new renaissance capital

Brindon Mwiine is an inspiration.

He's the type of person who succeeds at doing whatever he puts his mind to.

His projects, Gorilla Sats, a Bitcoin educational platform, and Bitcoin Kampala, a Bitcoin circular economy in Uganda, have begun to garner attention from the international Bitcoin community because of the effort that Brindon has put into both of them.

In this interview, we talk about how "Bitcoin is much more than just 'number go up'". Brindon shares how Bitcoin is a catalyst for personal development and how explains how valuable it can be to become a part of the Bitcoin community.

His words resonated deeply with me, as I think they will with you.

Enjoy!

Follow Brindon on social media:

X (Twitter): @BrindonMwiine , @gorillasats , @bitcoinkampala , @orpansofuganda

Nostr: npub1ee6m4c35nqzv4f05m69w3am4hd2czd05zfzpm83jlz8yyfk969js78tfcv

Check out Gorilla Sats: https://gorilla-sats.com/

Donate to Bitcoin Kampala here: https://btcpay0.voltageapp.io/apps/2HHdoHM52tr4wbx2KUaeguNKTDfm/crowdfund

Timestamps:

0:00 Cold open

0:55 Intro music

1:09 Introduction

2:25 Brandon introduces himself

12:13 The economic situation in Uganda

16:44 The Chinese influence in Uganda

18:32 Do Ugandan's prefer doing business with Americans or the Chinese?

23:13 How does Brindon educate himself?

33:03 What is it like being a Bitcoin educator?

42:49 Bitcoin is helping Africans travel and reach people worldwide

55:26 Slow and steady growth with Bitcoin

1:01:13 Gorilla Sats WhatsApp OTC desk

1:04:55 The Ugandan government and central bank's stance on Bitcoin

1:16:56 Scaling Bitcoin Kampala slowly

1:23:58 Bitcoin helping orphan children in Uganda

1:31:48 Bitcoin will change you

1:33:06 Brindon's final thoughts

1:38:25 Paco de la India's influence

1:41:48 The running connection

1:44:02 Outro

Listen and subscribe on the platform of your choice:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@newrenaissancecapital

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-renaissance-capital-w-frank-corva/id1696184407

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7k6eUo3z5L5LEeP0Bo35SP?si=4eb4482b611c4983

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5saWJzeW4uY29tLzQ3ODYyNi9yc3M

Fountain: https://fountain.fm/newrencap

Intro music by correspondents: https://open.spotify.com/track/45u2rj38rllskHPnIRUTl3

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.frankcorva.substack.com

Thank you for listening!

Willem Schroé is a cryptographer and hardcore Bitcoiner who's on the verge of making bitcoin a currency capable of fueling transactions via the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) through the use of spiderchains.

Put another way, Willem's company Botanix is building a Layer 2 on Bitcoin on which bitcoin (BTC) will be used instead of ether (ETH) when transacting on the dApps, DEXes, etc. that currently exist on Ethereum.

And the best part is, no changes will need to be made to the base layer of Bitcoin in order for this new functionality to exist.

Check out the Botanix white paper here: https://a-us.storyblok.com/f/1014909/x/8d64a913a6/botanix-protocol-whitepaper.pdf

Check out Bitcoin Magazine's write up on the Botanix protocol here: https://bitcoinmagazine.com/technical/spiderchains-a-proof-of-stake-second-layer

Follow Willem and Botanix on social media:

X (Twitter): @willemschroe and @botanixlabs

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willemschroe/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/botanix-labs/

Timestamps:

0:00 Cold open

0:26 Intro music

0:41 Introduction

7:43 The challenge of explaining Bitcoin to people

10:15 Willem and his company, Botanix, are bringing the EVM to Bitcoin?

15:51 What is the blockchain trilemma?

18:52 Using Ethereum dApps with bitcoin

25:21 Will there be pushback against Botanix?

26:54 Botanix is launching whether you like it or not

28:10 The EVM + sound money (bitcoin)

29:34 When does Botanix go live?

32:00 Botanix and BitVM

36:57 Will Ethereum developers move to Botanix?

41:21 What are the security threats for Botanix?

44:31 2 features unique to Botanix

55:09 Why aren't more people paying attention to Botanix?

56:03 How business school helped Willem

1:00:04 Loving Bitcoin, but not letting tribalism blind you

1:01:56 Are there issues with pegging?

1:05:18 How does Vitalik Buterin respond to Botanix?

1:06:28 Will Ethereum have any staying power?

1:08:53 Does bitcoin replace the US dollar as the global reserve currency?

1:12:54 Where to find Willem and Botanix

1:14:28 Outro

Listen and subscribe on the platform of your choice:

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@newrenaissancecapital

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-renaissance-capital-w-frank-corva/id1696184407

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7k6eUo3z5L5LEeP0Bo35SP?si=4eb4482b611c4983

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5saWJzeW4uY29tLzQ3ODYyNi9yc3M

Fountain: https://fountain.fm/newrencap

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.frankcorva.substack.com

Thank you for listening!

Master Guantai has earned the title master.

Intensely-focused and highly-disciplined, he's put in his 10,000 hours of studying Bitcoin, and he now teaches Kenyans all that he knows of this new form of money that solves a number of problems for everyday Africans.

He's also founded BitcoinMtaani, an educational platform on which materials are translated into various African languages, and Bitcoin Matatu Tours, an agency that shuttles visitors of Kenya to check out Gridless' operations — https://gridlesscompute.com/ — in a rural region of the country.

All in all, Master Guantai lives and breathes Bitcoin. He's on a mission, and he wants you to join him in it.

Follow Master Guantai on social media:

X (Twitter): @MasterGuantai

Instagram: @masterguantai.bitcoinmtaani

TikTok: @masterguantai.bitcoin

Check out Master Guantai's projects:

BitcoinMtaani: https://bitcoinmtaani.com/

Bitcoin Matatu Tours: https://twitter.com/BitcoinMatatuKE

Timestamps:

0:00 Cold open

0:28 Intro music

0:40 Intro from Frank

1:48 Introduction

5:33 Where did "Master Guantai" come from?

7:40 Keeping up with Bitcoin

9:32 Master Guantai's Bitcoin story

16:09 Why is Bitcoin helpful in Africa?

24:34 Why are Kenyans so financially savvy?

30:09 Master Guantai's partner companies

37:40 How to approach Bitcoin education

48:05 Master Guantai's Bitcoin Matatu tours

56:02 How does Gridless work?

60:05 How do the Kenyan authorities feel about Bitcoin?

1:07:23 Where to find Master Guantai

Listen and subscribe on the platform of your choice:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@newrenaissancecapital

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-renaissance-capital-w-frank-corva/id1696184407

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7k6eUo3z5L5LEeP0Bo35SP?si=4eb4482b611c4983

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5saWJzeW4uY29tLzQ3ODYyNi9yc3M

Fountain: https://fountain.fm/newrencap

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.frankcorva.substack.com

Thanks for listening!

Kal Kassa doesn't play.

Hailing from Ethiopia and a part-time resident of Texas, he's quick witted and on a mission to educate the Ethiopian people about Bitcoin.

When he's not updating Bitcoin Birr (https://github.com/BitcoinBirr) — the open-source Bitcoin education platform he created — he's supporting Bitcoin-related tech start ups in Ethiopia or speaking about Bitcoin at an event.

Steadfast and resolute, Kal is doing his part to help bring Bitcoin to his country of origin.

Follow Kal on social media:

X (Twitter): @kalkassa

Instagram: @kalkassa

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

Read Kal's work:

Bitcoin Magazine: https://bitcoinmagazine.com/authors/kal-kassa

Medium: https://kalkassa.medium.com/

Watch Kal speak:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCacA5gS5FzbiXWFC-lmw_Dg

Timestamps

0:00 Cold open

0:16 Intro music

0:31 Note from Frank

1:24 Introduction

3:46 Banking and inflation issues in Ethiopia

5:25 Is Bitcoin near an all-time high in Ethiopian Birr?

6:59 The leverage of Kal's dual citizenship

8:35 The risk of holding and using Bitcoin in Ethiopia

12:17 The Ethiopian government's stance on Bitcoin

13:46 Ethopia's government and its young population

14:48 Mobile phone adoption in Ethiopia

17:00 Would Haile Selassie have been a Bitcoiner?

20:26 Low time preference

21:22 The marathon mentality

22:46 Hoping bitcoin doesn't go up in price

24:49 How can Ethiopia become an ascending country?

27:40 Are there drawbacks to a bitcoin standard?

28:58 Which African Bitcoin projects have Kal most excited

32:51 Ethiopia's tech culture

34:01 The population of Ethiopia

34:24 Where to find Kal online

34:23 The African Bitcoin Conference

36:31 Outro Listen and subscribe on the platform of your choice:

YouTube: https://youtu.be/tYgWt3JeHQM?si=Whrve0uBUlLqI1bv

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-renaissance-capital-w-frank-corva/id1696184407

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7k6eUo3z5L5LEeP0Bo35SP?si=4eb4482b611c4983

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5saWJzeW4uY29tLzQ3ODYyNi9yc3M

Fountain: https://fountain.fm/newrencap

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.frankcorva.substack.com

Thank you for listening!

Win Ko Ko Aung was a well-known author and personality in Myanmar when he had to flee the country due to his being threatened by the authoritarian government that took control of the country in February 2021 after he spoke out against it.

Now, he's based in the United States and is a McCourt Scholar in a Data Science for Public Policy program at Georgetown University, a contributor to Bitcoin Magazine, Human Rights Fellow at the Bitcoin Policy Institute and an advocate for how Bitcoin can be a boon for human rights.

Win is full of life and rich in character, and his story is an inspiration.

Follow Win on social media:

X (Twitter): @wkkaung

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

Timestamps:

0:00 Cold Open

0:22 Intro music

0:36 Intro from Frank

1:33 Introduction

4:01 Changes in Myanmar

9:15 The 2021 military coup / Win flees Myanmar

11:16 Win's bank account gets frozen

14:32 Bitcoin and stablecoins

17:12 Currency debasement in Myanmar

20:45 US sanctions on Myanmar

23:06 Are people in Myanmar starting to understand Bitcoin?

28:21 What was it like first discovering the internet in 2007?

32:52 Two types of people using Bitcoin and crypto

40:00 The difficulties of educating people about Bitcoin in Myanmar

44:13 The language barrier around Bitcoin education

45:25 What can Bitcoin fix in Myanmar?

47:38 Investing in Bitcoin instead of real estate

52:42 Outro

Listen and subscribe on the platform of your choice:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@newrenaissancecapital

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-renaissance-capital-w-frank-corva/id1696184407

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7k6eUo3z5L5LEeP0Bo35SP?si=4eb4482b611c4983

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5saWJzeW4uY29tLzQ3ODYyNi9yc3M

Fountain: https://fountain.fm/newrencap

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.frankcorva.substack.com

It seems like there's nothing Man Like Kweks can't do.

From recently summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro — the highest peak in his home country of Tanzania — to making music to educating the youth, Man Like Kweks is the type of Renaissance Man we like to be associated with here at new renaissance capital.

In this interview, he details how the Bitcoin and Nostr communities helped him get to the peak of "Kili" (Mt. Kilimanjaro), the experience of coming to represent Tanzania in the Bitcoin space and his thoughts on what Jesus would think about Bitcoin.

It was truly a pleasure to chat with him, and we look forward to seeing what he does next!

Follow Man Like Kweks on social media:

Nostr: npub1fnn2h0tgm2mwnl0kar5ez25wztum2w0q0rrrf326n0ljn999znwsqf4xnx

YouTube: @manlikekweks

X (Twitter): @manlikekweks

Check out Man Like Kwek's music on WavLake:

https://wavlake.com/track/aeff4fd1-40a3-407c-8f40-680943c095af

Timestamps:

Podcast

0:00 Introduction

1:06 Introduction music

1:51 Frank's intro

2:50 Man Like Kweks introduction

5:50 Why raise funds in bitcoin?

7:39 How does it feel be better known in the Bitcoin community?

9:01 Was there any pressure? / Geyser fund tools

12:37 Where did the name Man Like Kweks come from?

14:40 Teaching background / POWA

17:28 The Mt. Kilimanjaro journey

24:42 What does it feel like to represent Bitcoin for/in Tanzania?

30:29 Are there parallels between creativity in Bitcoin and making music?

38:04 What would Jesus think of Bitcoin?

44:08 Moving from the UK back to Tanzania

45:30 Tips for people using Geyser / Diversity in Bitcoin

50:08 Where to find Man Like Kweks / Outro

Intro music: "We On Top Now | POWA" by Man Like Kweks: https://www.wavlake.com/track/aeff4fd1-40a3-407c-8f40-680943c095af

Follow new renaissance capital on social media:

X (Twitter): @newrencap | @frankcorva

Instagram: @newrenaissancecapital

Nostr: npub1sdpauejw5f7nefagw62d2943p7p326xpvmgvmhc2tlvshalzwngq465vnh

Listen and subscribe on the platform of your choice:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-renaissance-capital-w-frank-corva/id1696184407

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7k6eUo3z5L5LEeP0Bo35SP?si=4eb4482b611c4983

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5saWJzeW4uY29tLzQ3ODYyNi9yc3M

Fountain: https://fountain.fm/newrencap

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.frankcorva.substack.com

Thank you!

Noelle Acheson is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to Bitcoin, crypto and macroeconomics, and she shares her thoughts with great nuance, calm and compassion.

As the author of the Crypto Is Macro Now newsletter — https://noelleacheson.substack.com/ — and as a contributor to CoinDesk — https://www.coindesk.com/author/noell… — Noelle examines the power shifts at play in the world, especially in emerging markets, as Bitcoin and crypto gain broader adoption.

While Noelle often looks at the big picture, she does so with great consideration for the human experience, as she very eloquently shares how Bitcoin and other crypto assets can be a tremendous force for good (or at least an antidote to crazy) in our world.

Follow Noelle online on X (Twitter): @noelleinmadrid

And be sure to check out her newsletter and her articles on CoinDesk (links above)!

Timestamps:

0:00 Cold open

0:33 Intro music

0:50 Introduction

5:23 Bitcoin and Africa

10:26 The interesting people in the crypto space / hope

12:15 The social benefits of the concept of "Bitcoiners"

15:41 Teaching to learn

17:51 What is crypto macro?

22:44 Bitcoin and crypto empower the individual

25:52 Bitcoin vs stablecoins

28:39 Change brings pain / the reality of hyperbitcoinization

32:58 Understanding Bitcoin

38:07 Bitcoin as a check on power and a catalyst

41:07 What does Bitcoin mean to people in Spain?

45:05 Speaking up to keep our rights

46:44 Find Noelle online / outro

-

Intro music: "Yours", by correspondents — https://open.spotify.com/track/45u2rj38rllskHPnIRUTl3?si=df88ba38278d4c1d&nd=1

- Follow new renaissance capital on social media:

X (Twitter): @newrencap

Instagram: @newrenaissancecapital

Nostr: npub1sdpauejw5f7nefagw62d2943p7p326xpvmgvmhc2tlvshalzwngq465vnh

-

Listen and subscribe on the platform of your choice:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-renaissance-capital-w-frank-corva/id1696184407

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7k6eUo3z5L5LEeP0Bo35SP?si=1aac249ecfdb48f2&nd=1

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5saWJzeW4uY29tLzQ3ODYyNi9yc3M

Fountain: https://fountain.fm/newrencap

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.frankcorva.substack.com

Lorraine Marcel believes that if we're ever going to reach hyperbitcoinization, women are going to need to be a part of the Bitcoin space.

Hence she started Bitcoin Dada ("Dada" means "sister" in Swahili) to educate the young women or Kenya, and now other African countries, about what Bitcoin is and how to use it.

She also recently hosted the launch party for Machankura Kenya, which was a smashing success.

She claims that some her courage and boldness in hosting this launch party as well as starting Bitcoin Dada came from the creator of Bitcoin his/her/theirself — Satoshi Nakamoto — as she wants to help fulfill Nakamoto's vision for a currency that everyone in the world can use to transact with each other permissionlessly.

Check out Bitcoin Dada, and please consider donating:

Website: https://btcdada.com/

Following Bitcoin Dada online:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bitcoindada

X (Twitter): @btc_dada

Instagram: @bitcoin_dada

Timestamps:

0:00 Cold open

1:05 Intro music

1:20 A word from Frank

2:11 Introduction

4:06 Initial Thoughts about Bitcoin

6:30 When did you decide to become a Bitcoin educator?

13:47 What effect is Bitcoin education having on women?

18:09 What was it like hosting the launch party for Machankura Kenya?

23:23 Bitcoin Dada is pro-women, not anti-men

25:29 We need women for hyperbitcoinization

28:06 Could the separation of money and state hurt women?

30:49 Why are Kenyans so sharp when it comes to money?

35:24 Lorraine's talks at Adopting Bitcoin and the African Bitcoin Conf.

36:06 Outro

Intro music: "Yours", by correspondents — https://open.spotify.com/track/45u2rj38rllskHPnIRUTl3?si=df88ba38278d4c1d

Follow new renaissance capital on social media:

X (Twitter): @newrencap

Instagram: @newrenaissancecapital

Nostr: npub1sdpauejw5f7nefagw62d2943p7p326xpvmgvmhc2tlvshalzwngq465vnh

Listen and subscribe on the platform of your choice:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-renaissance-capital-w-frank-corva/id1696184407

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7k6eUo3z5L5LEeP0Bo35SP?si=f58359423d994df0

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5saWJzeW4uY29tLzQ3ODYyNi9yc3M

Fountain: https://fountain.fm/newrencap

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.frankcorva.substack.com

Isaiah Jackson is exactly the type of Renaissance Man we like to interview here at new renaissance capital.

He's the author of Bitcoin and Black America, plus a handful other other books including his latest: Stacks Sats Motherf*cker (link below).

He's the co-host of The Gentlemen of Crypto, the second longest running Bitcoin/crypto show and the co-founder of Black Bitcoin Billionaires.

And he's constantly involved with new endeavors — like the new Yzer app (link below) — to help people understand Bitcoin better.

He was also one of the first people I followed on Crypto Twitter (CT) when I fell down the Bitcoin/crypto rabbit hole, so it was an honor to have him on the pod.

Stacks Sats Motherf*cker: https://www.stacksatsmf.com/

Bitcoin and Black America: https://www.amazon.com/Bitcoin-Black-America-Isaiah-Jackson/dp/1079178090

The Yzer app: https://yzer.io/

The Genltemen of Crypto: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGentlemenofCrypto

Timestamps:

0:00 Cold open

1:09 Intro music

1:25 Note from Frank

2:14 Introduction

3:19 Bitcoin in 2023 vs. 2013

4:54 The cypherpunks

5:54 Why did Isaiah become a Bitcoin educator?

8:23 Why "The Gentlemen of Crypto"?

10:36 What's it like being the voice for "Bitcoin and Black America"?

13:31 Stack Sats MFer (Isaiah's new eBook)

16:18 The Yzer app

19:50 The impediments to Bitcoin education and adoption

26:11 How much should retail investors invest in bitcoin?

28:32 The change Bitcoin has catalyzed in Isaiah's life

33:10 When does Bitcoin REALLY change the world?

37:26 Bitcoin to $250k

42:14 What was wrong with Obama?

48:20 Bitcoin is apolitical

53:42 Outro

-

Intro music: "Yours", by correspondents — https://open.spotify.com/track/45u2rj…

Follow new renaissance capital on social media:

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/newrencap

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

Nostr: npub1sdpauejw5f7nefagw62d2943p7p326xpvmgvmhc2tlvshalzwngq465vnh

Listen and subscribe on the platform of your choice:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-renaissance-capital-w-frank-corva/id1696184407

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7k6eUo3z5L5LEeP0Bo35SP?si=7ea2e3e7b7764d29

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5saWJzeW4uY29tLzQ3ODYyNi9yc3M?sa=X&ved=0CAcQrrcFahcKEwjwnKjDyeaAAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQLA

Fountain: https://fountain.fm/newrencap

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@newrenaissancecapital

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.frankcorva.substack.com

Thanks for listening!

Mauricio Di Bartolomeo believes that it's essential to understand the nature of money if you want to be financially successful.

Growing up in Venezuela and witnessing his country's political and economic systems unravel, Mauricio learned the hard way that hard work doesn't matter much if you save in fiat.

In 2015, his brother discovered Bitcoin and started mining it.

Upon witnessing his brother's success as a Bitcoin miner, Mauricio found his calling and started Ledn, a Bitcoin lending company (and more), by 2018. In our interview, he shares his journey in greater detail and bestows upon the listener the many lessons he's learned about money along the way.

0:00 Introduction clip

1:44 Intro music

1:58 Introductions

5:18 Overview of crisis in Venezuela

13:30 Inflation vs. hyperinflation

19:19 Latin American debt / How money works

26:31 The nature of money

28:36 Mauricio's brother Bitcoin mining operation

33:25 Bitcoin as a way for everyday Venezuelans to hedge

37:12 Don't save in fiat / Pain is a teacher

40:44 Do Venezuelans need Bitcoin?

47:45 Stablecoins

58:18 Why is Ledn a lending company?

1:07:10 Earning trust

1:11:28 How does Bitcoin help people in Venezuela?

1:16:01 Bitcoin helps Democracy

1:19:44 Outro

Intro music: "Yours" by correspondents — https://open.spotify.com/track/45u2rj38rllskHPnIRUTl3?si=cf7815b5424d4aea