Sam Lyman, Head of Research at the Bitcoin Policy Institute and former Senior Advisor and Chief Speechwriter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, shares what it looks like inside the U.S. Treasury when Bitcoin, stablecoins, and AI are being treated as strategic national assets. He explains why the current administration's approach marks a fundamental break from the Gensler era; how freedom tech is becoming a geopolitical tool to challenge authoritarian capital and information controls; and why the time to shape crypto and AI policy through legislation is now.

Key Takeaways:

• How AI, Bitcoin, and stablecoins form a "trifecta of freedom tech," and why policymakers are starting to see them as such

• Why China banned both Bitcoin and stablecoins, and what that tells us about the real threat these technologies pose to authoritarian regimes

• What AI agents prefer to use as money, and what a first-principles study of frontier models revealed about savings vs. payments

• Why executive orders aren't enough, what legislation like the Clarity Act can protect, and how this legislation couldn't be easily undone with an administration change

• How AI could actually make the economy more human

Guest Bio:

Sam Lyman is the head of research at the Bitcoin Policy Institute. He served previously as senior advisor and chief speechwriter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Prior to working at the U.S. Treasury, Sam served as public policy director at Riot Platforms, a leading digital assets and AI infrastructure company. He holds a master's in public policy from Princeton University.

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About this Show:

The Brave Technologist is here to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech. To make it digestible, less scary, and more approachable for all!

Join us as we embark on a mission to demystify artificial intelligence, challenge the status quo, and empower everyday people to embrace the digital revolution. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a curious mind, or an industry professional, this podcast invites you to join the conversation and explore the future of AI together.

The Brave Technologist Podcast is hosted by Luke Mulks, VP Business Operations at Brave Software—makers of the privacy-respecting Brave browser and Search engine, and now powering AI everywhere with the Brave Search API.

Music by: Ari Dvorin

Produced by: Sam Laliberte