The U.S. crypto scene is finally waking up.

After years of regulatory uncertainty and innovation flight, the winds are shifting. Charlie Shrem sits down with Jesse Darnell, former Marine and founder of ADVXNCE Protocol, fresh off Token2049 in Singapore, to talk about why global builders are suddenly turning their eyes back to America.

They dive into:

What Token2049 reveals about the real direction of crypto in Asia

How the U.S. is quietly reopening for crypto innovation — from Wyoming to D.C.

The rise of “AI + Blockchain” startups and why VCs are finally paying attention again

What it means to build a company that’s both community-driven and battle-tested

Lessons from the Marines on leadership, pain, and moving fast in chaos

Why meme coins and serious protocols actually depend on each other

It’s a grounded, hopeful conversation about where the next wave of building will happen — and what it’ll take to win.

Jesse Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jemappellejesse

Thank you for listening to The Charlie Shrem Show. For more free content and access to over 400 episodes, visit www.CharlieShrem.com.

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“Quantum computing is taking the laws of nature — light, heat, entanglement — and turning them into a new kind of computer. When that happens, the way we think about Bitcoin’s security will have to change forever.” — Charlie Shrem

This week on The Charlie Shrem Show, we go deep into the strangest frontier yet: the intersection of Bitcoin, cryptography, and quantum computing.

Charlie sits down with Olivier Roussy Newton, OG Bitcoiner and CEO of BTQ Technologies (NASDAQ: BTQ) — a company building at the edge where photons meet blockchains. From his early exposure to D-Wave’s first quantum computers in Canada to raising capital from Chinese state funds (and getting blocked by the CIA’s venture arm), Olivier’s story tracks the entire rise of the post-quantum security industry.

Together, Charlie and Olivier unpack what it really means when we say “the end of ECDSA,” why the U.S. government plans to deprecate Bitcoin’s signature standard by 2035, and how quantum systems could make traditional mining obsolete.

They explore how the analog world of nature — light, gravity, superconductors — can replace brute-force hashing, how “Boson sampling” could one day stand in for SHA-256, and why the biggest breakthroughs in computing may come from mimicking God’s own architecture.

Plus, Charlie shares insights from a recent dinner with Dr. Adam Back and his own stealth research into quantum-mining convergence. This episode isn’t just about crypto’s future — it’s about the future of computation itself.

From Node.js startups to quantum cryptography

What happens when the CIA’s VC fund blocks your deal

Why the U.S. and China’s quantum race matters for Bitcoin

The birth of post-quantum cryptography and NIST’s standards

How quantum encryption could replace proof-of-work

Why consensus itself might become irrelevant

How AI’s mainstream boom paves the way for quantum adoption

The analog vs. digital computing paradigm shift

Thank you for listening to The Charlie Shrem Show. For more free content and access to over 400 episodes, visit www.CharlieShrem.com.

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What happens when you take the discipline of an Oxford-trained surgeon and apply it to crypto? You get Nic Roberts-Huntley, founder of Concrete and Glow, two of the fastest-growing DeFi protocols.

In this episode, Nic and Charlie dive deep into the frameworks, philosophies, and practical decisions that turn ideas into billion-dollar realities. From early mornings at 4:30 AM to late-night calls across continents, Nic’s journey shows how rigor, kindness, and a surgeon’s precision can reshape digital finance.

Frameworks that scale: How lessons from medicine and private equity apply to building DeFi products.

Concrete & Glow explained: Institutional-grade yield tools and Solana’s first “margin-first” liquidity engine.

Funding playbook: Why the best founders raise on milestones, not desperation.

AI + blockchain: Are we building better AI with crypto, or crypto that powers better AI?

Team building: The human capital edge — why your first hires define your destiny.

Investor relations: Managing Polychain, VanEck, Tribe Capital, and more on your cap table without losing your sanity.

Tokenization’s future: From side letters to employee incentives, why tokens are the new equity.

Morning routines matter: How Nic structures his 4:30 AM wake-ups, workouts, and workdays to stay sharp.

The acquisition story: How Jet Protocol became Glow, and why consolidation is a sign of DeFi’s maturity.

“**Never raise capital because you need the money. Only raise it because you deserve it.**” — Nic Roberts-Huntley

The dangers of “vibe coding” in Solidity and how to protect users from liquidation risks.

Why DeFi protocols live or die by trust — rugged users rarely return.

How Glow is pioneering liquid restaking ($glowSOL) on Solana.

The inside story of raising $17M+ and building with backers like Polychain, VanEck, and Portal Ventures.

Nic Roberts-Huntley is the founder of Blueprint Finance, the company behind Concrete and Glow. A former Oxford surgeon (MD, MBA) turned Point72 investor, Nic has built a reputation for bridging worlds — from the operating room to private equity to DeFi infrastructure.

Concrete: Tokenized DeFi-native asset management and yield optimization on Ethereum (now with $650M+ TVL).

Glow: Margin-first liquidity engine and liquid restaking on Solana, acquired from Jet Protocol.

DeFi, Concrete, Glow Finance, Solana, Ethereum, Yield Farming, Tokenization, Restaking, Venture Capital, Polychain, VanEck, Tribe Capital, Crypto Investing, AI + Blockchain, Startups

Thank you for listening to The Charlie Shrem Show. For more free content and access to over 400 episodes, visit www.CharlieShrem.com.

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In this episode of The Charlie Shrem Show, Charlie sits down with Ian Farrar, a 30-year biohacker, longtime investor, and founding brand partner at Puriam, a direct-to-consumer superfood company. While the crypto space is full of financial innovation, Ian brings the focus back to the most valuable asset you have—your body.

They dive deep into what it means to live a "superhuman" lifestyle, how modern diets are failing us, and why wealth without health is a ticking time bomb. Ian shares how green superfoods, gut microbiome balance, and small daily changes can radically transform your life—even if you’re not ready to go full health guru.

Topics covered:

🥬 Why every Bitcoiner should be thinking about alkalinity and cell charge

🍌 How walking barefoot on the beach is better than most supplements

📉 Why nutrient density in food has collapsed since the 1970s

💊 The harsh truth about Big Pharma vs. lifestyle medicine

🧠 How your mindset and gut health are directly connected

🛑 Why most alkaline water products are BS (and what actually works)

🌍 The case for local food as natural medicine—Colombia vs. the U.S.

📱 EMF radiation, cell phones, and protecting your “Faraday bag” body

🧪 Full-body scans, thermograms, and futuristic diagnostics

Ian also explains the financial literacy parallels between long-term investing and long-term health: both require daily discipline, clarity of purpose, and an understanding of what's coming years down the line.

🌿 Mentioned in the episode:

Ian’s superfood site: ishopPURIAM.com
Discount code: IAN for $50 off or 25% off

Ian’s show: Superhuman on Nausik TV

Book: Identity Is the New Money by David Birch (also mentioned in Ep. 446)

🧘 Bonus:
Listeners who use the code “IAN” can also get a free 30-minute lifestyle consultation with Ian.

Thank you for listening to The Charlie Shrem Show. For more free content and access to over 400 episodes, visit www.CharlieShrem.com.

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In this episode of The Charlie Shrem Show, Charlie is joined by Michael Rihani, Head of Product at Coinbase, to talk about how Bitcoin is finally going mainstream—not just as an investment, but as a spendable, usable financial asset.

Michael breaks down the launch of Coinbase’s new American Express-powered credit card, which gives users up to 4% back in Bitcoin on every purchase. Together, they explore what this means for the next generation of crypto adoption and why stablecoins, Lightning payments, and Bitcoin-backed loans are rapidly reshaping the financial stack.

Topics covered:

🪙 Why the Coinbase Amex card could be crypto’s iPhone moment

⚡ The reality of using Bitcoin and Lightning at Steak & Shake

📈 $500M in loan originations and the rise of Bitcoin-backed borrowing

🌍 How stablecoins are rescuing families from hyperinflation

💳 The behind-the-scenes story of working with American Express

💡 “Identity is the new money” and the future of frictionless crypto payments

🧠 Coinbase's internal X402 project and how it could reinvent internet-native payments

🔒 Balancing privacy, identity, and usability in a decentralized future

Michael and Charlie don’t just nerd out on payment protocols—they get real about product-market fit, what crypto users actually want, and how we're moving from trading to real-world utility.

📚 Mentioned in the episode:

X402 Protocol

Identity Is the New Money by David Birch

Coinbase Credit Card Waitlist: coinbase.com/creditcard

Thank you for listening to The Charlie Shrem Show. For more free content and access to over 400 episodes, visit www.CharlieShrem.com.

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During the darkest days of the last bear market, 5 years ago, I met my friend and guest @CJKonstantinos at The Green Flash in Florida. This guy is the definition of OG by doubling down and starting @peoplesreserve. He's creating Bitcoin-backed financial products that are reshaping the way we think about money.

Tomorrow we are both speaking at BitcoinDay Tampa, which always has a way of keeping the culture alive! See you all there!

Charlie 

Highlights:

🔒 Bitcoin’s Unmatched Strength: Discover how Bitcoin's undilutable supply creates a truly pristine collateral asset, reshaping loans and financial security.

🏡 Never Sell Your Bitcoin for Real Estate Again: CJ shares his unforgettable story of spending 100 Bitcoin on a house—and how @peoplesreserve now helps you secure your dream home without selling your BTC.

📊 Smart Adjustable Interest Rates: Learn how adjustable interest rates prevent liquidation and turn Bitcoin volatility into your advantage.

🚀 Cross-Collateral Revolution: Understand the groundbreaking combination of Bitcoin and real estate collateral introduced by @peoplesreserve, creating safer financial products.

🌐 Redefining the Yield Curve: CJ explains how Bitcoin is creating a new "risk-free" borrower class, challenging traditional finance forever.

Why Listen:
Explore the future of finance through the lens of Bitcoin-backed mortgages and collateral, directly from one of crypto's boldest innovators. Charlie and CJ unpack how Bitcoin is rapidly becoming the safest, most reliable foundation for wealth preservation and growth.

Listen & Subscribe:
Subscribe to The Charlie Shrem Show, your twice-weekly source for deep dives with crypto’s most visionary leaders.

Guests & Social:

CJ Konstantinos → @CJKonstantinos

People's Reserve → @peoplesreserve

Thank you for listening to The Charlie Shrem Show. For more free content and access to over 400 episodes, visit www.CharlieShrem.com.

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I've gotten to know Joey Rosati (@rosaticorp) over the last 3 years working alonside hime in the VC trenches of Druid Ventures. Let me tell you, the VC world is a funny place and there are gems if you know where to find them. Joey is one of them. He knows that behind every successful business, it's all about people. In today's epic episode, Joey joins me to dive into the "silver tsunami," the massive shift as baby boomers retire, handing off old-school businesses to a younger generation. We talk about buying real-world companies like Dock Builder Supply and Boat Storage, the magic and messiness of mixing traditional business with new tech, and why true success often means blending hustle with humility.

Joey shares his own wild entrepreneurial journey—from scratch-off lottery chaos in Guatemala to investing in MLS soccer, and why he now loves "ugly," cash-flowing businesses. We get real about stress, purpose, and why hard money lending might just be the smartest investment out there.

We also talk about his role in preserving Tampa's adult entertainment legacy by taking over the world-famous 2001 Odyssey and Mons Venus strip clubs. We explore how he's balancing modernization with tradition, ensuring these establishments continue to thrive in a changing landscape.

Buckle up as we cover:

• The real opportunities behind "boomer businesses."
• Why software can't replace specialized trades.
• Managing stress, staying sane, and finding purpose.
• When (and how) to walk away from a bad deal.
• Joey's top investment advice for 2025.

Connect with Joey on X: @rosaticorp

Thank you for listening to The Charlie Shrem Show. For more free content and access to over 400 episodes, visit www.CharlieShrem.com.

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Here’s a sentence I never thought I’d say: you can buy a house with your Bitcoin — without ever selling it.

That’s the financial revolution Josip Rupena is building. He’s the founder and CEO of Milo, the fintech startup that’s already issued over $60 million in crypto mortgages — loans backed by your Bitcoin, not your bank account. And here’s the kicker: they’ve never issued a single margin call.

In this episode, we break down how it works, what happens behind the scenes, and why this could be one of the most powerful wealth-generating tools in the Bitcoin ecosystem. We also talk about tokenizing mortgages, using AI to streamline lending, and the potential for a future where your Bitcoin unlocks real-world utility — like homes, yield, and financial freedom.

This is a rare mix of macro insight, startup strategy, and a deep dive into how crypto is transforming the mortgage game.

This episode contains strong language.

Milo Crypto Mortgage – www.milo.io

Custodians: Coinbase & BitGo

Bybit Hack (Largest Hack in History)

Tokenized Mortgages & Yield Products

Real Estate + Bitcoin as a Dual-Asset Lending Model

AI Tools in Underwriting and Client Onboarding

US Housing Inventory Trends (2024–2025)

Email Charlie directly and find episodes and transcripts at CharlieShrem.com

Thank you for listening to The Charlie Shrem Show. For more free content and access to over 400 episodes, visit www.CharlieShrem.com.

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My buddy Chris Jenkins just got back from ETHDenver, and he’s buzzing about the convergence of crypto and AI.

He’s the head of operations at the Pocket Network Foundation, and right now, they’re gearing up for their biggest protocol upgrade ever: Shannon. What they’re doing is wild — opening up full permissionless access to decentralized data, from blockchain RPC calls to AI models, Tor nodes, and everything in between.

We talk about agentic systems, LLMs, censorship-resistant data delivery, and why the future of open infrastructure needs crypto tokens to work at all. We also get into what it takes to build B2B tools that feel like B2C, why content creators (like podcasters) should be thinking about data licensing, and why the days of centralized APIs and broken bridges may be numbered.

This one’s nerdy, future-forward, and full of practical examples for how it’s all being built right now.

This episode contains strong language.

Pocket Network Foundation – pokt.network

ETHDenver 2025

Shannon Upgrade (Pocket Network’s protocol upgrade)

fly.pieter.com – Massive AI flight sim built with LLMs

Tornado Cash and Censorship Resistance

Decentralized RPC and Open Data Infrastructure

Drag-and-Drop LLM Interfaces

Email Charlie directly and find more episodes at CharlieShrem.com

Thank you for listening to The Charlie Shrem Show. For more free content and access to over 400 episodes, visit www.CharlieShrem.com.

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Pete Rizzo Thinks We're Losing Bitcoin's History. I'm Helping Him Fix That.

Pete Rizzo’s been called Bitcoin’s historian — and after this conversation, you’ll understand why.

He’s spent the past few years diving deep into the stories, people, and drama that built Bitcoin from nothing into a global force. We talk about that work — the threads, the archives, the stories that never made it into the headlines — and how much of our history is already at risk of being forgotten.

This one goes deep: early Mt. Gox days, the Silk Road fallout, Ross Ulbricht, Julian Assange, the Dragon’s Den Slack channel, Bitcoin IRC logs, and even a theory that maybe Satoshi was Julian himself. There’s a lot here — from serious analysis to our own untold stories.

We also get personal: Rizzo opens up about why preserving this history became his mission, and I share how prison, books, and a Muslim roommate changed how I see the world — and Bitcoin.

This episode contains strong language.

Mentioned:

Pete Rizzo’s “Bitcoin Legends” Twitter threads

The Genesis Book by Jonathan Bier

The Satoshi Affair by Andrew O’Hagan

Assange’s RubberHose encryption protocol

Blockworks’ Supply Shock Podcast

Follow Pete:

Twitter/X: @pete_rizzo_

Podcast: Supply Shock

Quotes:

"Bitcoin is the only asset where history actually matters — and yet we’re letting it disappear." 

"We treated Ross like a pariah. Now he’s a symbol. That didn’t happen overnight."

"People think Bitcoin started with Satoshi. It didn’t. It started with the people who kept it alive after Satoshi left."

"When I left prison, I was at zero — actually, below zero. But I came out with the most valuable thing: stories."

Thank you for listening to The Charlie Shrem Show. For more free content and access to over 400 episodes, visit www.CharlieShrem.com.

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