new renaissance capital

In this episode, Frank sits down with Kgothatso Ngako (KG), founder of Machankura, Exonomia, and now Mantra — a tool that can be used to translate Bitcoin texts.

In the first part of the discussion — which is for the more technical-minded out there — KG provides an overview of how Mantra works, who it's for and why he employed tech like Nostr, Frost, and the Marmot Protocol in its design. He also shares how his work on Mantra will ultimately inform upcoming development for Machankura.

In the latter half of the interview, Frank and KG discussion what it's been like to stay alive during this era of Bitcoin-related tech vulnerability exploits, why it's important to keep building despite setbacks, and how everything is essentially open-source now, which means that almost all software is susceptible to hacks.

In listening, we think you'll see what we see in KG in that he's one of the most creative and thoughtful developers in the Bitcoin and freedom tech space.

Enjoy!

Timestamps:

0:00 Highlight

0:20 A Word from Frank

3:39 Introduction

5:58 Building Exonomia and Mantra

18:35 Who Mantra Is for

20:14 How Mantra Works

37:18 Why KG Created Mantra

45:24 Why KG Used Nostr for Mantra

49:01 Who Exonomia Has Reached

53:20 Open-sourcing Translation

55:17 Mantra as an Experimental Project

1:00:11 How Proposed South African Bitcoin Regulations Affect Machankura

1:04:34 How Mantra Informs Machankura

1:06:57 Surviving This Era of Bitcoin Software Hacks

1:13:35 We're Not Going Anywhere

1:15:34 A Return to Principles

1:21:30 Taking a Step Back

1:23:35 Everything Is Open-source / Reverse Engineering

1:30:04 Social Engineering

1:31:55 Final Thoughts

On this episode of new renaissance capital, Frank sits down with TALO Africa Chairman and Kenyan Bitcoin advocate Robert Kirubi to discuss the work that is still to be done to get Kenya, its government, and its businesses to embrace Bitcoin.

Frank and Robert touch on the many incredible Bitcoin programs and initiatives that already exist in Kenya — including Gridless, Bitcoin Dada, Afribit Kibera — and how, in the wake of Kenya's National Treasury gazetting Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) regulations, the country is now primed for broader adoption.

They also discuss how Bitcoin mining can catalyze infrastructure development in Kenya and how much work still needs to be done behind the scenes for bigger businesses and institutions in Kenya to begin utilizing Bitcoin.

With people like Robert working behind the scenes to facilitate greater Bitcoin adoption in Kenya — which has already established itself as a 'Bitcoin country' — one can only believe that the future for Kenya is bright.

Follow Robert on X: https://x.com/rkirubi

Follow Robert on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-kirubi-222b801/

Follow Frank on Nostr: https://primal.net/frank

Follow Frank on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-corva/

Follow new renaissance capital on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newrenaissancecapital/

Timestamps:

0:00 Highlight

0:34 Introduction

3:02 VASP Regulation in Kenya

10:10 Did M-Pesa Prime Kenyans for Bitcoin?

12:02 The Afribit Kibera Impact

18:12 How Bitcoin Mining Catalyzes Infrastructure Development

27:45 How Everyday People Benefit from Bitcoin

31:40 Coordinating for Broader Bitcoin Adoption among Kenyan Businesses

36:14 Bitcoin Mining and Infrastructure

41:59 Reducing Dependence on Loans from Abroad

46:57 A Deeper Understanding of Bitcoin Is Still Necessary

On this episode, Frank sites down with Lyudmyla Kozlovska, president of the Open Dialogue Foundation, to discuss why Chat Control must be stopped in the EU and how to stop it. Kozlovska watched up close last month as the European Parliament pushed Chat Control 1.0 through via a last-minute vote, and now she's determined to stop something like this from happening again with the Chat Control 2.0 vote, which is scheduled for next month. That said, she can't stop Chat Control 2.0 on her own. She needs your help! In this conversation, Lyudmyla lays out what's at stake with chat control (as well as with current financial repression measures and AI data sharing practices), and shares ways that you can help in this fight. Please listen and then act. Below are the resources she mentions in the video:

Follow Lyudmyla on Social Media:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyudakozlovska/

X: https://x.com/LyudaKozlovska

Nostr: npub13ajk3hhvqys2ev4y68jwxywgs8fsdsuk4y5gkzs874jdyrccvf5qak2yd9

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lyudmylakozlovska/

Fight Chat Control: https://fightchatcontrol.eu/

Donate to the Open Dialogue Foundation: https://en.odfoundation.eu/how-can-you-help/

The Rise of Transnational Financial Repression Report: https://www.thefreedomfrequency.org/p/the-rise-of-transnational-financial

Timestamps:

0:00 Highlight

0:39 Introduction

4:18 Chat Control 1.0

9:50 Chat Control 2.0

15:45 How Chat Control 1.0 Was Pushed Through

20:13 The Vote for Chat Control 2.0 in September

24:23 What You Can Do to Help

28:18 Transnational Financial Repression Report

36:45 The FATF

42:48 AI and Property Rights

50:53 Making Sure the Good Guys Have access to Frontier AI Models

55:36 Final Thoughts / Call to Action

On this episode of new renaissance capital, Frank sits down with Akhona Mabuto Livingstone, better known as "The Orange Rocket" in Mossel Bay, South Africa.

Akhona is a part of both the Bitcoin Ekasi (https://bitcoinekasi.com/) and The Surfer Kids (https://www.thesurferkids.com/) communities. With the Surfer Kids project, he teaches children how to swim and surf in an after school program. For his work, he's paid in bitcoin.

In 2018, he became interested in triathlon after completing the swim leg of a triathlon for a three-person team with whom he entered the race. It wasn't until 2024, though, that he cleaned up his life and prepared to compete in his first half Ironman (Ironman 70.3), which took place in his home town of Mossel Bay.

Now, with the support of the Bitcoin community, Akhona aims to compete in an Ironman 70.3 World Championship race within two years before competing the full Ironman World Championships within the years after that.

Akhona's story is deeply compelling given he was born into apartheid and doesn't come from much means. However, he's chosen to make notable changes in his life (e.g., giving up drinking alcohol) to focus on the mission at hand: becoming a world-class Ironman racer.

Because this process won't be easy, we're asking for your help.

Please be sure to follow Akhona on the following platforms:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/orange.rocket.btc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingstoneakhona/

X: https://x.com/OrangeRocketBTC

Nostr: npub1xf3277ggqr6umj0pe25chd3s5vga8cjdhr4us8kfeqhpv9huxkxsjnhv7d

Please tag these companies to help Akhona get sponsored by them:

Ironman:

https://x.com/IRONMANtri

https://www.facebook.com/IRONMANtri

https://www.instagram.com/ironmantri/

Sailish: https://www.facebook.com/people/sailfish/100064569614958/

Specialized:

https://x.com/iamspecialized

https://www.facebook.com/specializedbicycles/

https://www.instagram.com/iamspecialized/

Felt:

https://x.com/feltbicycles

https://www.facebook.com/feltbicycles/

https://www.instagram.com/feltbicycles/

Brooks:

https://x.com/brooksrunning

https://www.facebook.com/brooksrunning

https://www.instagram.com/brooksrunning/

On:

https://x.com/on_running

https://www.facebook.com/On#

https://www.instagram.com/on/

Adidas:

https://x.com/adidas

https://www.facebook.com/adidasUS/

https://www.instagram.com/adidas/

Garmin:

https://x.com/Garmin

https://www.facebook.com/Garmin/

https://www.instagram.com/garmin/

32Gi:

https://x.com/32Gi

https://www.facebook.com/32GiSportsNutrition

https://www.instagram.com/32gi/

World Triathlon:

https://x.com/worldtriathlon

https://www.facebook.com/worldtriathlon

https://www.instagram.com/worldtriathlon/

Frank's piece on Bitcoin Ekasi for Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/frankcorva/2025/03/29/south-african-bitcoin-circular-economy-project-deepens-community-ties/

Timestamps:

0:00 Highlight

0:40 Introduction

2:39 Akhona Introduces Himself

4:54 How Akhona Got Involved with Bitcoin Ekasi

6:07 Akhona's Work with The Surfer Kids Project

7:01 How Akhona Started Racing Triathlons

10:41 How the Bitcoin Ekasi Community Changed Akhona's Life

13:28 The Orange Rocket

14:21 The Importance of Challenging Oneself

15:13 Akhona's Daily Routine

17:39 Training during the Winter

20:33 The Support of the Bitcoin Ekasi Community

23:04 Akhona's Upcoming Races

28:29 Akhona's Ultimate Goal

31:08 Members of the Surfer Kids Compete at National Champs

32:12 Akhona On Being a Role Model

36:19 Preparing to Qualify for Half Ironman World Champs

38:18 Akhona's Diet

40:32 Final Thoughts

In this episode, host Frank Corva sits down with Hermann Vivier, a prominent South African Bitcoiner and the founder of Bitcoin Ekasi and The Surfer Kids non-profit. They dive deep into the recent draft regulations proposed by the South African government that threaten to essentially ban peer-to-peer Bitcoin usage through aggressive updates to the country's 1961 Capital Controls Act.

Hermann breaks down how these vague new rules could force citizens to turn over assets to the state treasury or mandate holding funds in highly regulated, KYC-walled gardens, effectively outlawing local circular economies.

Host: Frank Corva

Guest: Hermann Vivier

Follow Hermann on X: https://x.com/vryfokkenou

Follow Bitcoin Ekasi on X: https://x.com/BitcoinEkasi

Follow the Property Rights Defense Group on X: https://x.com/PRDG_ZA/

Learn more about Bitcoin Ekasi: https://bitcoinekasi.com/

Learn more about the Property Rights Defense Group: https://propertyrightsdefense.org/

Timestamps:

0:00 Highlights

0:32 Introduction

3:52 Overview of the Proposed Capital Control Regulations in South Africa

10:30 Why are these controls being proposed now?

15:58 Communist Ideology in South Africa

22:32 Stopping South Africa from Becoming a 'Bitcoin Country'

27:44 Issues with the South African Bureaucracy and Administrative State

32:42 Why Hermann Is Optimistic

36:24 What can Bitcoiners do to help?

40:32 Why Some Non-White South Africans Support Communist Ideology

48:12 Why South Africans Aren't Leaving

53:34 Final Thoughts

In this episode, we sit down with Francisco Calderon, a veteran developer and a central figure in the Latin American Bitcoin scene. Francisco shares his journey from experiencing the economic collapse in Venezuela to building Mostro, a decentralized peer-to-peer (P2P) trading protocol. We discuss how Mostro leverages the Nostr protocol to remove single points of failure, providing a lifeline for users in regions like Cuba and Bolivia where financial censorship and slow internet are daily realities.

Beyond P2P trading, Francisco dives into the philosophical importance of open-source technology and his vision for the future. From using Bitcoin as a tool for remittances to his experimental work on decentralized voting systems, this conversation explores how sovereign technology can empower individuals globally. Whether you are interested in the technical mechanics of the Lightning Network or the humanitarian impact of Bitcoin, this episode offers a deep dive into the tech that is actually changing lives on the ground.

Timestamps:

0:00 Highlight

0:38 Introduction

2:38 Discovering Bitcoin

6:00 Francisco Starts Working on Bitcoin/Lightning

8:41 Building LNP2P Bot

12:59 Building Mostro

17:25 Where Mostro Is Used

19:19 How Mostro Utilizes Nostr

21:42 Who Mostro Was Built For

25:20 Can Mostro work with Ecash?

27:29 How big can Mostro get?

34:29 Perspective on Countries in Crisis

37:38 Maduro's Capture and the Current State of Venezuela

43:39 The Open-Source Future Is Bright

49:23 Closing

Hannah Rosenberg of Lightning Labs joins Frank for a philosophical deep dive into the state of Bitcoin in 2026. This episode explores the "human being problem" behind Bitcoin's growing pains, specifically focusing on how authoritarianism and elitism have infiltrated American Bitcoin circles. Hannah shares personal experiences of how the space has changed and why she maintains respect for the "diamonds in the rough" who uphold their principles despite the pressure to chase power or clout.

Beyond the cultural critiques, we look at the practical future of Bitcoin as a global currency. From the importance of de minimis tax exemptions to the rise of inclusive economies over extractive ones, we cover the logistics of a Bitcoin-fueled renaissance. We also discuss why the most interesting Bitcoin stories are currently happening outside of the West, where the technology is a literal lifeline rather than just a financial asset.

Host: Frank Corva

Guest: Hannah Rosenberg

Timestamps:

0:00 Highlight

0:10 Intro

1:50 Authoritarianism and Elitism in Bitcoin

13:06 Are human beings unavoidably hierarchical?

20:28 Upholding the Bitcoin Ethos

27:58 Is the circle of high-integrity people expanding?

29:27 Human Psychology and the Fear State

36:05 The Difficult of Serving Bitcoin

41:58 Can Bitcoin help us to be better?

49:04 What Keeps Hannah Motivated

53:19 Will better regulation help with Bitcoin adoption?

1:02:04 Final Thoughts

Faisal Saeed Al Mutar joins us to discuss the reality of the situation in Iran, including how people from the region view at the conflict.

He debunks common misconceptions about Iran's ethnic makeup and discusses how local populations really feel about the regime and foreign intervention.

We also discuss the multiple layers on which Bitcoin has been adopted in the Middle East.

Please note that this episode was recorded before the two-week ceasefire agreement, which was announced on April 7, 2026.

Host: Frank Corva

Guest: Faisal Saeed Al Mutar

Link to Faisal's newsletter, Middle East Uncovered: https://www.themiddleeastuncovered.com/

Link to Faisal's organization, Ideas Beyond Borders: https://ideasbeyondborders.org/

Video Timestamps:

0:00 Highlights

0:30 Introduction

3:33 An Overview of the Iran Conflict

10:02 Best and Worst Possible Outcomes

15:53 Opening the Straight of Hormuz

22:50 An Ethnic and Religious Breakdown of Iran's Population

24:40 Iran Isn't Venezuela

30:15 How many Iranians want regime change?

38:15 Iran and Freedom

42:47 Different Perspectives of Iranians

48:35 Bitcoin in the Middle East

58:02 Shelly Kittleson

1:03:38 Outro

Discover the innovative ways Bitcoin is being used in Cuba to overcome economic hurdles and empower local communities. Our guests, Forte and Catrya, co-founders of Cuba Bitcoin, provide a firsthand look at the technical projects they are working on and the importance of native language media in the Bitcoin space.

Descubre las formas innovadoras en que se está utilizando Bitcoin en Cuba para superar obstáculos económicos y empoderar a las comunidades locales. Nuestros invitados, Forte y Catrya, ofrecen una visión de primera mano de los proyectos técnicos en los que están trabajando y de la importancia de los medios de comunicación en lengua nativa dentro del ecosistema de Bitcoin.

From infrastructure development to community education, this episode covers the essential work being done to foster Bitcoin adoption in Cuba. Learn about the unique challenges and opportunities that exist within the Cuban Bitcoin ecosystem.

Desde el desarrollo de infraestructuras hasta la educación comunitaria, este episodio aborda la labor esencial que se está llevando a cabo para fomentar la adopción de Bitcoin en Cuba. Descubre los desafíos y oportunidades únicos que existen dentro del ecosistema Bitcoin cubano.

Guests | Invitados:

Reyna Chicas - Bitcoin Training Coordinator at Mi Primer Bitcoin (Translator)

Forte, Co-founder of Cuba Bitcoin

Catrya, Co-founder of Cuba Bitcoin

Host | Presentador: Frank Corva

Timestamps:

0:00 Highlights | Reflejos

1:10 Introduction | Introducción

6:10 What's happening in Cuba? | ¿Qué está pasando en Cuba?

18:37 What's the solution for Cuba? | ¿Cuál es la solución para Cuba?

26:57 Do Cubans want a U.S. intervention? | ¿Los cubanos quieren una intervención estadounidense?

33:13 Can Bitcoin help Cubans? | ¿Puede Bitcoin ayudar a los cubanos?

45:16 The History of Cuba Bitcoin & Mostro | La historia de Cuba Bitcoin y Mostro

1:13:21 Mostro, Nostr-powered P2P Trading | Mostro, Negociación P2P con Nostr

1:20:35 Teaching Bitcoin in Cuba | Enseñar Bitcoin en Cuba

1:38:17 Follow Cuba Bitcoin, Mostro, Forte & Catrya | Siga Cuba Bitcoin, Mostro, Forte y Catrya

In this episode, Frank sits down with Dread, a developer, the founder of the Flash app, and just an all around incredible human being, sometimes referred to as "the Jamaican Bitcoiner," to discuss his incredible work on the ground following a devastating Category 5 hurricane in his home country.

When traditional banks and Western Union locations were destroyed or offline, Dread and his team used the Bitcoin-powered Flash app to deliver immediate relief, care packages, and essential supplies to those in need.

We dive deep into the creation of Flash, a fork of the Blink wallet tailored specifically for the Caribbean culture and economy. Dread explains his vision for "Project Island Resilience," which combines solar power, Starlink internet, and Bitcoin nodes to create community hubs that can withstand any future disaster.

Timestamps for Audio:

0:00 Highlight

0:38 Intro from Frank

2:06 Introduction

3:35 The Hurricane Relief Effort in Jamaica

6:18 How the Situation in Venezuela is Affecting Jamaica

7:54 The Intense Reality of the Relief Effort in Jamaica

10:31 Mobilizing a Relief Effort Team

12:04 The Financial Infrastructure Impact after the Hurricane

16:02 Jamaicans Turn to Bitchat

18:31 Has Jamaica recovered?

20:33 Prepping Jamaica for the Next Storm with Freedom Tech

22:56 An Overview of the Flash App

26:45 Dread's Bitcoin Developer Story

31:22 Many in Jamaica Don't Have/Use a Bank Account

33:59 Forking the Blink/Bitcoin Beach Wallet

39:20 Are Jamaicans using Bitcoin?

41:58 The Challenges of Building Open-Source Tech

46:21 Dread's Hope for Jamaica

51:23 Moving Forward with Bitcoin Adoption in Jamaica

56:06 What's next for Flash and Jamaica's recovery effort?

1:01:28 Where to Find Dread and Jamaica Relief Effort Info

1:05:45 Outro

Guest: Dread

Host: Frank Corva

Download Flash here: https://getflash.io/

Link to Forbes article mentioned in the intro: https://www.forbes.com/sites/frankcorva/2025/11/20/jamaicas-first-native-bitcoin-app-is-helping-with-hurricane-relief/