The Bitcoin Frontier

What if orange-pilling isn’t persuasion—but marketing, ethics, and timing? In this episode, we sit down with Tad Smith—partner at One Roundtable Partners, former CEO of Madison Square Garden and Sotheby’s, and one of bitcoin’s most articulate educators—to explore the moral case for orange-pilling, and why it’s not a right but a responsibility. Tad shares hard-won lessons from orange-pilling family members across generations and wealth brackets, and explains why alignment—not argument—is the key. We break down how different cohorts—from boomers to creatives—encounter bitcoin, and why effective orange-pilling starts with listening, not preaching. From bitcoin vs. college and homeownership, to AI’s threat to knowledge workers, Tad lays out how bitcoin becomes not speculation, but protection—not rebellion, but insurance—not utopia, but sovereignty.

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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 – Intro
1:10 – The moral case for orange-pilling
5:47 – Why persuasion fails and alignment works
10:08 – Mistakes made orange-pilling family and friends
15:02 – You need an invitation to orange-pill
18:48 – Cohort-based messaging: it’s not religion, it’s marketing
23:27 – Orange-pilling high-net-worth individuals
28:12 – Retirees, boomers, and fear of complexity
31:40 – Tech-savvy, libertarian, and progressive angles
35:20 – Why creatives matter: expression, ownership, and ordinals
38:47 – College vs bitcoin: a post-AI investment dilemma
44:02 – Should you buy a house or stack more bitcoin?
49:55 – Narrative shapes price: the Marian Antoinette necklace lesson
53:10 – What bitcoin really is: protection, insurance, sovereignty
57:35 – How to orange-pill with respect and precision

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→ Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter  

What if the future of credit markets is built on bitcoin? In this episode, we sit down with Jon Melton, Head of Lending at Unchained and a veteran of Morgan Stanley, Silvergate, and Xapo. Jon shares his journey from Wall Street to building a bitcoin-backed credit business, helping institutions safely borrow dollars against their bitcoin without losing control. We explore why bitcoin is pristine collateral, how interest rates in this market may evolve, and why re-hypothecation risk matters. Jon explains how collaborative custody transforms the borrowing experience and outlines the future of institutional credit on a bitcoin standard. We also discuss why the regulatory tide in America has turned—and what that unlocks for bitcoin’s next wave.

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→ Book a free call with a bitcoin expert: https://unchained.com/consultation?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=TBF-podcast-description

→ Read Joe Burnett’s new report, Repricing the Economy in Bitcoin: https://www.unchained.com/go/repricing-the-economy-in-bitcoin?utm_campaign=strivereport&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=tbf&utm_content=youtube

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Intro

4:45 - Conviction through doing the work

10:07 - Managing $1.5b in bitcoin loans with zero losses

16:08 - What Wall Street still doesn’t understand about bitcoin

20:11 - Why bitcoin embodies American values

26:27 - How interest rates might evolve in bitcoin lending

30:12 - Why Unchained never rehypothecates your bitcoin

36:22 - How big will bitcoin lending get in 10 years

41:10 - What unlocks the next wave of bitcoin credit markets

46:25 - The biggest risk to bitcoin

WHERE TO FOLLOW US:

→ Unchained X: https://twitter.com/unchained

→ Unchained Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unchainedcom 

→ Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter 

→ Joe Burnett’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/IIICapital

→ Jose Burgos (Director of Media Production) on Twitter: https://x.com/DeFBeD

→ Jon Melton’s Twitter: https://x.com/jmelton21mm

What if you were introduced to digital scarcity before bitcoin even existed? In this episode, we sit down with Anil Patel, author of The Bitcoin Handbook and creator of widely shared bitcoin graphics featured in Michael Saylor keynotes. Anil shares how selling concert tickets sparked his early understanding of scarcity, and how that insight shaped his approach to bitcoin. We discuss his take on bitcoin’s future as a store of value, treasury asset, and sovereign protection tool, and why he believes bitcoin’s price will rise forever. Anil unpacks his journey from pitching bitcoin to MBA classmates in 2013 to now building educational content that simplifies complex ideas. We explore the rise of bitcoin treasury companies, how centralized platforms differ from bitcoin’s ethos, and the enduring value of reading and low time preference in a distracted world.

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→ Book a free call with a bitcoin expert: https://unchained.com/consultation?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=TBF-podcast-description

→ Read Joe Burnett’s new report, Repricing the Economy in Bitcoin: https://www.unchained.com/go/repricing-the-economy-in-bitcoin?utm_campaign=strivereport&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=tbf&utm_content=youtube

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Intro  

1:09 - Anil’s early digital scarcity insight from concert ticketing  

5:12 - Why bitcoin will go up forever, according to Anil  

12:07 - Building a personal and family bitcoin reserve  

14:18 - Bitcoin treasury companies vacuuming up supply  

16:17 - Pitching bitcoin to his MBA class in 2013  

23:32 - Evolving bitcoin education and content creation  

29:22 - Why early bitcoiners understood digital scarcity  

32:16 - Sovereignty vs number go up—why both matter  

40:16 - Mental models and heuristics to cut through noise  

43:08 - Innovation is accelerating—so is bitcoin’s upside 

WHERE TO FOLLOW US:

→ Unchained X: https://twitter.com/unchained

→ Unchained Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unchainedcom 

→ Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter 

→ Joe Burnett’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/IIICapital

→ Jose Burgos (Director of Media Production) on Twitter: https://x.com/DeFBeD

→ Anil Patel’s Twitter: https://x.com/anilsaidso

What if bitcoin treasury companies become the most powerful corporations of the next decade? In this episode, we’re joined by Sam Callahan to explore how lightning adoption, corporate strategy, and macro uncertainty are reshaping the global economy. Sam explains why companies like Strategy are pioneering a new capital structure based on bitcoin, how BTC-native yield on the Lightning Network could disrupt traditional finance, and why institutions are finally waking up to sound money. We cover everything from regulatory arbitrage and ETF flows to lightning yield flywheels, safe haven behavior, and the future of corporate balance sheets. Sam also breaks down how tether and stablecoin adoption could drive a new phase of economic activity on lightning—and what it means for investors looking to outperform.

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→ Book a free call with a bitcoin expert: https://unchained.com/consultation?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=TBF-podcast-description

→ Read Joe Burnett’s new report, Repricing the Economy in Bitcoin: https://www.unchained.com/go/repricing-the-economy-in-bitcoin?utm_campaign=strivereport&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=tbf&utm_content=youtube

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Intro  

1:21 - How bitcoin treasury companies are revolutionizing finance  

5:20 - Bitcoin treasury companies vs real estate leverage  

10:01 - Why this cycle could mimic 2017’s parabolic run  

12:46 - Why bitcoin adoption is at a major inflection point  

16:36 - Who’s next to buy bitcoin: corporates or governments?  

22:31 - If bitcoin hits 50% of gold, price hits $1 million  

28:06 - Bitcoin is starting to show safe haven behavior  

34:39 - How lightning and tether could explode BTC-native yield  

46:16 - Spend fiat or spend and replace bitcoin?

52:30 - Why DOGE can’t stop the era of fiscal dominance

WHERE TO FOLLOW US:

→ Unchained X: https://twitter.com/unchained

→ Unchained Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unchainedcom 

→ Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter 

→ Joe Burnett’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/IIICapital

→ Jose Burgos (Director of Media Production) on Twitter: https://x.com/DeFBeD

→ Sam Callahan’s Twitter: https://x.com/samcallah

Bitcoin’s volatility is falling—and Trace Mayer thinks that may signal the end of its wealth creation era. In this episode, we sit down with early bitcoin investor and proof of keys holiday founder Trace Mayer to unpack where we are in bitcoin’s lifecycle and what comes next. Trace breaks down his recent debate with Peter Schiff, explaining why subjective value theory and entrepreneurship are at the heart of bitcoin’s superiority over gold. We explore bitcoin’s declining volatility, why Strategy’s strategy may be riskier than it looks, and how bitcoin financialization is accelerating faster than expected. Trace also shares why proof of reserves matters, the long-term risk of custodial centralization, and how legal frameworks might evolve to protect against contentious forks.

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→ Book a free call with a bitcoin expert: https://unchained.com/consultation?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=TBF-podcast-description

→ Read Joe Burnett’s new report, Repricing the Economy in Bitcoin: https://www.unchained.com/go/repricing-the-economy-in-bitcoin?utm_campaign=strivereport&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=tbf&utm_content=youtube

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Intro

1:24 - Debating Peter Schiff on sound money and bitcoin

5:44 - Why Satoshi was a monetary entrepreneur

10:07 - Bitcoin vs gold: scarcity, portability, and use cases

20:36 - The light side vs dark side of investing with bitcoin

23:18 - Saylor’s strategy: capital gains vs cash flow

28:01 - Bitcoin volatility is declining—is the wealth creation phase over?

33:45 - The financialization of bitcoin is accelerating

40:01 - Global instability, geopolitics, and bitcoin

49:46 - Capital controls: bitcoin’s role

WHERE TO FOLLOW US:

→ Unchained X: https://twitter.com/unchained

→ Unchained Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unchainedcom 

→ Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter 

→ Joe Burnett’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/IIICapital

→ Jose Burgos (Director of Media Production) on Twitter: https://x.com/DeFBeD

→ Trace Mayer’s Twitter: https://x.com/TraceMayer

Bitcoin might still be wildly undervalued—and Adam Back explains why. In this episode, we sit down with Adam Back, CEO of Blockstream, early cypherpunk, and inventor of hashcash, the proof-of-work system that inspired bitcoin mining. Adam shares the story of receiving the first known email from Satoshi Nakamoto, why he didn’t buy bitcoin until it hit $100, and how early ideas like b-money and bit gold shaped Satoshi’s breakthrough. We explore the importance of a fixed supply, why halvings still move the market, and how doubt keeps bitcoin underpriced. Adam weighs in on treasury adoption, supply shocks, and whether this cycle could break the diminishing returns theory. We also discuss volatility, long-term thinking, and the $100 trillion opportunity bitcoin is unlocking.

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→ Book a free call with a bitcoin expert: https://unchained.com/consultation?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=TBF-podcast-description

→ Read Joe Burnett’s new report, Repricing the Economy in Bitcoin: https://www.unchained.com/go/repricing-the-economy-in-bitcoin?utm_campaign=strivereport&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=tbf&utm_content=youtube

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Intro

1:00 - Why selling bitcoin is like playing against a rigged casino

7:38 - Why Adam didn’t buy bitcoin until it hit $100

10:11 - Realizing bitcoin had bootstrapped into something real

13:35 - The underrated role of Nick Szabo, Wei Dai, and Hal Finney

19:24 - Why the 2008 financial crisis was perfect timing for bitcoin

22:32 - Is bitcoin drifting from its cypherpunk roots?

26:01 - How doubt keeps bitcoin undervalued

27:52 - Why $10 million bitcoin is still possible

31:19 - Why volatility makes bitcoin hard to sell

36:36 - Why halvings still impact the price despite being predictable

42:35 - Why this cycle could invalidate the diminishing returns theory

46:14 - The global unbanked: a $100 trillion bitcoin market

48:12 - The 200-week moving average as a price floor

50:10 - Price reflexivity: why people buy because it’s going up

53:07 - The shrinking tradable supply and why halvings still matter

WHERE TO FOLLOW US:

→ Unchained X: https://twitter.com/unchained

→ Unchained Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unchainedcom 

→ Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter 

→ Joe Burnett’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/IIICapital

→ Jose Burgos (Director of Media Production) on Twitter: https://x.com/DeFBeD

→ Adam Back’s Twitter: https://x.com/adam3us

In this episode, we sit down with Vijay Boyapati, author of The Bullish Case for Bitcoin, to explore where we really are in the current market cycle and what comes next. Vijay breaks down four frameworks for valuing bitcoin, explains why gold parity is almost inevitable, and outlines how ETFs and corporate treasury strategies are reshaping adoption. We talk through HODL waves, why the current price action still feels boring, and what it might take to push bitcoin to $10mm+ per coin. Vijay also discusses quantum computing and AI as emerging risks, the importance of ossification, and how a future of abundance may still require sound money. Finally, he shares what he’d update in his original thesis and why the story of Satoshi may become one of the defining legends of the next thousand years

SUPPORT THE PODCAST:
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→ Send us an email [email protected]
→ Learn more about Unchained: https://unchained.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=TBF-podcast-description
→ Book a free call with a bitcoin expert: https://unchained.com/consultation?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=TBF-podcast-description
→ Read Joe Burnett’s new report, Repricing the Economy in Bitcoin: https://www.unchained.com/go/repricing-the-economy-in-bitcoin?utm_campaign=strivereport&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=tbf&utm_content=youtube

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Intro
2:08 - Valuing bitcoin at $1M and $10M
4:01 - HODL waves and the psychology of selling
5:49 - Four frameworks for bitcoin valuation
10:06 - Why bitcoin surpassing gold is nearly certain
12:27 - How early we still are in global adoption
14:38 - Why ETFs changed the bitcoin game
17:32 - How MicroStrategy tapped the bond market
20:36 - What’s holding bitcoin back today
22:41 - Why hyperbitcoinization is unlikely this cycle
23:18 - How bitcoin cycles crash and reset
27:11 - What could break the MicroStrategy model
29:34 - How long-term investors may soften future crashes
30:27 - Would you change anything in the bullish case?
35:06 - Quantum computing and bitcoin’s biggest risk
38:02 - Will AI abundance make money obsolete?
41:29 - Why time guarantees bitcoin’s role in the future
46:00 - Bitcoin ossification vs. protocol changes
49:27 - Will self-custody or custodians win long term?
51:40 - What would Satoshi think today?
54:19 - Is bitcoin a digital organism?
56:05 - Outside of bitcoin, what excites Vijay most?
57:09 - Where to find Vijay and his work

WHERE TO FOLLOW US:
→ Unchained X: https://twitter.com/unchained
→ Unchained Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unchainedcom 
→ Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter 
→ Joe Burnett’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/IIICapital
→ Jose Burgos (Director of Media Production) on Twitter: https://x.com/DeFBeD
→ Vijay Boyapoti’s Twitter: https://x.com/real_vijay

What if bitcoin could spark a nuclear renaissance? In this episode, we’re joined by Ryan, better known as Nuclear Bitcoiner, to explore the intersection of nuclear energy and bitcoin. Ryan shares how bitcoin aligns with long-term infrastructure like small modular reactors and how it may reshape the economics of power generation. We walk through the advantages of nuclear over wind and solar, the implications of AI and data center demand, and how microgrids could decentralize the future energy landscape. Ryan also breaks down fusion vs. fission, the role of hash rate flexibility, and why nation-states will inevitably compete for mining dominance. From financing nuclear with bitcoin bonds to rethinking scarcity itself, this episode offers a forward-looking view of energy, incentives, and acceleration.

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→ Book a free call with a bitcoin expert: https://unchained.com/consultation?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=TBF-podcast-description

→ Learn why every business will buy bitcoin: https://unchained.com/frontier

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Intro

01:01 - Why Ryan became the nuclear bitcoin

03:03 - How bitcoin mining fits perfectly with nuclear microgrids

06:36 - Why nuclear beats wind and solar on resilience

11:32 - Can small nuclear reactors decentralize the grid?

14:11 - The AI and data center energy boom is bullish for nuclear

16:24 - Why Microsoft wants to own a nuclear plant

20:02 - Bitcoin may fix nuclear financing

22:43 - How radiation is misunderstood—and actually saves lives

25:14 - What’s the difference between nuclear fusion and fission?

27:33 - The myth of “cheap” wind and solar energy

30:09 - Bitcoin mining adds unmatched flexibility to the grid

36:25 - Could bitcoin mining one day use more energy than the world does today?

41:05 - Why perfect scarcity is so hard to understand

44:51 - How bitcoin bonds could revolutionize nuclear financing

52:30 - Final thoughts on bitcoin, nation-states, and the future of energy

WHERE TO FOLLOW US:

→ Unchained X: https://twitter.com/unchained

→ Unchained Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unchainedcom 

→ Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter 

→ Joe Burnett’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/IIICapital

→ Jose Burgos (Director of Media Production) on Twitter: https://x.com/DeFBeD

→ Nuclear Bitcoiner’s Twitter: https://x.com/NuclearBitcoinr

What happens when a former underground miner and Navy fighter pilot goes all in on bitcoin? In this episode, we sit down with George Bodine to find out. George shares his unique journey—from hauling rock beneath the earth to flying jets—and how it led him to see bitcoin as the only escape from a broken monetary system. We explore his view on inflation, the collapse of the American dream, and why he believes bitcoin could reach $2.4 million by 2030. George breaks down the risks of yield products, the role of ETFs and MicroStrategy, and the repeal of SAB 121. He shares his thoughts on Tether and 21 Capital, the rise of the national strategic bitcoin reserve, and the possibility of sovereign accumulation. We close with a thoughtful discussion on whether bitcoin is ultimately for optimists or pessimists—and his message to the next generation.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST:

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→ Book a free call with a bitcoin expert: https://unchained.com/consultation?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=TBF-podcast-description

→ Watch the video premiere of Bitcoin, Not Crypto: https://unchained.com/frontier

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Intro

1:14 - From underground miner to Navy pilot to Delta captain

4:17 - Realizing you can’t outrun fiat money after the GFC

6:57 - Living through Nixon’s gold shock and the petrodollar pivot

9:06 - Why gold bugs are future bitcoiners

12:51 - Will young people be locked out of owning meaningful bitcoin?

16:49 - A volatile but hopeful transfer of wealth to ethical builders

18:59 - Coinbase yield product and the future of bitcoin financial services

27:52 - Tether, 21 Capital, and Strategy

30:19 - SAB 121, stablecoin legislation, and the national strategic reserve

46:51 - Bitcoiners will inherit the world

50:11 - TradFi anger, denial, and inability to accept yield-less assets

01:05:28 - Will art improve on a bitcoin standard?

WHERE TO FOLLOW US:

→ Unchained X: https://twitter.com/unchained

→ Unchained Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unchainedcom 

→ Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter 

→ Joe Burnett’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/IIICapital

→ Jose Burgos (Director of Media Production) on Twitter: https://x.com/DeFBeD

→ George Bodine’s Twitter: https://x.com/Jethroe111

What if bitcoin really is decoupling from the stock market? In this episode, we’re joined by Rational Root, creator of the Bitcoin Strategy Platform and one of the top on-chain cycle analysts in the space. We explore whether macro chaos and rising gold prices are setting the stage for bitcoin to chart its own path. Root breaks down how the 4-year cycle could break, what historical data says about the current inflection point, and why he believes institutional flows are quietly limiting downside volatility. He also shares his custom spiral and 3D valuation charts, how to track hype in the market, and why 100k bitcoin might be harder to break than most think.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST:

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→ Book a free call with a bitcoin expert: https://unchained.com/consultation?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=TBF-podcast-description

→ Buy bitcoin in an IRA—sign up today and get your first year free: unchained.com/frontier

→ Watch the video premiere of Bitcoin, Not Crypto: https://unchained.com/frontier

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Intro

1:06 - Why bitcoin’s fundamentals have never looked better

4:20 - Could macro chaos trigger bitcoin’s decoupling?

10:06 - Bitcoin trades on optimism, gold trades on fear

17:09 - Is gold’s rise setting up bitcoin’s breakout?

22:01 - Will the next recession break the 4-year cycle?

30:23 - Why 100k bitcoin may face resistance

36:09 - The 3D chart that could predict the cycle top

44:10 - Bitcoin’s floor price keeps rising

50:23 - Will bitcoin crack 100k or break down?

WHERE TO FOLLOW US:

→ Unchained X: https://twitter.com/unchained

→ Unchained Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unchainedcom 

→ Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter 

→ Joe Burnett’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/IIICapital

→ Jose Burgos (Director of Media Production) on Twitter: https://x.com/DeFBeD

→ Rational Root’s Twitter: https://x.com/therationalroot