Vijay Selvam is a lawyer and the author of Principles of Bitcoin: Technology, Economics, Politics, and Philosophy, a comprehensive first-principles guide to understanding Bitcoin’s multidimensional impact and once‑in‑history discovery.

› https://x.com/VijaySelvamXO

› https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Bitcoin-Technology-Economics-Philosophy/dp/023122012X

› ’Bitcoin is Time’ paper that is referenced: https://dergigi.com/2021/01/14/bitcoin-is-time

PARTNERS

🌳 Gain peace of mind with Onramp’s Multi-Institution Custody solution. Sign up with code BRAM to receive $150 in Bitcoin after your first deposit: https://onrampbitcoin.com/bram

🟧 Gemini’s Bitcoin Credit Card: Earn instant bitcoin rewards on every purchase with no annual fee. Sign up today to earn a $200 intro Bitcoin bonus: https://gemini.com/bram

🔐 Blockstream Jade Plus: The simplest and most secure hardware wallet on the planet - Get 10% off your entire order with code BRAM at https://store.blockstream.com

🔨 Stamp Seed: The safest way to backup your hardware wallet - Get 15% off with code BRAM at https://stampseed.com

PRODUCTS I ENDORSE

› Get the The Bitaxe Gamma (open-source Bitcoin home miner) in US & UK with 10% using code BRAM: https://shop.powermining.io/?ref=BRAM

› Buy Bitcoin in the EU 🇪🇺 via https://relai.me/bram and use code BRAM to reduce fees by 0.5%

🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFIED

› YouTube: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@bramk⁠⁠

› Follow Bram on ⁠⁠https://x.com/bramk

🕑 TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Introduction to Bitcoin and Its Principles

03:06 - The Journey from Gold to Bitcoin

03:31 - Understanding Bitcoin Through First Principles

04:03 - The Rock of Centaurus: A Thought Experiment

04:09 - The Map is the Territory: Bitcoin's Unique Nature

10:36 - Bitcoin's Edge Over Traditional Assets

13:26 - The Core of Digital Scarcity

14:53 - Understanding Money and Its Properties

20:32 - The Evolution of Money

21:06 - The Impact of Inflation and Debt

23:55 - Central Planning and Its Consequences

29:32 - Bitcoin's Role in Sovereignty and State Power

45:43 - The Cycle of Civilizations

47:50 - Time Preference and Economic Behavior

49:47 - Bitcoin as a Solution to Consumerism

53:13 - The Impact of Money on Society

53:54 - Bitcoin: A Once in History Invention

01:00:45 - Bitcoin as a Mirror of Self-Reflection

ℹ️ EPISODE SUMMARY

Bram Kanstein and Vijay Selvam unpack The Principles of Bitcoin — technology, economics, politics, and philosophy — through the eyes of an ex–Wall Street lawyer who lived the 2008 crisis from the inside.

Vijay saw bailouts and moral hazard up close, turned to gold, and eventually realized Bitcoin’s absolute scarcity, decentralized consensus, and unstoppable design make it the once-in-history breakthrough the world needs. From the Rock of Centaurus thought experiment to proof-of-work, incentives, inflation, and sovereignty, this conversation cuts to Bitcoin’s core: why it can’t be shut down, and why everything else in society flows downstream from the quality of money. We cover:

• Why Wall St. insiders dismissed Bitcoin at first
• Scarcity, consensus, and proof-of-work explained simply
• Why incentives make Bitcoin unstoppable
• The map vs. territory problem solved by Bitcoin
• Fiat inflation as hidden theft
• Bitcoin as a nonviolent revolution against state control
• How sound money reshapes time preference, culture, and the future