Stephan Livera Podcast

In this episode, I caught up with Will Cole from Zaprite, Alex Bragin (Jan3), Nathan Day from BTCMap, Philipp (Satora), and Skot 9000 (BitAxe/SHA256) while at BTC Prague 2026.

Timestamp:

(00:00) – Interview with Skot9000 of (SHA256)

(09:01) – Interview with Alex Bragin of JAN3 

(20:35) – Interview with Will Cole of Zaprite

(28:45) – Interview with Philipp of Satora.io

(39:33) – Chris Seedor of Seedor.io

(46:23) – Nathan Day of BTCMap

Links: 

• Philipp: https://x.com/bonomat

• Chris: https://x.com/coinjoined 

• Will Cole: https://x.com/willcole

• Alex: https://x.com/BraginRights

• Skot9000: https://x.com/skot9000

• Nathan Day: https://x.com/nathan_day

• JAN3: https://x.com/JAN3com 

• BTCMap: https://x.com/BTCMap

• Satora: https://x.com/satora_io

• Zaprite: https://x.com/ZapriteApp

• SHA256: https://x.com/sha256

• Seedor: https://x.com/seedor_io

Stephan Livera links:

• Follow me on X: @stephanlivera

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In this episode, industry experts discuss the latest developments in Bitcoin treasury strategies, Lightning Network innovations, and market outlooks amid macroeconomic uncertainties. Gain insights into hardware wallets, stablecoins, and the future of Bitcoin adoption.

Timestamp:

(00:00) – Interview with Freddie New from BHODL

(08:47) - Interview with Nick Farrow from Frost Snap

(21:27) - Interview with Tony Klausing from Stable Channels

(26:41) - Interview with André Dragosch from Bitwise

(39:35) - Interview with Sam Callahan from Oranje BTC

Links: 

• https://x.com/freddienew

• https://x.com/UTXOClub

• https://x.com/tonklaus

• https://x.com/Andre_Dragosch

• https://x.com/SamCallah

Stephan Livera links:

• Follow me on X: @stephanlivera

• Subscribe to the podcast

• Subscribe to Substack
  

In this episode, Chris Ritter joins me to discuss Lightning Network economics, yield opportunities, network centralization, and the rapid growth of Lightning payments. We explore who captures value in the Lightning Network, security considerations for routing nodes, and what recent data reveals about the future of Bitcoin payments.

Timestamp:

(00:00) – Introduction to Lightning Economics

(04:23) – Understanding Bitcoin Treasury Strategies

(09:08) – The Evolution of Lightning Network Routing

(14:45) – Growth and Volume in the Lightning Network

(19:57) – Centralization Trends in the Lightning Network

(25:08) – Security Considerations in Lightning Routing

(29:18) – Yield Generation in Lightning Network

(35:05) – The Future of Payments and AI in Lightning

(41:34) - Closing Thoughts

Links: 

• https://zeusln.com/

• https://freecritter.xyz/

• https://x.com/ZeusLN

• https://primal.net/freecritter

• Report: https://zeusln.com/Lightning_Economics_Report_April_2026.pdf 

Stephan Livera links:

• Follow me on X: @stephanlivera

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In this episode, PakoVM joins me as we discuss the security challenges facing Bitcoin users, from scams and self-custody risks to the trade-offs of convenience versus sovereignty. The conversation explores emerging Bitcoin protocols such as Ark and Spark, the role of Linux and open-source hardware, advancements in wallet design, privacy, inheritance planning, and whether stablecoins and Bitcoin-native financial infrastructure can accelerate global adoption.

Timestamp:

(00:00) – Introduction 

(05:24) – Navigating Scams in the Bitcoin Space

(10:16) – The Rise of Linux and Desktop Alternatives

(15:18) – Bitcoin Technology: Lightning, Ark, and Beyond

(30:27) – Bridging Traditional Finance and Bitcoin

(35:10) – Bitcoin as a Medium of Exchange vs. Store of Value

(39:22) – Stablecoins and Their Role in Bitcoin Ecosystem

(41:50) – Wallets and User Experience in Bitcoin Transactions

(44:23) – Community Perspectives: Bitcoin Only vs. Multi-coin

(46:14) – Global Perspectives on Bitcoin Adoption

(50:17) – Future of Bitcoin Technology and User Adoption

(01:02:18) – Privacy Solutions and User Experience in Bitcoin

(01:08:21) – Closing thoughts

Links:

• https://x.com/PakoVM
• https://blog.bitbox.swiss/en/transferring-bitcoin-without-actually-moving-it-explaining-how-statechains-work/
• https://pakovm.substack.com/p/ark-and-the-train-analogy-a-guide

Stephan Livera links:

• Follow me on X: @stephanlivera

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In this episode, Stephan sits down with Arbedout to explore one of the most debated technical topics in Bitcoin today: covenants, vaults, and the future of Bitcoin custody infrastructure.

They discuss why many people may be misunderstanding where the real demand for covenants comes from, and how covenant-related features could improve Bitcoin self-custody through vaults, spending limits, recovery mechanisms, and more secure long-term storage setups.

The conversation also explores Bitcoin adoption, conviction, long-term store of value dynamics, and the psychological challenges of holding Bitcoin through volatility.

Timestamp:

(00:00) – The privacy problem with co-signing today

(03:25) – What does Sigbash allow us to do?

(08:15) – What is Oblivious Signing? 

(12:20) – Privacy, Regulation, and Reducing Multisig Honeypot Risks

(15:10) - What does Sigbash use look like in practice? Inheritance, Vaults, and Multisig

(19:50) - Can the server grief the user?

(21:10) – Mobile Wallets, Assisted Self-Custody, and NeoBank Possibilities

(25:50) - Sigbash project and product

(28:29) – Sigbash vs PIPES vs BinoHash Explained

(33:01) – Covenant Demand, Bitcoin Security, and the Future of Self-Custody

(36:33) – Closing Thoughts

Links: 

• https://sigbash.com/

• https://x.com/arbedout

Stephan Livera links:

• Follow me on X: @stephanlivera

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In this episode, Sanjay Mavinkurve and Chase Palmieri join me to discuss Sovana, a groundbreaking product that allows property owners to leverage their real estate equity to gain Bitcoin exposure without traditional debt. They explore the product's mechanics, target audience, market timing, and future potential, providing insights into how real estate and Bitcoin markets intersect.

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introduction

(02:50) - The Problem with Home Equity and Bitcoin

(06:38) - How Sovana Works

(11:10) - What if Bitcoin is down in 5 years?

(14:55) - Is this only for people who are already HODLers?

(17:25) - Why TradFi can’t ignore Bitcoin anymore

(19:17) - Would a 10 year period be possible in future?

(26:35) - Comparing Sovana to Traditional Financing

(29:05) - What about Capital Gains taxes?

(32:55) - Real Estate vs. Bitcoin Performance

(39:37) - Bridging the Gap: Conviction and Capital

(47:55) - Closing Thoughts

Links: 

• https://x.com/SovanaHQ

• https://x.com/sgmavinkurve

• https://x.com/chasepalmieri

• https://www.sovana.io/

Stephan Livera links:

• Follow me on X: @stephanlivera

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In this episode, we explore the latest in Bitcoin security with NVK, including the new MK5 device, firmware updates, and the impact of AI and quantum computing on crypto security. We discuss practical tools, philosophical debates on self-custody, and future tech trends.

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Intro 

(00:21) - What’s new with @COLDCARDwallet?

(04:05) - Miniscript support in Coldcard

(09:48) - Thoughts on Bitkey

(17:49) - @bisq_network protocol exploit

(23:17) - Debunking the quantum FUD

(29:51) - nvk on AI & LLMs

(37:54) - llm-wiki

(45:38) - Practical guides for using AI agents

(52:03) - Closing thoughts 

Links: 

• https://x.com/nvk 

• https://bitcoinquantum.space 

• https://learntoprompt.org/   

• https://llm-wiki.net/ 

Stephan Livera links:

• Follow me on X: @stephanlivera

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In this episode, Pavlenex joins Stephan to discuss the strategic importance of funding open source in the Bitcoin ecosystem. They explore how open source support benefits companies, the stages of open source project development, and recent updates on Stratum V2 and BTCPay Server.

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:09) - Open source is not philanthropy

(05:07) - Reaction to MARA Foundation’s initiative

(06:40) - Stages of open source projects

(11:51) - The necessity of economic incentives

(16:42) - AI's impact on open source contributions

(19:48) - “Upstream decisions, downstream impact”

(24:33) - Open source as a complement to R&D

(28:46) - Navigating corporate funding & control

(31:14) - Identifying & supporting the right projects

(35:56) - Directed grants vs Open grants

(39:55) - The importance of supporting open source

(42:41) - Updates on Stratum V2

(47:02) - Updates on BTCPay Server

(48:47) - What is the Samrock protocol for BTCPay?

Links: 

• https://x.com/pavlenex 

• https://x.com/pavlenex/status/2049122238033531339 

Stephan Livera links:

• Follow me on X: @stephanlivera

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In this episode Stephan speaks with Matyas Kuchar, co-founder of BTC Prague, about the upcoming Bitcoin conference in Prague. They discuss the conference's focus on Bitcoin and its intersection with other technologies like AI, the regulatory landscape in Europe, and the community divides within the Bitcoin space. 

Matyas shares insights on the importance of self-custody, the challenges posed by CBDCs, and the need for a united front in the Bitcoin community. The discussion also touches on the influence of institutional investments on Bitcoin adoption and the value of self-custody. 

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:18) - What to expect from BTC Prague?

(06:10) - The Intersection of AI & Bitcoin

(10:41) - Rise of surveillance state & importance of Bitcoin

(16:07) - CBDCs in Europe and regulatory challenges

(19:30) - Community divides in Bitcoin

(25:59) - The different types of conference attendees at BTC Prague

(29:58) - The value of in-person connections

(34:40) - Strategy’s influence on Bitcoin adoption

(40:20) - Why attend BTC Prague?

Links: 

• https://x.com/Matyas44Cook 

• https://x.com/btcprague 

Stephan Livera links:

• Follow me on X: @stephanlivera

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In this conversation, Giovanni Santostasi discusses his new book 'The Physics of Bitcoin' and the application of power law analysis to understand Bitcoin's growth, value, and long-term behavior. The conversation covers the scientific basis of Bitcoin's patterns, the significance of power laws in natural and social systems, and how this framework challenges common narratives about exponential growth.

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Intro

(02:14) - Why write 'The Physics of Bitcoin'?

(06:18) - The significance of Bitcoin’s Power Law 

(10:28) - Bitcoin's growth: Power law vs Exponential models

(21:41) - The nature of Bitcoin as a network effect

(29:46) - How would bitcoin’s power law be falsified?

(37:30) - Bitcoin’s price floor

(41:35) - Can it break to the upside?

(43:14) - Will Bitcoin hit a saturation point?

(52:51) - Sustainable nature of Bitcoin's growth

Links: 

• https://x.com/Giovann35084111

• http://thephysicsofbitcoin.com 

• https://scientificbitcoininstitute.org/ 

Stephan Livera links:

• Follow me on X: @stephanlivera

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