"I actually view Bitcoin as a way to keep the crown jewels of our civilization, the West, shining… If that goes out, then the whole world goes dark. And so that's what I think is the most important thing. I think Bitcoin is going to help save Western civilization." What happens when you build a Bitcoin-only bank inside the belly of the U.S. financial system? River CEO/CTO Alex Leishman breaks down what it's like to build a Bitcoin bank, why Bitcoin saves western civilization, and what Bitcoin means for America. PARTNERS & DISCOUNTS: BLOCKWARE: Mine Bitcoin, lower your tax bill, and stack sats hands-free with Blockware — get started today at https://mining.blockwaresolutions.com/titcoin and use code “titcoin” to get $100 off your first miner on the Blockware Marketplace. LEDN: Bitcoin-backed lending. Go to ledn.io/walker and unlock liquidity WITHOUT selling your bitcoin. Buy Bitcoin with River: http://partner.river.com/walker GET FOLD ($10 in bitcoin): https://use.foldapp.com/r/WALKER In this episode of THE Bitcoin Podcast, Walker America sits down with Alex Leishman, CEO/CTO of River, to talk about: • Why River refuses to sell shitcoins and won’t run a “casino” • How their proof-of-reserves system works (and why most exchanges still won’t do it) • Paying 3.5% on dollar deposits, in Bitcoin, and why they’re fine eating the banks’ lunch • What River sees behind the scenes during the “Bitcoin crashed to $100K” panic • The rise of Main Street Bitcoin treasuries (restaurants, plumbers, hot dog stands, churches & more) • Why Alex thinks Bitcoin is a lifeboat for America and the West • Culture, demographics, and why “fix the money” isn’t the whole story Alex also shares River’s long-term vision to become the most trusted financial institution built on Bitcoin – a true Bitcoin-native bank that can eventually replace your legacy checking and savings account. FOLLOW ALEX: https://x.com/Leishman JOIN THE SUBSTACK TO GET NEW EPISODES DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX: https://walkeramerica.substack.com/ If you enjoy THE Bitcoin Podcast you can help support the show by doing the following: FOLLOW ME (Walker) on @WalkerAmerica on X | @TitcoinPodcast on X | Nostr Personal (walker) | Nostr Podcast (Titcoin) | Instagram Subscribe to THE Bitcoin Podcast (and leave a review) on Fountain | YouTube | Spotify | Rumble | EVERYWHERE ELSE