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Jeffrey Tucker, founder of the Brownstone Institute and Austrian economics advocate, joins Shawn to dissect the COVID-19 response's devastating impact on institutional trust and explore paths to personal sovereignty. This conversation unveils how the pandemic revealed the “total state” pervading all aspects of society, why libertarian institutions failed during the crisis, and how Austrian economics principles point toward reclaiming individual freedom through timeless values and critical thinking.
Guest Background
Jeffrey Tucker is the founder and president of the Brownstone Institute, established in 2021 as a response to COVID-19 policies. He's authored numerous books, including his latest, Spirits of America: On the Semiquincentennial, inspired by Eric Sloan's The Spirit of '76. A prolific writer with 1,000+ articles, Tucker has been a leading voice against pandemic restrictions and institutional overreach. His work spans economics, technology, and individual liberty, with a focus on practical philosophy for modern life.
Highlights
Quotes to Remember
Resources & Links
Subscribe: https://trustrevolution.co
Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man.
In This Episode
Shawn interviews Mathias Buus, CEO of Holepunch, about revolutionizing the internet with peer-to-peer (P2P) technologies like Pear Runtime, Hypercore, and Keet. Mathias shares his journey from math student to open-source powerhouse with over 1,000 NPM modules, driven by empowering individuals. They discuss centralized platforms’ flaws, Keet’s open-source controversy, and how businesses can adopt P2P for a trustless future.
Guest Bio
Mathias Buus, Holepunch’s CEO, is a Copenhagen-based JavaScript wizard who’s published over 1,000 NPM modules with billions of downloads. Creator of Pear Runtime, Hypercore, and Keet, he organized the 2025 P2P Summit to rally developers against Big Tech’s grip. His mission: empower individuals with trustless, decentralized systems.
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Shawn Yeager kicks off Season 2 of Trust Revolution with Nick Anthony, policy analyst at the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives and fellow at the Human Rights Foundation, leading their CBDC Tracker. They dive into the escalating risks of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), which supercharge government surveillance beyond laws like the Bank Secrecy Act. Nick, author of Digital Currency or Digital Control, traces the 2019 CBDC surge to Facebook’s Libra and flags authoritarian regimes as frontrunners. Learn why financial privacy hangs by a thread and how Bitcoin could be the lifeline.
Guest
Nick Anthony serves as a policy analyst at the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives and a fellow at the Human Rights Foundation, where he leads the global CBDC Tracker. He monitors the implications of central bank digital currencies across 139 jurisdictions. As the author of Digital Currency or Digital Control: Decoding Central Bank Digital Currency and the Future of Money, he focuses on dissecting the threats posed by centralized financial systems, advocating for decentralized alternatives like Bitcoin to protect individual privacy and freedom.
Highlights
Quotes to Remember
Resources & Links
Subscribe at trustrevolution.co.
Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man.
In this solo episode, Shawn reflects on the first 12 episodes of Trust Revolution, expressing gratitude to listeners and sharing insights gained from conversations with various builders, thinkers, and leaders. The podcast aims to explore the erosion of trust in traditional institutions and the potential of decentralization and technology, such as Bitcoin, to restore personal sovereignty. Shawn discusses the importance of reaching those curious about alternative systems and highlights key themes like the diminishing trust in centralized entities and the promise of decentralized solutions.
Throughout the season, Shawn engaged with a diverse group of guests, including futurists, technologists, and policy advisors, to discuss topics ranging from private AI and alternative app stores to the implications of AI on society. He emphasizes the need for citizen action and transparency to challenge existing power structures and the role of technology in reshaping business and governance.
As the podcast moves forward, we'll focus on conversations with builders and advocates who are leading the way in creating change and empowering individuals to reclaim control over their trust and privacy.
Subscribe at podcast.trustrevolution.co.
Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man.
OpnState, a pseudonymous civil servant and former corporate banker, joins Shawn to expose the hidden mechanisms of global financial standards and their impact on trust and sovereignty. From his role drafting anti-money laundering (AML) legislation, OpnState reveals how the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) enforces KYC and AML rules, centralizing power and eroding individual rights. He discusses the challenges of reforming a surveillance-heavy system, the power of citizen action through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, and the hope offered by cypherpunk innovations like Bitcoin. Recorded June 16, 2025, amid growing global tensions, this episode examines why transparency matters, what’s at stake in 2025, and how individuals can reclaim agency in a trust-minimized future.
Background
OpnState is a pseudonymous policy and legislation advisor in a jurisdiction with a major financial sector. Formerly a corporate banker managing million-dollar accounts, he grew disillusioned with a financial system rigged to enrich elites. Now, as a civil servant, he’s drafted over a dozen pieces of AML legislation, giving him an insider’s view of the FATF’s global standards. Through podcasts and posts on Nostr, OpnState critiques centralized control while advocating for transparency and decentralized governance. His pseudonym allows him to speak freely about the erosion of sovereignty and the need for citizen engagement.
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Matt O'dell, Bitcoin OG and freedom tech advocate, joins Shawn to dissect trust in a world of surveillance and centralized control. From Bitcoin’s role as a beacon of financial agency to Signal's strides in secure communication, O'dell unpacks the tools reshaping money, identity, and expression. As co-founder of Bitcoin Park, OpenSats, and Ten31 Ventures, and host of Rabbit Hole Recap and Citadel Dispatch, he shares a decade of insights on building privacy-first businesses and communities. Recorded June 16, 2025, amid global tensions, this episode explores why open protocols matter, what’s thriving in 2025, and how to navigate a trust-minimized future.
Background
Matt O'dell is a veteran Bitcoiner and open-source advocate, driving freedom tech forward. He co-founded Bitcoin Park, OpenSats, a 501c3 funding open-source projects like nostr and Tor, and Ten31, a VC firm backing Bitcoin businesses like Strike and Start9. Hosting Rabbit Hole Recap with Marty Bent and Citadel Dispatch, O'dell educates thousands on Bitcoin and privacy. A former Human Rights Foundation volunteer and Bitcoin Policy Institute board member, he champions self-custody and financial freedom, blending technology, policy, and community to counter surveillance.
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Stephen Pollock, SVP of Development at the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI), joins Shawn to explore Bitcoin’s growing role in U.S. policy and statecraft. This discussion covers BPI’s mission to educate policymakers, the challenges of Washington’s political landscape, and the push for Bitcoin as a tool for freedom and national interest, including the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
Background
Stephen Pollock, Senior Vice President of Development at the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank co-founded by Grant McCarty and David Zell, drives the organization’s operational and advocacy efforts. As BPI’s first hire, he’s been key in building its influence in Washington, DC. With over a decade in political campaigns, public affairs, and FinTech, Pollock has shaped legislation through grassroots strategies and built networks with political and business leaders. A passionate Bitcoiner from Nashville, he bridges Bitcoin’s decentralized ethos with policy, championing self-custody and financial freedom through events like the Bitcoin Policy Summit.
Highlights
Quotes to Remember
Resources & Links
Subscribe at podcast.trustrevolution.co. Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man.
In this episode, Shawn sits down with a legendary figure from the early days of digital culture, R.U. Sirius, exploring the radical roots and transformative potential of the Internet. Our guest shares insights from his experience with pioneering publications like Mondo 2000, reflecting on the early ideals of user empowerment and decentralization. We delve into the evolution of the Internet from a space of individual freedom to one dominated by corporate interests, discussing the shifts in power dynamics and the impact of commercialization on the digital landscape. With a mix of optimism and caution, this episode offers a thought-provoking look at the past, present, and future of digital culture and individual agency.
About RU Sirius
RU Sirius is a writer, musician, and counterculture pioneer who co-founded Mondo 2000, the 1980s–1990s magazine that shaped cyberpunk and tech optimism. A “left-libertarian” influenced by transhumanists Timothy Leary and Robert Anton Wilson, he’s explored technology’s liberating potential for decades. Based in San Francisco, RU writes for Mindplex.ai on AI and creativity, performs as The Smarter Kings of Delirium, and is co-authoring a Mondo 2000 history with Shira Chess for Strange Attractor Press.
Quotes to Remember
Resources & Links
Subscribe: https://podcast.trustrevolution.co
Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man: https://moreghostthanman.bandcamp.com/
Rishad Tobaccowala, futurist and author of Rethinking Work, joins Shawn to unravel the dynamics of power, talent, and trust in a decentralized, AI-driven future. This conversation exposes the seismic shifts dismantling traditional jobs, the rise of talent over capital, and why trust—rooted in truth and integrity—is the ultimate currency for brands and leaders. From technology’s promise to demographic realities, Rishad delivers a wake-up call for navigating the unbundled world of work.
Background
Rishad Tobaccowala, a global strategist, spearheaded digital transformation at Publicis Groupe for 37 years. Now a speaker, advisor, and author of Rethinking Work and Restoring the Soul of Business, he guides leaders on technology and human values. His Substack, with 30,000+ subscribers including global CxOs, offers sharp insights. Key lessons from his work include decentralizing work, empowering talent over capital, and building trust through integrity in an AI age.
Highlights
Quotes to Remember
Resources & Links
Subscribe: https://podcast.trustrevolution.co
Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man.
In this Trust Revolution episode, Shawn Yeager and Fran, the Buenos Aires-based creator of Zapstore, explore the chokehold of centralized app stores. Fran details how Apple and Google’s control stifles innovation and erodes trust, then unveils Zapstore, a Nostr-powered, decentralized solution with cryptographic security and social trust layers. This 65-minute conversation spans the frustrations of arbitrary curation to the promise of AI-driven “vibe-coded” apps, showing how decentralized systems can reclaim power for users and developers.
About Fran
Fran is a full-stack software engineer with nearly two decades of experience, from Java in the 2000s to modern mobile frameworks. Based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he’s the creator of Zapstore, a decentralized app store launched in May 2024 on the Nostr protocol. Driven by frustration with centralized app stores’ control, Fran’s work empowers users and developers with secure, censorship-resistant software distribution. A participant in the first Sovereign Engineering cohort in Madeira, he’s a vocal advocate for privacy and autonomy, blending technical expertise with a vision for a freer digital ecosystem.
Quotes to Remember
Resources & Links
Subscribe: https://podcast.trustrevolution.co
Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man.
From the publisher's feed
Unfiltered conversations with builders, thinkers, and operators in Bitcoin and beyond. Exploring the systems we trust, why they work (or don't), and what comes next.