – Developing essential digital defense systems to resist tyranny(01:28:56) – A total code rebuild for ultimate network stack control(01:46:36) – Automating server management with the local StartBot AI(01:57:24) – Packaging custom open-source software on the fly(02:08:40) – Simplifying network isolation with StartWRT security profiles(02:24:35) – Chaining outbound VPNs for complete internet traffic privacy(02:37:48) – Exposing home services safely using virtual private routers
Guest Links
Matt on X (Link: https://twitter.com/_MattHill_)
Start9’s Website (Link: https://start9.com/)
Affiliate Links
Become sovereign, hold your keys, be censorship resistant with the Bitbox hardware wallet. Get 5% off everything in the store with code GUY (Link: https://bitbox.swiss/)
Get 10% off the COLDCARD with code BITCOINAUDIBLE (Link: https://bitcoinaudible.com/coldcard)
Get 10% off the best Bitcoin board game in the world, HODLUP! Or any of the other great games from The Free Market Kids! Use code GUY10 at checkout for 10% off your cart! (Li…
Read_937 – When the Withdraws Start [FFR 115]
“Residents withdrew over 1.6 trillion rubles, or $19.7 billion in January, desperately turning to cash amid increased state controls.”
As governments push CBDCs to clamp down on dissent and capital flight, is Bitcoin our last line of defense for true sovereignty? Today with the Financial Freedom Report we dive into global news – from Hong Kong’s surveillance crackdowns to offline AI-Bitcoin kits like BlackBox – plus my take on why Lightning could make digital cash frictionless. Will these innovations outpace authoritarian overreach, or is the cashless trap closing in?
Check out the original article from the Financial Freedom Report: Financial Freedom Report #115 (Link: https://hrf.org/latest/hrfs-weekly-financial-freedom-report-115/)
References from the episode
Nostr VPN: A tool released by early Bitcoin developer Martti Malmi (Link: https://github.com/mmalmi/nostr-vpn)
BlackBox: An Experimental Kit for Offline AI, Messaging, and Bitcoin. Still experimental, but super intriguing. (Link: https://blackbox.host/)
Check out the MIT Bitcoin Expo 2026 details: this year’s edition is titled “Freedom for All”. (Link: https://mitbitcoinexpo.org/)
Host Links
Guy on Nostr (Link: http://tinyurl.com/2xc96ney)
Guy on X (Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann)
Guy on Instagram (Link: https://www.instagram.com/theguyswann)
Guy on TikTok (Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguyswann)
Guy on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@theguyswann)
Bitcoin Audible on X (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible)
The Guy Swann Network Broadcast Room on Keet (Link: https://tinyurl.com/3na6v839)
Check out our awesome partners!
Become sovereign, hold your keys, be censorship resistant with the Bitbox hardware wallet. Get 5% off everything in the store with code GUY (Link: https://bitbox.swiss/)
Get 10% off the COLDCARD with code BITCOINAUDIBLE (Link: https://bitcoinaudible.com/coldcard)
Get 10% off the best Bitcoin board game in the world, HODLUP! Or any of the other great games from The Free Market Kids! Use code GUY10 at checkout for 10% off your cart! (Link: https://www.freemarketkids.com/collections/games-1)
(Under construction) Check out the list of products and services I use and recommend on BitcoinAudible.com (Link: https://bitcoinaudible.com/)
Roundtable_019 – Bitcoin’s In-House Stress Test
This week, the whole crew is back for another Roundtable. I sat down with Mechanic, Steve, and Jeff to talk about the painful reality of Bitcoin mining today, the chaos of global politics, and some wild stories about corporate power plays.
We started by looking at why mining is under so much pressure right now. The industry is getting a brutal and much-needed reality check. Fiat-fueled operations are feeling the squeeze, and it’s a reminder that if you aren’t building on a foundation of hard money and efficiency, the market will eventually push you out.
We also couldn’t avoid the latest controversy surrounding Swan Bitcoin and the bizarre, high-stakes fallout involving Tether and Cantor Fitzgerald. Was this a calculated rug pull or just the ugly reality of trying to scale in a corporate world that’s already been bought and paid for? We break down what this really means for the future of Bitcoin.
Guest Links
Steve Simple Nostr (Link: https://tinyurl.com/3s6a8yn8)
Steve Simple on X (Link: https://x.com/stevesimple)
Bitcoin Mechanic Nostr (Link: https://tinyurl.com/2tm827ut)
Bitcoin Mechanic on X (Link: https://x.com/GrassFedBitcoin)
Jeff Swann Nostr (Link: https://tinyurl.com/3sjc3bcp)
Jeff Swann on X (Link: https://x.com/agoristview)
Affiliate Links
Become sovereign, hold your keys, be censorship resistant with the Bitbox hardware wallet. Get 5% off everything in the store with code GUY (Link: https://bitbox.swiss/)
Get 10% off the COLDCARD with code BITCOINAUDIBLE (Link: https://bitcoinaudible.com/coldcard)
Get 10% off the best Bitcoin board game in the world, HODLUP! Or any of the other great games from The Free Market Kids! Use code GUY10 at checkout for 10% off your cart! (Link: https://www.freemarketkids.com/collections/games-1)
Host Links
Guy on Nostr (Link: http://tinyurl.com/2xc96ney)
Guy on X (Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann)
Guy on Instagram (Link: https://www.instagram.com/theguyswann)
Guy on TikTok (Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguyswann)
Guy on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@theguyswann)
Bitcoin Audible on X (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible)
The Guy Swann Network Broadcast Room on Keet (Link: https://tinyurl.com/3na6v839)
Read_936 – Breez SDK Launches Passkey Login
“The seed phrase has been a barrier to self-custody since day one. It’s what scares normies away from keeping their own bitcoin, and it’s a legitimate reason why people accept the counterparty risk of exchanges and custodial apps.”
~ Breez
What if Bitcoin adoption is stuck not because of the tech but because we are obsessed with “perfect” security? I just read Juan Galt’s thoughts on Breeze SDK’s seedless wallets using Passkey Login, and it hit home. We have to lower the barriers for normies if we actually want them to use this.
Is it finally possible to balance self-custody with real-world ease? This might be the bridge we need to move away from custodial risks toward actual everyday freedom.
Check out the original article: Breez SDK Launches Passkey Login by Juan Galt (Link: https://bitcoinmagazine.com/business/breez-sdk-launches-passkey-login-for-seedless-bitcoin-wallets)
References from the episode
Check out the new Roundtable episode dropping this Thursday: it’s packed with mining insights, price action updates, and some corporate drama.
If you’re into the latest Bitcoin developments and cool upcoming projects, keep an eye out for the next two Chat episodes with Matt Hill and Svetski.
If you’re around, join me at Bit Block Boom in Dallas-Fort Worth from April 9th to 12th – I’ll be sharing some fun stuff on what I’m currently building. (Link: https://bitblockboom.com/)
Host Links
Guy on Nostr (Link: http://tinyurl.com/2xc96ney)
Guy on X (Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann)
Guy on Instagram (Link: https://www.instagram.com/theguyswann)
Guy on TikTok (Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguyswann)
Guy on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@theguyswann)
Bitcoin Audible on X (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible)
The Guy Swann Network Broadcast Room on Keet (Link: https://tinyurl.com/3na6v839)
Guy’s Take_105 – Did Epstein Hijack Bitcoin?
Did Jeffrey Epstein secretly hijack Bitcoin during the block size war? Was is all a covert operation by Jeffrey Epstein and shadowy government actors to permanently handicap Bitcoin?
The big blockers want you to think so. In this Take, I tear apart the narrative piece by piece – following the money, reading the emails, and exposing why this conspiracy exists in the first place, and what it says about the people still pushing it.
References from the episode
Joy Ito’s article on the block size debate is still up and worth reading if you want his actual stated position (Link: https://joi.ito.com/weblog/2016/02/22/my-view-on-the-.html)
The DOJ Epstein email dump is publicly available if you want to dig through it yourself – fair warning, it’s a lot. (Link: https://jmail.world/)
The full video version of this breakdown will be shared shortly on my YouTube. I combined all seven parts into one, so it’s way easier to watch straight through.
Check out our awesome sponsors!
HRF: The Human Rights Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. Subscribe to HRF’s Financial Freedom Newsletter today. (Link: https://mailchi.mp/hrf.org/financial-freedom-newsletter)
OFF: The Oslo Freedom Forum is a global human rights event by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), uniting voices from activism, journalism, tech, and beyond. Through powerful stories and collaboration, OFF advances freedom and human potential worldwide. Join us next June. (Link: https://oslofreedomforum.com/)
Host Links
Guy on Nostr (Link: http://tinyurl.com/2xc96ney)
Guy on X (Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann)
Guy on Instagram (Link: https://www.instagram.com/theguyswann)
Guy on TikTok (Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguyswann)
Guy on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@theguyswann)
Bitcoin Audible on X (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible)
The Guy Swann Network Broadcast Room on Keet (Link: https://tinyurl.com/3na6v839)
Read_935 – AI Will Eat Application Software
“Yes, AI is a big deal, but the conclusion that AI is going to kill the vertical and functional software business model simply makes no sense. The truth is that AI simply isn’t going to kill software companies. After all this panic has passed, we’ll see that AI is the best thing that ever happened to the software industry.”
~ Alex Immerman and Santiago Rodriguez
Ever wonder if AI is really going to wipe out software companies and leave us all jobless in a post-human economy? Listen in this episode where I read a A16Z article dismantling the doom and gloom, then rant on why AI amplifies human judgment, process power, and relative value – turning creative destruction into the ultimate boon for innovation. Could this be the take that flips your fears into excitement?
Check out the original article: AI Will Eat Application Software by Alex Immerman and Santiago Rodriguez (Link: https://www.a16z.news/p/good-news-ai-will-eat-application)
References from the episode
The article by Peter Steinberg on managing AI agents and process engineering, which sparked my thoughts on judgment and memory in AI. (Link: https://steipete.me/posts/just-talk-to-it)
Dig into my feed for those recent episodes on AI coding and vibe coding; they’re full of practical takes on agents and processes.
Host Links
Guy on Nostr (Link: http://tinyurl.com/2xc96ney)
Guy on X (Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann)
Guy on Instagram (Link: https://www.instagram.com/theguyswann)
Guy on TikTok (Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguyswann)
Guy on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@theguyswann)
Bitcoin Audible on X (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible)
The Guy Swann Network Broadcast Room on Keet (Link: https://tinyurl.com/3na6v839)
Check out our awesome sponsors!
HRF: The Human Rights Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. Subscribe to HRF’s Financial Freedom Newsletter today. (Link: https://mailchi.mp/hrf.org/financial-freedom-newsletter)
OFF: The Oslo Freedom Forum is a global human rights event by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), uniting voices from activism, journalism, tech, and beyond. Through powerful stories and collaboration, OFF advances freedom and human potential worldwide. Join us next June. (Link: https://oslofreedomforum.com/)
Chat_163 – Mining in Real Life with Bitcoin Mechanic & HODLTarantula [Plan-B El Salvador]
“When it comes to building in the approach, you have to be taking the approach as utilising the fundamental principles that we see in Bitcoin itself. So having a standard rule set that you apply to yourself every day with discipline and developing standard operating procedures that force us to hold ourselves accountable to higher standards. It’s a daily grind, like you have to be always doing preventative maintenance, inspections and things like that so that you can kind of foresee issues before they happen and keep this infrastructure going because it’s not just for self, this is bigger than us and it requires a great sacrifice sometimes to achieve greatness.”
~ HODLTarantula
While down at Plan B El Salvador, I managed to pull together a last-minute mining panel with two of the absolute best in the space. Bitcoin Mechanic from Ocean and the off-grid mining legend HODLTarantula join me to get into the weeds of physical infrastructure on the ground. We discuss the critical distinction between simply hashing and actually mining, and why that gap poses a massive centralization risk to the network.
From the importance of constructing your own block templates to the “wild horse” philosophy of scavenging energy sources, we cover what it really takes to be unstoppable. If you aren’t building the block, are you really a miner?
Check out our awesome sponsors!
HRF: The Human Rights Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. Subscribe to HRF’s Financial Freedom Newsletter today. (Link: https://mailchi.mp/hrf.org/financial-freedom-newsletter)
OFF: The Oslo Freedom Forum is a global human rights event by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), uniting voices from activism, journalism, tech, and beyond. Through powerful stories and collaboration, OFF advances freedom and human potential worldwide. Join us next June. (Link: https://oslofreedomforum.com/)
Guest Links
HT on X (Link: https://twitter.com/HodlTarantula)
HT’s Website (Link: https://sovereignhybridcompute.com/)
Mechanic on X (Link: https://twitter.com/GrassFedBitcoin)
Ocean’s Website (Link: https://ocean.xyz/)
Host Links
Guy on Nostr (Link: http://tinyurl.com/2xc96ney)
Guy on X (Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann)
Guy on Instagram (Link: https://www.instagram.com/theguyswann)
Guy on TikTok (Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguyswann)
Guy on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@theguyswann)
Bitcoin Audible on X (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible)
The Guy Swann Network Broadcast Room on Keet (Link: https://tinyurl.com/3na6v839)
Chat_162 – Plan-B El Salvador with Giacomo Zucco
“If people are not ready for Bitcoin, just go use USDT as long as you can before dollar hyperinflation. It’s like Noah’s Ark: it’s going to rain, we build the ark. We don’t have to force people on board. Just wait there, and when you feel ready to swim, come aboard.”
~ Giacomo Zucco
Earlier this year at the Plan B conference in El Salvador, I managed to pull Giacomo Zucco aside to take a pulse on the current state of the Bitcoin world.
In this Chat, we debate whether the classic four-year cycle is dead, or if we are simply stuck in the bargaining phase of grief where the world tries to fit old fiat models onto new money. We then discuss whether stablecoins constitute a necessary bridge – like methadone for a fiat junkie – or if they are just delaying the inevitable. Giacomo also breaks down his new Cypher Tank initiative and why he is funding the next generation of cypherpunk projects. At last, we pivot to the creeping dangers of the surveillance state and why KYC is fundamentally a regression to pre-civilization barter systems.
Check out our awesome sponsors!
HRF: The Human Rights Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. Subscribe to HRF’s Financial Freedom Newsletter today. (Link: https://mailchi.mp/hrf.org/financial-freedom-newsletter)
OFF: The Oslo Freedom Forum is a global human rights event by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), uniting voices from activism, journalism, tech, and beyond. Through powerful stories and collaboration, OFF advances freedom and human potential worldwide. Join us next June. (Link: https://oslofreedomforum.com/)
Guest Links
Giacomo on X (Link: https://twitter.com/giacomozucco)
Giacomo’s Website (Link: https://www.giacomozucco.com/)
Plan B Network Website (Link: https://planb.network/)
Host Links
Guy on Nostr (Link: http://tinyurl.com/2xc96ney)
Guy on X (Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann)
Guy on Instagram (Link: https://www.instagram.com/theguyswann)
Guy on TikTok (Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguyswann)
Guy on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@theguyswann)
Bitcoin Audible on X (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible)
The Guy Swann Network Broadcast Room on Keet (Link: https://tinyurl.com/3na6v839)
Roundtable_018 – Everything is Fake and Gay
I’m joined by Steve, Mechanic, and Jeff for yet another Roundtable episode, and honestly, the digital world is getting weirder by the minute. Are we even talking to real people online anymore, or just AI voice clones trying to steal our seed phrases?
We dive into the wild new wave of AI scams, the undeniable reality of the dead internet theory, and how AI coding tools might be the real reason Jack Dorsey just slashed Block’s workforce in half. Of course, we also get into the thick of the quiet civil war happening right now in Bitcoin over BIP 110. Is this soft fork a vital stand against spam and network bloat, or is it a rushed experiment that could cause more chaos than it cures? Plus, we celebrate the Lightning Network quietly hitting a billion dollars in monthly volume, laugh about bartenders unplugging point-of-sale systems to charge their vapes, and question if the entire legacy system is just completely broken.
When the timeline gets this absurd, how do we navigate the fiat madness without losing our minds?
Check out our awesome sponsors!
HRF: The Human Rights Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. Subscribe to HRF’s Financial Freedom Newsletter today. (Link: https://mailchi.mp/hrf.org/financial-freedom-newsletter)
OFF: The Oslo Freedom Forum is a global human rights event by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), uniting voices from activism, journalism, tech, and beyond. Through powerful stories and collaboration, OFF advances freedom and human potential worldwide. Join us next June. (Link: https://oslofreedomforum.com/)
Guest Links
Steve Simple Nostr (Link: https://tinyurl.com/3s6a8yn8)
Steve Simple on X (Link: https://x.com/stevesimple)
Bitcoin Mechanic Nostr (Link: https://tinyurl.com/2tm827ut)
Bitcoin Mechanic on X (Link: https://x.com/GrassFedBitcoin)
Jeff Swann Nostr (Link: https://tinyurl.com/3sjc3bcp)
Jeff Swann on X (Link: https://x.com/agoristview)
Host Links
Guy on Nostr (Link: http://tinyurl.com/2xc96ney)
Guy on X (Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann)
Guy on Instagram (Link: https://www.instagram.com/theguyswann)
Guy on TikTok (Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguyswann)
Guy on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@theguyswann)
Bitcoin Audible on X (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible)
The Guy Swann Network Broadcast Room on Keet (Link: https://tinyurl.com/3na6v839)
Read_934 – The Code Liberation
“The cypherpunk principle that ‘cypherpunks write code’ takes on revolutionary meaning when writing code no longer requires programming knowledge. Eric Hughes meant that political freedom comes through building systems without requesting permission, and now that building happens through natural language instruction to AI agents. You achieve sovereignty over computing through direct technical capability.
The code becomes yours in the most fundamental sense: modified by your specifications, compiled on your hardware, serving your purposes exclusively.”
~ Max Hillebrand
What if every piece of software you use could be shaped entirely to your will – no bloat, no telemetry, no features you never asked for? Max Hillebrand argues that AI hasn’t just changed who can code, it’s changed *what code even is*. Could the combination of open source and AI agents finally destroy the vendor lock-in model for good?
Check out the original article: The Code Liberation: How AI Makes Software Infinitely Customizable by Max Hillebrand (Link: https://towardsliberty.com/articles/naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzpdlddzcx9hntfgfw28749pwpu8sw6rj39rx6jw43rdq4pd276vhuqqgrjvesxyurwctp8p3nzefevyuny53hzf6)
References from the episode
Chat_160 – A Quiet Global Resistance: The episode with Max that kicked this whole conversation off – worth listening to before or after this one. (Link: https://fountain.fm/episode/db0Y8qZkrhZpjhj2vT0D)
Towards Liberty: Max’s blog and writing collection on Nostr – I’m well behind on his stuff and plan to dig back in myself. (Link: https://towardsliberty.com/articles)
Host Links
Guy on Nostr (Link: http://tinyurl.com/2xc96ney)
Guy on X (Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann)
Guy on Instagram (Link: https://www.instagram.com/theguyswann)
Guy on TikTok (Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguyswann)
Guy on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@theguyswann)
Bitcoin Audible on X (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible)
The Guy Swann Network Broadcast Room on Keet (Link: https://tinyurl.com/3na6v839)
Check out our awesome sponsors!
HRF: The Human Rights Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. Subscribe to HRF’s Financial Freedom Newsletter today. (Link: https://mailchi.mp/hrf.org/financial-freedom-newsletter)
Guy’s Take_104 – The User Doesn’t Care About Your Mission
The biggest mistake Bitcoin and sovereignty-focused developers keep making is trying to sell people on why they care instead of building something people actually want to use. They don’t care about decentralization, sovereignty, or peer-to-peer – they care about things that work.
Looking at the user experience tells us just how far we still need to go. Why does logging into a free service feel like a hostage negotiation? Why are captchas filling every corner of the web when bots are better at solving them than humans? Is KYC and a credit card to every single service we want to login to really the “better experience” that the future holds for us? And why in 2026, sharing and syncing files between your own devices and among friends still migraine inducing? It’s time to work backward from the web we want to have, to find the tools that will get us there.
References from the episode
– Pear Drive GitHub repository (Link: https://github.com/peardrive)
– Pears, open-source P2P development stack by Holepunch (Link: https://pears.com/)
– Pubky, key-oriented web protocol for user-owned identity and data by Synonym (Link: https://pubky.app/)
– Wormhole, end-to-end encrypted file sharing tool via links (Link: https://wormhole.app/)
– RustDesk, open-source remote desktop software (Link: https://rustdesk.com/)
– Nostr, key-based identity protocol for global social networking and messaging (Link: https://nostr.org/)
– Breeze SDK with Statechains: Non-custodial Bitcoin scaling solution for onboarding Lightning payments without liquidity concerns (Link: https://breez.technology/sdk/)
– Dead Internet Theory: concept referenced regarding bot-dominated online interactions (Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Internet_theory)
– BitTorrent history: its peak traffic era (~2006–2007) and lessons on peer-to-peer adoption (Link: https://www.bittorrent.org/)
– The Cold Start Problem by Andrew Chen: a book on network effects and the atomic network concept (Link: https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Start-Problem-Andrew-Chen/dp/0062969749)
– Steve Jobs’ talk on starting from the user experience and working backward to the technology (Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZll3dJ2AjY)
Check out our awesome sponsors!
HRF: The Human Rights Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. Subscribe to HRF’s Financial Freedom Newsletter today. (Link: https://mailchi.mp/hrf.org/financial-freedom-newsletter)
OFF: The Oslo Freedom Forum is a global human rights event by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), uniting voices from activism, journalism, tech, and beyond. Through powerful stories and collaboration, OFF advances freedom and human potential worldwide. Join us next June. (Link: https://oslofreedomforum.com/)
