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

What happens when cheap money builds entire industries on debt?

In this episode I sit down with Dave Bradley. He was very early to Bitcoin and ran the first brick‑and‑mortar Bitcoin store in Canada. 



We start with his “Bitcoin fixes things” lens on the car industry, financing bubbles, add‑on features, regulations, and union dynamics, and why he says Bitcoin would change those incentives. Then we get into how money printing shapes government power, the “sovereign individual” idea and the end of the mega‑state, plus what a Bitcoin reserve or commodity‑backed currency could mean for Alberta and why he predicts Alberta could leave Canada by the end of 2026.

You’ll Learn:

• The mechanics of Dave Bradley’s “Bitcoin fixes the car industry” example
• How cheap credit fuels vehicle financing bubbles and distorted car design
• The real reason modern cars are loaded with costly, breakable features
• What changes when money appreciates instead of melts away
• The connection between money printing and government overreach
• Why Dave believes Bitcoin could strip governments of their covert taxing power
• The “sovereign individual” case for the end of the large-scale nation state
• How Alberta could use a Bitcoin reserve to protect against federal control
• The potential of a currency backed by gold, Bitcoin, and oil

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[06:18] How Bitcoin could fix the car industry

[10:47] The shift in spending when money gains value over time

[15:00] Why Bitcoin changes the buyer’s relationship with government power

[18:23] How government intervention distorts markets

[24:00] The sovereign individual theory and the decline of the mega state

[34:00] How a strategic Bitcoin reserve could protect Alberta

[38:00] The idea of a currency backed by gold, Bitcoin, and oil

[42:00] Why Alberta could thrive with low taxes and unleashed oil production

[45:00] Dave’s prediction for Alberta’s separation from Canada

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

Resources Mentioned:

The Sovereign Individual by James Dale Davidson and William Rees-Mogg | Book or Audiobook

If you want to learn more from Dave, visit his website and follow him on LinkedIn and X.

Find more from Scott:

Scott Dedels | X

Block Rewards | Instagram

Block Rewards | YouTube

Block Rewards | TikTok

Block Rewards | Website

Block Rewards | LinkedIn

How safe is your Bitcoin, really?



In this episode, I sit down with George Bordianu, co-founder and CEO of Balance, Canada’s oldest and largest digital asset custodian. Balance has been operating since 2017, holds roughly $3 billion in client assets (depending on market prices), and is regulated under a trust charter from Alberta Treasury Board and Finance.

We talk about why self-custody isn’t always practical, how most retail investors end up with “paper Bitcoin” instead of actual Bitcoin, and how Balance creates wallets with full legal title for clients while keeping assets secured offline in military-grade hardware inside bank-grade vaults. George also explains what it takes to protect assets against hackers and physical threats, and why he believes building and keeping crypto infrastructure in Canada is critical for the country’s financial future.

You’ll Learn:

• The real reason most Canadians end up with “paper Bitcoin” instead of actual Bitcoin
• The surprising link between vault security and digital asset protection
• How Balance creates wallets with full legal title for individual investors
• The quiet damage of Canada losing crypto companies and assets to the US
• What happens when Bitcoin is used as collateral for loans and mortgages
• How Balance protects assets against both hackers and physical threats
• The slow but essential shift toward regulated crypto custody in Canada
• Why quantum computing is already on the radar for custodians like Balance

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[05:00] Why custodians matter alongside self-custody for Bitcoin

[09:00] How Balance secures assets against hackers and physical threats

[13:00] The difference between legal title and “paper Bitcoin”

[17:00] Why custody is the biggest roadblock for Bitcoin payroll adoption

[19:00] How Canadian law protects client assets in a custodian insolvency

[21:00] Using Bitcoin as collateral for mortgages and loans

[24:00] Why quantum computing is a real future risk for custody systems

[28:00] The regulatory challenges pushing Canadian crypto assets to the US

[34:00] How Alberta enabled Balance to become a regulated custodian

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

Resources Mentioned:

Balance | Website

Block Rewards Bitcoin Savings Plan | Website

Learn more about George on his website and follow him on 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 money doesn’t just buy things but actually changes how we think?



In this episode, I talk with Helena Andrejko, an Australian psychotherapist who works with individuals and couples, as well as a psychedelic-assisted therapist trained to use psilocybin and MDMA for trauma and depression treatment in regulated medical settings. She splits her time between her therapy practice and her work in the Bitcoin space.

We discuss how money can shape human consciousness, the overlap Helena sees between therapy and decentralization, and how trust functions differently in fiat and Bitcoin systems. Helena also shares why she believes Bitcoin challenges old power dynamics and what that could mean for how people relate to truth, pain, and authenticity.

You’ll Learn:

• The surprising link between money and human consciousness
• What it feels like to balance psychotherapy with being a Bitcoiner
• The real reason trust can’t be mandated in money systems
• Why fiat money mirrors a parent-child dynamic
• What happens when centralized authorities decide what truth is
• The quiet damage of relying on monetary “heroes” for protection
• How Bitcoin shifts trust from institutions to math and code
• The role pain plays in growth and authenticity within decentralized systems
• What history shows us about dissent, truth, and the cost of challenging power

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[06:40] How Helena connects therapy and Bitcoin through decentralization

[08:55] The link between the invention of coinage and abstract thought

[15:10] Why fiat money mirrors a parent-child trust dynamic

[23:40] The hero, villain, and victim roles in money systems

[29:00] How CBDCs and centralized decisions place people in the victim role

[30:20] Why Bitcoin liberates authenticity by breaking old power structures

[37:00] What history teaches about dissent and the cost of truth

[39:10] How Bitcoin changes our relationship with pain and self-reliance

[44:30] Why Bitcoin’s rules create boundaries without central authorities

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

Richard Seaford | About

Yuval Noah Harari | Website

Byung-Chul Han | About

Learn more about Helena on her website and follow her on LinkedIn.

Find more from Scott:

Scott Dedels | X

Block Rewards | Instagram

Block Rewards | YouTube

Block Rewards | TikTok

Block Rewards | Website

Block Rewards | LinkedIn