On today’s Talking Tokens episode, Jacquelyn sat down with Muneeb Ali, the founder of Stacks. Stacks is a Bitcoin layer-2 blockchain that turns BTC into programmable money — unlocking smart contracts, lending markets, and yield without changing Bitcoin’s base layer. The network has already surpassed $500 million in total value locked and is pushing toward self-custodial infrastructure that removes the need for signers or bridges.

They discuss Muneeb’s journey from Princeton PhD to building one of the earliest Bitcoin layer-2s, why Bitcoin DeFi (or BTCFi) is finally having its moment, and how institutions, nation-states, and even bots are in the next wave of adoption. Muneeb breaks down why Stacks’ BTC-backed assets are taking off, what the Satoshi upgrade means for scalability, and why making Bitcoin productive could reshape the global financial system.

TIMESTAMPS:

(0:00) - Intro

You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you like the show, please let us know by leaving a review!

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141

Follow us on X:  

Jacquelyn: https://twitter.com/jacqmelinek 

Talking Tokens: https://twitter.com/_TalkingTokens

Follow us on Instagram

Talking Tokens: https://www.instagram.com/_talkingtokens/

Note that this podcast is for informational purposes only and any views shared by anyone on the show are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have a direct or indirect financial interest in content mentioned in this episode.