The Block Reward | Real Stories. Real Impact. All Powered by Real Money - Bitcoin

What if your “simple” tap-to-pay purchase hides fourteen different payments?

This episode features Allen Farrington, an author and investor who is the co-founder and general partner at a venture firm focused on companies building on Bitcoin. He is also the co-founder and CEO of an asset management business deploying in Bitcoin, and he recently gave a conference talk debunking the idea that fiat payments are easy while Bitcoin payments are a headache. Tune in to find out what actually happens when you buy something with a card and why that mess matters for the future of money.

Most people think paying with a tap or a swipe is clean and instant, without realizing how many hidden credit relationships that fiat system is juggling for a single purchase. We look at how the costs and delays that businesses live with every day create openings for Bitcoin to act as real settlement money inside those payment flows. And we get into what that shift could mean in the next few years without pretending that any one technology instantly solves money for everyone. Because once you see how the rails really work, you can’t unsee it.

You’ll Learn:

[00:00] Introduction

[01:58] Why fiat payments rely entirely on layers of credit instead of true debits

[03:26] How lightning parallels ACH but removes banks as mandatory intermediaries

[05:12] Why inbound liquidity and always-online requirements make lightning difficult for consumers but ideal for businesses

[07:53] The real reason fiat transactions involve 9+ intermediaries and constant credit risk

[10:46] How Bitcoin enables direct settlement instead of credit extensions hidden behind payment processors

[13:32] Merchants feel the pain of fiat and how Bitcoin flips that incentive

[15:49] The future where paying in fiat carries a premium and Bitcoin payments become cheaper by default

[18:44] Stablecoins are not “worse Bitcoin,” just better fiat for broken use cases

[20:19] How stablecoins may eventually settle over Bitcoin rails as liquidity deepens

[22:41] What multiple stablecoin issuers would require and why Bitcoin simplifies interbank settlement

[30:18] Why non-Bitcoin companies need a strategic stance on it before it's a fiduciary requirement

[33:14] How fiat payment inefficiencies create the wedge that brings mainstream companies onto Bitcoin rails

Want to start a podcast like this one? Book your free podcast planning call here.

Resources Mentioned:

Bitcoin Is Venice by Allen Farrington and Sacha Meyers | Book or Audiobook

Find more from Allen:

Allen Farrington | LinkedIn

Find more from Scott:

Scott Dedels | X

Block Rewards | Instagram

Block Rewards | YouTube

Block Rewards | TikTok

Block Rewards | Website

Block Rewards | LinkedIn

What if your neighbourhood cafe quietly turned itself into a Bitcoin miner?

In this episode, I'm kicking off a new series with Bitcoin entrepreneurs and executives who are actually weaving this asset into the way they work and save. Today I'm joined by Kurtis Warren, a longtime Bitcoiner and owner of a downtown Vancouver coffee bar that's evolved into a community hub. He shares how his path collided with Bitcoin and how it changed how he thinks about building for the long term.

The coffee industry runs on tight margins in a city where costs just keep climbing. Curtis flipped that script for his team and his own future plans. You’ll hear the questions he had to answer around day-to-day payments, security, and taxes, and why he still chooses to keep stacking instead of selling.

You’ll Learn:

[00:00] Introduction

[02:16] Why building a cafe around low time preference changes how a business survives

[05:12] What happens when a coffee shop becomes a modern version of a historic idea hub

[08:47] How a community space transforms once people start treating it like a meetup home

[10:59] The reason Bitcoin reshapes how owners think about margins, risk, and expansion

[20:14] How comparing Bitcoin’s growth to a new location’s returns forces harder decisions

[26:01] Why this cafe treats Bitcoin as a long-term savings engine instead of quick revenue

[29:12] What happens when a team starts converting part of their pay into a volatile asset

[36:02] The moment Bitcoin stops feeling speculative and starts feeling like real hope

[38:01] Why entrepreneurs see personal possibility in an asset most people still doubt

Want to start a podcast like this one? Book your free podcast planning call here.

Learn more from Kurtis:

Funk Coffee Bar | Website

Funk Coffee Bar | Instagram

Kurtis Warren | LinkedIn

Find more from Scott:

Scott Dedels | X

Block Rewards | Instagram

Block Rewards | YouTube

Block Rewards | TikTok

Block Rewards | Website

Block Rewards | LinkedIn

Nobody told me that a video game could teach me everything I needed to know about money.

In this episode, I sit down with Ted Carr, the creator of the Bitcoin community on the online learning platform School. Ted’s been in Bitcoin since 2017, through all the chaos and crashes, and now teaches thousands of people how to navigate it with confidence. His story goes from losing coins on hacked exchanges to building one of the most grounded Bitcoin learning spaces online.

We get into the hidden lessons inside video game economies, the painful tuition every Bitcoiner pays, and what it really means to “own” something digital. Each idea challenges how we think about money, freedom, and control.

Because once you see how value actually works, you can’t unsee it.

You’ll Learn:

[00:00] Introduction

[05:58] Why losing Bitcoin on early exchanges taught Ted the real meaning of ownership

[09:47] The moment he realized his coins on-screen weren’t really his

[13:42] What ancient island stones can teach us about digital money

[17:26] How a childhood video game predicted Bitcoin’s future

[21:04] The mindset shift that turned market crashes into buying opportunities

[23:44] Why debt isn’t always the enemy when you understand Bitcoin’s growth curve

[27:36] The three biggest mistakes most new Bitcoiner makes, and how to avoid them

[31:25] What the Luna crash revealed about Bitcoin-only conviction

[35:41] The simple logic that even billionaires use to see Bitcoin as the ultimate cheat code

Want to start a podcast like this one? Book your free podcast planning call here.

Resources Mentioned:

Andreas M. Antonopoulos | YouTube

Michael Saylor | YouTube

Ledn | Website

Coldcard | Website

Trezor | Website

Ledger | Website

The Bitcoin Standard by Saifedean Ammous | Book or Audiobook

Bitcoin Community | Skool

Find more from Ted:

Ted Carr | Website

Ted Carr | Facebook

Ted Carr | Instagram

Ted Carr | YouTube

Find more from Scott:

Scott Dedels | X

Block Rewards | Instagram

Block Rewards | YouTube

Block Rewards | TikTok

Block Rewards | Website

Block Rewards | LinkedIn

What happens when the people safeguarding Bitcoin can’t agree on what they’re actually safeguarding?

In this episode, I sit down with Tomer Strolight, writer, educator, and long-time Bitcoin thinker, to explore the cracks forming in Bitcoin’s governance. From the origins of Core development to the recent rifts over protocol changes, Tomer explains why these debates aren’t just technical, they’re philosophical.

At the heart of it all is one question: can Bitcoin evolve without betraying its purpose? Fear and trust collide here. On one side are those pushing for innovation; on the other, those guarding the purity of sound money. The tension isn’t abstract, it’s personal, and it’s reshaping the future of the network, because when the code that runs the world’s hardest money starts to split, the real question is whether we can keep talking long enough to hold it together.

You’ll Learn:



[00:00] Introduction

[01:42] Why teaching Bitcoin without metaphors could change how people actually understand it

[04:57] What the fight between “custodians” and “innovators” reveals about Bitcoin’s future

[09:18] How paranoia and blind trust both distort debates about Bitcoin’s governance

[13:27] The overlooked reason Bitcoin’s consensus rules act more like judges than developers

[18:46] What the “inscriptions” controversy exposed about Bitcoin’s shifting priorities

[23:55] Why rushing code changes in Bitcoin can have irreversible consequences

[30:41] The deeper conflict between those who see Bitcoin as money and those who see it as a

database

[39:52] How generational differences among developers are reshaping Bitcoin Core

[50:16] What real dialogue, not debate, could mean for Bitcoin’s survival

Want to start a podcast like this one? Book your free podcast planning call here.

Resources Mentioned:

The Legendary Treasure of Satoshi Nakamoto by Tomer Strolight | Article

Hello. I Am Bitcoin by Tomer Strolight | Article

Why People Wonder if Bitcoin is Alien Technology by Tomer Strolight | Article

Swan Bitcoin | Blog

Learn more from Tomer by following him on X and LinkedIn.

Find more from Scott:

Scott Dedels | X

Block Rewards | Instagram

Block Rewards | YouTube

Block Rewards | TikTok

Block Rewards | Website

Block Rewards | LinkedIn

Bitcoin hit $125,000 this week, and it felt like nobody cared.

In this episode, I’m joined by three-time guest Michael Dunworth. He’s a longtime Bitcoiner and builder who helped roll licensing, on-ramps, off-ramps, and banking partners into an API for others to use.

We dig into how Bitcoin treasury companies turned a smart idea into a dangerous illusion. Big promises, confusing language, and off-chain trades have investors thinking they’re buying Bitcoin when they’re really buying risk. Custodians hold too much power. Analysts still use the wrong metrics. And the people trying to shortcut their way to gains keep getting wrecked.

You’ll Learn:



[00:00] Introduction

[01:06] Why Bitcoin treasury companies copied the Saylor playbook, and why it backfired

[03:18] The reason “acquired” is used intentionally as opposed to “bought” when companies announce Bitcoin buys

[04:49] What happens when investors chase Bitcoin exposure through stocks instead of self-custody

[06:32] How traditional analysts miss the point by measuring treasuries in dollars, not SATs per share

[14:11] The risk no one’s talking about when custodians hold a fifth of all Bitcoin

[37:52] What OTC net settlement reveals about “price suppression” myths

[44:09] How off-chain trading hides real Bitcoin demand from the charts

[57:58] Why centralization could turn Bitcoin’s strength into its biggest weakness

Want to start a podcast like this one? Book your free podcast planning call here.

Resources Mentioned:

The Dao of Bitcoin by Scott Dedels | Book or Audiobook

The Bitcoin Standard by Saifedean Ammous | Book or Audiobook

Learn more from Michael by following him on X.

Find more from Scott:

Scott Dedels | X

Block Rewards | Instagram

Block Rewards | YouTube

Block Rewards | TikTok

Block Rewards | Website

Block Rewards | LinkedIn

India’s Bitcoin story might be the most important one you haven’t heard yet

In this episode, I’m joined by Sunny Ray, a longtime Canadian Bitcoin entrepreneur. He started meetups in Bangalore and often ran them weekly. He launched a Bitcoin company in India and helped challenge the central bank in a case that was won in 2020.



Most people can’t define money, even as it runs their lives. After 2020, inflation made that gap impossible to ignore. We trace what changed, why Bitcoin clicked, and how India became a proving ground. And you’ll see why small, consistent moves beat complicated protocols.

You’ll Learn:

[00:00] Introduction

[05:25] The moment Sunny realized no one could explain what money actually is

[07:40] How discovering Bitcoin in India rewired his understanding of value

[12:15] The surprising story of Unocoin’s launch—and the central banker who showed up in secret

[18:05] What happened when India’s Supreme Court ruled against the central bank’s Bitcoin ban

[21:20] Why India’s obsession with gold could make it the next global Bitcoin powerhouse

[25:15] How Bitcoin could revolutionize India’s massive remittance market

[27:45] The rise of Bitcoin treasury companies—and why Sunny thinks we’re in the first inning

[36:10] What Michael Saylor’s “Iron Bank” strategy reveals about the future of corporate Bitcoin

[37:50] How Vancouver’s mayor is fighting red tape to make his city Bitcoin-friendly

Want to start a podcast like this one? Book your free podcast planning call here.

Resources Mentioned:

Unocoin | Website

Find more from Sunny Ray:

Sunny Ray | Website

Sunny Ray | LinkedIn

Sunny Ray | Facebook

Find more from Scott:

Scott Dedels | X

Block Rewards | Instagram

Block Rewards | YouTube

Block Rewards | TikTok

Block Rewards | Website

Block Rewards | LinkedIn

👉 Engage top talent and empower your team with Bitcoin saving: https://blockrewards.ca

Bitcoin solves a critical problem that touches everyone. What happens when Canada faces that head-on?

In this episode, I sit down with Daniel Carlin, founder of the Canadian Bitcoin Conference, just a week before it returns to Montreal. This is the third run of the event, which started in Toronto in 2023 before moving to Montreal last year.

We get into what it takes to build a lineup of about 70 Bitcoin-focused speakers across two stages, and how the conference has become a place where you can actually connect with the people. Daniel also talks about the new business workshop designed for owners who want to learn how to bring Bitcoin into their operations.

You’ll Learn:

• What happens when a government blocks a keynote speaker from entering the country
• The link between conference size and the chance to actually meet speakers face to face
• The reason the Canadian Bitcoin Conference moved from June to October in Montreal
• Why corporate workshops are now part of the conference program
• How business owners can start accepting and reporting Bitcoin in Canada
• The toll of running a multi-day conference and what it feels like behind the scenes
• The connection between Bitcoin’s price, ticket sales, and conference turnout in Canada

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[06:42] Why the conference moved to October in Montreal

[10:05] Building a lineup and what’s new with speakers this year

[13:57] The launch of a corporate workshop for business owners

[16:41] Adding hockey and social events to the conference culture

[19:12] What running a Bitcoin conference really feels like

[23:34] How ticket sales and turnout shift with Bitcoin’s price

[26:52] The Canadian economy’s drag on attendance and travel

[29:07] Looking ahead to Bitcoin adoption in Canada and beyond

[36:14] Conference details, workshops, and speakers

Want to start a podcast like this one? Book your free podcast planning call here.

Resources Mentioned:

Canadian Bitcoin Conference | Website

Learn more from Daniel on LinkedIn.

Find more from Scott:

Scott Dedels | X

Block Rewards | Instagram

Block Rewards | YouTube

Block Rewards | TikTok

Block Rewards | Website

Block Rewards | LinkedIn

👉 Engage top talent and empower your team with Bitcoin saving: https://blockrewards.ca

What if the single biggest mistake people make about Bitcoin is assuming it has to pay a yield to be real?

Welcome to episode 100 where I sit down with the one and only Saifedean Ammous, author of The Bitcoin Standard. We strip Bitcoin back to its core: money that holds value because it can’t be easily made. We dig into why no yield doesn’t equal a Ponzi Scheme, how fiat currencies are designed to rob savers, and why houses became saving accounts instead of homes. Saifedean breaks down Bitcoin’s fixed supply, the way halving works, and why that scarcity keeps driving demand. We explore what happens when governments keep printing, why high time preference thinking blinds them to Bitcoin, and how this all adds up to a slow-motion debt jubilee as fiat fades into irrelevance.

You’ll Learn:



• The reason calling Bitcoin a Ponzi Scheme because it has no yield misses the whole point of money
• What happens when fiat money is built to lose 5–10% of value every year 
• The link between housing bubbles and broken money 
• The damage of inflation pushing entire generations out of homeownership and into permanent renting
• The reason hardest-to-produce assets always end up as money
• What happens when Bitcoin’s scarcity collides with global demand 
• The link between debt creation in fiat systems and why Bitcoin represents a slow-motion debt jubilee

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[05:12] Why calling Bitcoin a Ponzi Scheme misses the point of money

[09:02] How fiat money robs savers and forces speculation

[12:11] Housing as a savings account and why Bitcoin fixes it

[15:07] Bitcoin’s fixed supply and the halving schedule

[19:14] Why scarcity pushes Bitcoin toward becoming global money

[23:41] The tipping point where Bitcoin overtakes other monies

[29:04] Governments, short-term thinking, and why they can’t grasp Bitcoin

[33:52] Bitcoin as a slow-motion debt jubilee replacing fiat debt

[36:44] Why expanding the money supply is a lie and divisibility matters

[38:59] Imagining the 20th century if the world had stayed on a gold standard

Want to start a podcast like this one? Book your free podcast planning call here.

Resources Mentioned:

The Bitcoin Standard by Saifedean Ammous | Book or Audiobook

The Fiat Standard by Saifedean Ammous | Book or Audiobook

The Bitcoin Standard Podcast by Saifedean Ammous | Apple or Spotify

Find more From Saifedean:

Saifedean Ammous | Website

Saifedean Ammous | Instagram

Saifedean Ammous | X

Saifedean Ammous | Facebook

The Saifhouse | Website

Find more from Scott:

Scott Dedels | X

Block Rewards | Instagram

Block Rewards | YouTube

Block Rewards | TikTok

Block Rewards | Website

Block Rewards | LinkedIn

👉 Engage top talent and empower your team with Bitcoin saving: https://blockrewards.ca

What if the real theft isn’t of your money, but of your time?

This episode was sparked by George Woodcock’s 1944 essay The Tyranny of the Clock. Woodcock, an economist, argued that the invention of the mechanical clock in 1657 fundamentally changed how humans related to time, making it possible to measure, schedule, and commodify life itself.

I trace that idea forward into the world of central banking, fiat money, and Bitcoin. From the Federal Reserve’s creation in 1913, to Nixon cutting gold from the dollar in 1971, to today’s endless money printing, the value of time has been systematically degraded. Bitcoin, with its fixed supply and transparent schedule, offers a way to break free of this trap and restore time as the most valuable asset we have.

You’ll Learn:

• Why Nixon’s 1971 move to cut gold from the dollar still shapes your daily costs
• What happens when central banks expand the money supply while time itself never changes
• The surprising link between the invention of the mechanical clock and the rise of industrial society
• Why fiat money makes every unit of your time worth less as you move through life
• How Bitcoin functions as a clock built on blocks, epochs, and difficulty adjustments
• The damage of high time preference and how it fuels disposable culture, food, and buildings
• Why storing your time in Bitcoin can flip urgency into long-term security
• The deeper connection between history, civilization cycles, and the future Bitcoin makes possible

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[09:00] The mechanical clock’s invention in 1657 and how it redefined time

[11:47] Factories, schools, and armies turning human life into scheduled labor

[14:32] Central banking, fixed time, and why money keeps losing value

[18:15] Bitcoin as a clock built on blocks, epochs, and difficulty adjustments

[21:57] High time preference and disposable culture in food, buildings, and media

[24:38] Low time preference and how Bitcoin lets you store time securely

[28:51] Civilization cycles, history, and Bitcoin as the next major shift

[31:42] Why Bitcoin is as significant as the printing press or the wheel

[34:12] How Block Rewards reshape saving, work, and the future of value

Want to start a podcast like this one? Book your free podcast planning call here.

Resources Mentioned:

The Tyranny of the Clock by George Woodcock | Essay

The Creature from Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin | Book

The Price of Tomorrow by Jeff Booth | Book or Audiobook

Bitcoin Is Time | Essay

Find more from Scott:

Scott Dedels | X

Block Rewards | Instagram

Block Rewards | YouTube

Block Rewards | TikTok

Block Rewards | Website

Block Rewards | LinkedIn

👉 Engage top talent and empower your team with Bitcoin saving: https://blockrewards.ca

What if the smartest move your company could make right now isn’t launching a new product, but changing what sits on your balance sheet?

In this episode, I’m joined by Joe Burnett, Director of Bitcoin Strategy at Semler Scientific, the second American public company to adopt a Bitcoin standard.

We get into what it actually means to operate on a Bitcoin standard, how corporate treasury strategies for Bitcoin are emerging, and why adoption has moved from individuals to companies. Joe shares what his role involves day to day, how public and private companies think differently about Bitcoin, and the specific factors a small business owner might weigh before starting their own Bitcoin treasury.

You’ll Learn:

• The difference between a company simply holding Bitcoin and operating on a true Bitcoin standard
• Why Bitcoin’s monetary properties make it a contender for the “best form of money” ever discovered
• How metrics like BTC yield and market-to-net-asset-value (MNav) shape corporate Bitcoin strategy
• The role “intelligent leverage” plays in amplifying Bitcoin returns for public companies
• Why Bitcoin treasury companies can be massively overcollateralized despite using debt
• The factors that make adoption easier for individuals and private companies than public corporations
• How a small business owner might decide whether to start a Bitcoin treasury
• The trade-offs and challenges of proof of reserves for Bitcoin treasury companies
• What a Director of Bitcoin Strategy actually does inside a public company
• Why skepticism toward Bitcoin treasury companies could signal an untapped opportunity

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[05:00] Why companies might choose to hold Bitcoin as an asset

[06:58] What it means to operate on a Bitcoin standard

[08:57] Key metrics for evaluating corporate Bitcoin treasuries

[11:55] How intelligent leverage can amplify Bitcoin returns

[15:00] The long-term outlook for Bitcoin treasury companies

[21:00] Inside the role of a director of Bitcoin strategy

[27:02] How small businesses can approach a Bitcoin treasury

[31:00] The challenges and trade-offs of proof of reserves

[37:58] Why Bitcoin remains the foundation beneath treasury strategies

Want to start a podcast like this one? Book your free podcast planning call here.

Resources Mentioned:

Semler Scientific | Website

If you want to learn more about Joe, follow him on LinkedIn, X and YouTube.

Find more from Scott:

Scott Dedels | X

Block Rewards | Instagram

Block Rewards | YouTube

Block Rewards | TikTok

Block Rewards | Website

Block Rewards | LinkedIn