In this episode, Jason and Matt welcome their friend Sterling Lujan — a libertarian communicator, author, cryptocurrency advocate, and public speaker known for blending philosophy, psychology, and blockchain technology into a compelling vision for human freedom. Sterling has been a prominent voice in the liberty and crypto movements for over a decade, speaking at conferences worldwide and writing extensively on voluntaryism, privacy, and the future of decentralized systems. 

We dive deep into the current assault on financial freedom, starting with the recent Tether freeze of $24 million at the request of authorities and the long history of stablecoin issuers like Tether and Circle instantly seizing funds with no due process. Sterling helps us unpack how legislation like the Genius Act is creating a backdoor for CBDC-style control through government-compliant stablecoins — a rare point of bipartisan agreement in Washington that should raise red flags for anyone who values autonomy.

From there, we discuss the case of Roman Storm, the Tornado Cash developer recently convicted of conspiring to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business, and what this means for developers of privacy tools going forward. We explore the role of privacy coins like Zano in resisting state and corporate control, and how the Confidential Layer can offer a permissionless, private escape route from surveillance coins.

Sterling also shares his thoughts on the philosophical drift of the crypto space, the importance of keeping liberty at the core of blockchain development, and the solutions individuals can embrace to push back against the rising tide of financial surveillance. (Length: 1:04:06)