“The worst thing is to not own any of it.” Eric Yakes returns to discuss why he believes Bitcoin’s four-year cycle is breaking, why diminishing returns may not be inevitable, and how institutional and nation-state demand could change the next rally. He explains why Bitcoin needs to become bigger and more liquid before its largest potential buyers can make meaningful allocations. We also get into Bitcoin’s role as a hedge against debasement, the debate over money versus digital gold, and why Eric rejects the “private Bitcoin” pitch around Zcash. We finish with how AI could make Bitcoin’s scarcity more valuable, the security risks that concern him most, and why he still believes the biggest mistake is owning none. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN - Explore Bitcoin-backed loans and get 0.25% off your first loan. https://learn.ledn.io/wbd BITGO - Secure your Bitcoin with institutional grade security. https://www.bitgo.com/danny ANCHORWATCH - Insured Bitcoin custody, security & inheritance. Book a consultation: https://www.anchorwatch.com/wbd BITKEY - Get 10% off the new Bitkey wallet with code WBD. https://bitkey.world/wbd EXPAT MONEY - Build your Plan B. Explore second residencies, citizenship and offshore wealth protection. https://expatmoney.com/wbd FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles Eric Yakes: https://x.com/ericyakes

“Bitcoin feels alive, but not intelligent. And AI feels intelligent, but not alive.” Dhruv Bansal joins to discuss why AI may need Bitcoin to survive, why autonomous agents could choose Bitcoin over dollars and stablecoins, and how earning Bitcoin to pay for their own resources could align them with human needs. We also get into how Bitcoin could help rebuild a free and open internet, the problems with advertising and surveillance, and whether AI could accelerate hyperbitcoinization. Dhruv explores how Bitcoin and AI could give rise to a new form of digital life and why he sees an optimistic path for both. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN - Explore Bitcoin-backed loans and get 0.25% off your first loan. https://learn.ledn.io/wbd BITGO - Secure your Bitcoin with institutional grade security. https://www.bitgo.com/ ANCHORWATCH - Insured Bitcoin custody, security & inheritance. Book a consultation: https://www.anchorwatch.com/wbd BITKEY - Get 10% off the new Bitkey wallet with code WBD. https://bitkey.world/wbd EXPAT MONEY - Build your Plan B. Explore second residencies, citizenship and offshore wealth protection. https://expatmoney.com/wbd FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles Dhruv Bansal: https://x.com/dhruvbansal

“We experienced, as a percentage of deposits, the biggest bank run in history.” Alan Lane joins to discuss the fall of Silvergate, the bank run that followed FTX’s collapse, and how his team kept meeting withdrawals as 70% of deposits left. He explains why he believed the bank could rebuild and what changed between surviving the run and deciding to close. We also get into Operation Choke Point 2.0, why Alan believes Washington wanted the industry cut off from banking, and the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature just days after Silvergate’s wind-down announcement. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN - Explore Bitcoin-backed loans and get 0.25% off your first loan. https://learn.ledn.io/wbd BITGO - Secure your Bitcoin with institutional grade security. https://www.bitgo.com/ ANCHORWATCH - Insured Bitcoin custody, security & inheritance. Book a consultation: https://www.anchorwatch.com/wbd BITKEY - Get 10% off the new Bitkey wallet with code WBD. https://bitkey.world/wbd EXPAT MONEY - Build your Plan B. Explore second residencies, citizenship and offshore wealth protection. https://expatmoney.com/wbd

“You actually have the president and the Treasury working for Bitcoin because they’re working for a weaker dollar.” Matt Cole joins to discuss why he believes America’s debt crisis leaves the government with few good options, how rising bond yields could force the Treasury and Fed to intervene, and why a weaker dollar could fuel Bitcoin’s next bull market. We also get into why AI could create abundance without generating enough tax revenue to fix the debt problem, his case for $500K Bitcoin by 2030, and whether Bitcoin is entering a supercycle. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN - Explore Bitcoin-backed loans and get 0.25% off your first loan. https://learn.ledn.io/wbd ANCHORWATCH - Insured Bitcoin custody, security & inheritance. Book a consultation: https://www.anchorwatch.com/wbd BITKEY - Get 10% off the new Bitkey wallet with code WBD. https://bitkey.world/wbd EXPAT MONEY - Build your Plan B. Explore second residencies, citizenship and offshore wealth protection. https://expatmoney.com/wbd FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles Matt Cole: https://x.com/ColeMacro

“I think everyone is underestimating the speed of AI.” Jordi Visser joins the show to discuss why he believes AI could trigger a major shift in global wealth, weaken the investment appeal of stocks and real estate, and create a new bull case for Bitcoin. He explains why wealthy investors haven’t needed Bitcoin yet, and how AI’s deflationary effects could change that. We also get into whether AI is a bubble, how agents and tokenization could transform finance, and why Big Tech may struggle to maintain its dominance. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN - Explore Bitcoin-backed loans and get 0.25% off your first loan. SWAN - Buy Bitcoin, Build Wealth. Discover Swan’s Bitcoin products for individuals and businesses. ANCHORWATCH - Insured Bitcoin custody, security & inheritance. Book a consultation: BITKEY - Get 10% off the new Bitkey wallet with code WBD. CAPE - Get 33% off your first six months with code WBD. FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles Jordi Visser: https://x.com/jvisserlabs

“The things they need to do to bring inflation down are just too painful for them.” Andy Constan returns to discuss why he thinks politicians will keep running large deficits, how inflation can shift the cost of America’s debt onto savers and future generations, and why that creates a bull case for Bitcoin. We also get into how institutions decide whether to own Bitcoin, why its volatility and weak correlation with gold keep Andy on the sidelines, and whether a US debt collapse is inevitable. Andy explains why bonds look more attractive to him today, what it would take to bring inflation down, and whether AI could change America’s debt outlook. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN - Explore Bitcoin-backed loans and get 0.25% off your first loan. SWAN - Buy Bitcoin, Build Wealth. Discover Swan’s Bitcoin products for individuals and businesses. ANCHORWATCH - Insured Bitcoin custody, security & inheritance. Book a consultation: BITKEY - Get 10% off the new Bitkey wallet with code WBD. CAPE - Get 33% off your first six months with code WBD. FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles Andy Constan: https://x.com/dampedspring

“You don’t need inflation for anything whatsoever. It’s essentially a counterfeiting cartel.” Peter St Onge returns to discuss why he believes 2% inflation is a scam, how central banks transfer wealth from savers to governments and Wall Street, and why technological progress should be making life cheaper. We also get into Austrian economics, his argument that the Fed causes the recessions it then tries to fix, and America’s growing debt problem. Peter explains why he thinks the AI bubble still has room to run, how he uses Bitcoin as a place to park profits, and what could bring money back from AI into Bitcoin. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN - Explore Bitcoin-backed loans and get 0.25% off your first loan. SWAN - Buy Bitcoin, Build Wealth. Discover Swan’s Bitcoin products for individuals and businesses. ANCHORWATCH - Insured Bitcoin custody, security & inheritance. Book a consultation: BITKEY - Get 10% off the new Bitkey wallet with code WBD. CAPE - Get 33% off your first six months with code WBD. FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles Peter St Onge: https://x.com/profstonge

“I think the primary product that they’re the most interested in selling is AI psychosis.” Erik Cason returns to discuss why he believes American capitalism has already ended, how AI could accelerate the rise of the surveillance state, and why owning your own AI could become as important as holding your own Bitcoin. We also get into AI dependence, his warning of a “digital 9/11”, the competition between Chinese open models and American AI companies, and the personal AI system he’s building. Erik explains how Bitcoin and cryptography fit into this future, and why Bitcoin could become essential for paying for AI when governments restrict access. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN - Explore Bitcoin-backed loans and get 0.25% off your first loan. SWAN - Buy Bitcoin, Build Wealth. Discover Swan’s Bitcoin products for individuals and businesses. ANCHORWATCH - Insured Bitcoin custody, security & inheritance. Book a consultation: BITKEY - Get 10% off the new Bitkey wallet with code WBD. CAPE - Get 33% off your first six months with code WBD. FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles Erik Cason: https://x.com/Erikcason

"The rest of the world, of course, should always have been paying attention to Bitcoin, but they should be paying attention to it for a very different set of reasons now because they’re next.” Jameson Lopp returns to discuss how AI is accelerating the race between hackers and defenders, what the Coldcard and Liquid hacks reveal about Bitcoin security, and why he sees Bitcoin as the canary in the coal mine for other industries. We also get into hardware wallets, multisig and protecting life-changing amounts of bitcoin, the risks of KYC leaks and physical attacks, and what Jameson learnt from talking to scammers and interviewing North Korean applicants trying to get jobs at Casa. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN - Explore Bitcoin-backed loans and get 0.25% off your first loan. SWAN - Buy Bitcoin, Build Wealth. Discover Swan’s Bitcoin products for individuals and businesses. ANCHORWATCH - Insured Bitcoin custody, security & inheritance. Book a consultation: BITKEY - Get 10% off the new Bitkey wallet with code WBD. CAPE - Get 33% off your first six months with code WBD. FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles Jameson Lopp: https://x.com/lopp Jameson Get's Swatted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCWJY8olZHU

“I think AI is officially too big to fail.” Jeff Ross returns to discuss why he expects an AI-led manufacturing boom in the US and how rising productivity could help America grow its way out of debt. We also get into why AI-driven deflation could benefit people but threaten a debt-based monetary system, and why the government may eventually have to backstop the AI buildout with QE or yield curve control. • - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN - Explore Bitcoin-backed loans and get 0.25% off your first loan. SWAN - Buy Bitcoin, Build Wealth. Discover Swan’s Bitcoin products for individuals and businesses. ANCHORWATCH - Insured Bitcoin custody, security & inheritance. Book a consultation: BITKEY - Get 10% off the new Bitkey wallet with code WBD. CAPE - Get 33% off your first six months with code WBD. • - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles Jeff Ross: https://x.com/FormerDrJeff

“We don’t really have the tools to deal with fiscal-driven inflation.” Lyn Alden returns to discuss why the US is entering deeper fiscal dominance, what the Treasury’s recent buybacks signal, and why America’s growing debt and $2 trillion deficits are changing what monetary policy can actually achieve. We discuss the increasingly K-shaped economy, why developed markets are beginning to take on characteristics once associated with emerging markets, and why Lyn believes this macro environment could persist well into the 2030s. Lyn also explains why she believes Bitcoin is increasingly well positioned for the years ahead, why capital could rotate out of the AI trade, and what would need to happen for Bitcoin to enter a stronger bull market. • - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN SWAN ANCHORWATCH BITKEY CAPE • - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles Lyn Alden: https://x.com/LynAldenContact

“There is a reckoning. There is a point at which something has to be addressed.” Nik Bhatia returns to get into America’s $40 trillion debt problem, why the real danger is the share of tax revenue being consumed by interest, and how continued Treasury bill issuance could eventually trigger stress in the repo market and force the Fed to intervene. We discuss whether Treasury buybacks helped drive Bitcoin’s recent 20% rally, why the UK, France and Japan may face major monetary intervention before the United States, and how Washington is attempting to reclaim control of the offshore dollar system. Is the world entering a new kind of financial war? Nik also explains why he believes Bitcoin’s bottom is in but the next bull market has not yet begun, what his liquidity indicators are signalling, and why the bond market could determine Bitcoin’s next major move. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN SWAN ANCHORWATCH BITKEY CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles Nik Bhatia: https://x.com/timevalueofbtc The Bitcoin Layer: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBitcoinLayer

“You could have a massive cycle here this time around that will shock people.” — Joe Carlasare Joe Carlasare is a commercial litigator, Bitcoiner and author of Unconfiscatable. In this interview, we discuss why he believes the Bitcoin bottom is in, how the recent drawdown changes Bitcoin’s risk profile, and why a move above $100K could trigger the next major cycle. We also discuss institutional adoption, the future of the four-year cycle, Bitcoin-backed banking and credit, Treasury buybacks, fiscal dominance, AI investment, structural inflation and why Joe is bullish on the economy, markets and Bitcoin. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN SWAN ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE BITKEY CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles Joe Carlasare: https://x.com/JoeCarlasare

“Everything’s structurally changed.” Eric Yakes is back on the show to explain why Bitcoin may never suffer another 80% crash, and why the recent 50% drawdown could prove that the four year cycle is finally dead. We discuss whether yield curve control has arrived under another name, why Bitcoin is becoming a hedge against monetary debasement and the potential for a great rotation out of AI and gold and why gold could reach $10,000 while Bitcoin runs from $80,000 to $800,000. Eric also gets into how the US push for stablecoins could unintentionally accelerate Bitcoin adoption, why stablecoins may provide the route to hyperbitcoinization, how Bitcoin could become the world’s most valuable collateral and why fractional reserve banking might actually help Bitcoin win. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN SWAN ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE BITKEY CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles Eric Yakes: https://x.com/ericyakes

“Your conversations and your money should not have to live in totally separate places.” Seth for Privacy is the COO of Cake Wallet and Radar, a Signal-compatible messenger combining encrypted conversations with self-custodial Bitcoin payments. In this episode, he explains why the next wave of Bitcoin adoption may begin inside an everyday messenger—not a standalone wallet. We discuss how Radar makes sending Bitcoin feel as natural as sending a message, why Spark made that experience possible, and the challenge of combining simple UX, privacy and self-custody at scale. Seth also breaks down Radar’s connection to the Signal network, its plans for fiat top-ups and stablecoins, and why compromising someone’s phone can defeat even the strongest encryption. We also get into Zcash’s historic counterfeiting vulnerability, Monero’s privacy model, Bitcoin privacy and how Silent Payments, PayJoin and better developer tools could make private, self-custodial Bitcoin practical for everyday users. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN SWAN ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE BITKEY CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles Seth for Privacy: https://x.com/sethforprivacy

“They’re saving all their money in Bitcoin and they’re doing all the right things. They’re self-custodying it. And then overnight, it’s just gone.” Frostsnap’s Lloyd Fournier and Nick Farrow join me to break down the catastrophic Coldcard vulnerability that made supposedly secure Bitcoin keys guessable and allowed attackers to drain more than 1,700 BTC without ever touching the devices. We discuss how a five-year failure in Coldcard’s randomness generation went undetected, why every safeguard failed and the role AI played in discovering and exploiting the bug. Nick also explains how he reproduced the attack himself, what the on-chain evidence reveals about the attackers and why this has shaken trust in Bitcoin self-custody. We also get into whether hardware wallets are really trusted third parties, the limitations of dice rolls and air gaps, how Dark Skippy can leak a seed through a single transaction and why single-signature custody may need to change. Finally, Lloyd and Nick explain how Frostsnap uses distributed key generation and threshold signatures to remove single points of failure, simplify recovery and secure Bitcoin across multiple locations. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN SWAN ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE BITKEY CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles Lloyd Fournier: https://x.com/LLFOURN Nick Farrow: https://x.com/utxoclub

“The reason it goes up is because you get to seller exhaustion. No one wants to sell anymore.” Checkmate is a Bitcoin analyst and founder of Checkonchain. In this episode, he explains why Bitcoin may be entering the final stage of the bear market, even after $8.2 billion of ETF outflows, Strategy selling, the Coldcard attack and the failure of BIP110. We discuss whether $58k marked the bottom, why a fall to $45k would inflict damage comparable to the brutal 2015 bear market, and the key levels that would signal Bitcoin is turning bullish again. We also get into the massive accumulation between $58k and $78k, why bull markets begin before the narrative arrives, whether the parabolic phase of the AI trade is over, and why money printing will eventually bring investors back to Bitcoin. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN SWAN ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE BITKEY CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles Checkmate: https://x.com/_Checkmatey_

“We’ve already fucking won.” Bitcoin went from a weird internet experiment to an asset that Wall Street, corporations and governments can no longer ignore. But as the suits pile in, is Bitcoin losing the culture that made it matter? Recorded live at PubKey in New York City, American HODL, Junseth and Erik Cason & Thomas Pacchia are on the show for an unfiltered conversation about Bitcoin’s conquest of Wall Street, why everyone still thinks they’re late, the promise of $100 million Bitcoin and whether Bitcoin needs a new narrative. We also discuss the rise of Bitcoin treasury companies, building businesses with AI, escaping economic nihilism, individual sovereignty and why prosperity remains Bitcoin’s true killer app. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN SWAN ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE BITKEY CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles American HODL: https://x.com/americanhodl8 Erik Cason: https://x.com/Erikcason Thomas Pacchia: https://x.com/tpacchia

“The people who are truly productive are going to be on a rocket ship.” AI is about to split society in two: those who learn to command it and those whose value it destroys. Zack Shapiro, Head of Policy at the Bitcoin Policy Institute, explains why AI could dismantle the traditional white-collar career ladder while creating millions of millionaires. He argues that judgment, agency and decisive thinking will become exponentially more valuable, while simply working hard may no longer be enough. We discuss why most people are using AI incorrectly, how it could transform law and business, whether mass unemployment and universal basic income are coming, and why Zack believes there is a 15% chance AI could wipe out humanity. We also explore the battle between technological abundance and authoritarian control, why autonomous AI agents may naturally choose Bitcoin, the future of the CLARITY Act, protections for Bitcoin developers, and whether America will ever meaningfully build a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN SWAN ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE BITKEY CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles Zack Shapiro: https://x.com/zackbshapiro

“There’s no balance sheet in the world that can cough up a trillion dollars.” In this episode, Mauricio Di Bartolomeo explains why he believes Bitcoin-backed loans could become a $1 trillion market within the next five to ten years, and why traditional lender balance sheets cannot finance that growth alone. Mauricio breaks down Ledn’s $188 million Bitcoin-backed securitisation, the significance of its investment-grade senior notes, and how institutional capital could transform Bitcoin lending into a global credit market. He also explains partial liquidations, auto top up, tokenised gold and the potential for hybrid Bitcoin-and-gold collateral. The conversation also explores the hidden risks behind “no-liquidation” loans, why cheaper borrowing can conceal dangerous counterparty risk, and whether parts of the industry are repeating the mistakes that preceded the last crypto credit collapse. We also get into the ongoing changes in Venezuela following Maduro’s capture, the devastation caused by the La Guaira earthquakes, and why he believes the country may finally have an opportunity to rebuild. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: LEDN SWAN ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE BITKEY CAPE FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles Mauricio Di Bartolomeo: https://x.com/cryptonomista