Trust Revolution

Trust Revolution

By Shawn YeagerSociety & CultureScienceSocial SciencesTechnology
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Trust Revolution episodes

  • Navigating the unraveling cycle of society | Bronwyn Williams

    In this hard-hitting episode of Trust Revolution, Shawn sits down with Bronwyn Williams, a South African futurist and economist, to dissect the collapse of trust in centralized systems. Bronwyn analyzes how globalization and technology challenge institutional credibility, using South Africa’s governance struggles as a backdrop. She critiques AI’s centralizing risks, questions Bitcoin’s decentralized promise, and discusses ways businesses and individuals can rebuild trust. This conversation unravels the dynamics of power and agency in a low-trust world.

    About Bronwyn Williams

    Bronwyn Williams is a futurist, economist, and partner at Flux Trends, a leading consultancy focused on strategic foresight and trend analysis. Based in Johannesburg, she brings nearly two decades of experience advising global public and private sector clients on fintech, alternative economic models, and sustainable futures. She is the author of Rescuing Our Republic, a book tackling South Africa’s systemic crises, and co-author of The Future Starts Now (Bloomsbury UK), which explores global trends shaping the future. A sought-after speaker and media commentator on platforms like CNBC Africa and eNCA, she also runs What The Future Now?, unpacking chaos theory and future scenarios.

    Quotes to Remember

    • “Institutions work as long as they give people what they want.” — Bronwyn Williams
    • “Democracy is governance by the governed, not a menu of services.” — Bronwyn Williams
    • “Automate away your costs, not your value.” — Bronwyn Williams
    • “Money is an illusion… Power equals money, not the other way around.” — Bronwyn Williams
    • “Bitcoin opened Pandora’s box… It accelerated CBDCs.” — Bronwyn Williams

      • Resources & Links

      • Book: Rescuing Our Republic by Bronwyn Williams – Analysis of South Africa’s governance challenges.
      • Book: The Future Starts Now by Bronwyn Williams – Exploring future trends and economic models.
      • Book: The Human Experience by John Sills – Insights on building trust in business.
      • Follow Bronwyn on X.
      • Flux Trends: fluxtrends.com for her trend reports.
      • Blog: What The Future Now? for chaos theory and future insights.

        • Subscribe: https://podcast.trustrevolution.co

        Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man.

        1 hr 5 min
      • The balance of power is shifting | Yaël Ossowski

        In this episode of Trust Revolution, Shawn welcomes Yaël Ossowski, a consumer advocate and Bitcoin policy expert, for a candid discussion on the shifting balance of power between individuals and institutions.

        Yaël shares his global perspective, shaped by living under multiple governments, from Canada to the U.S. to Austria. As Deputy Director of the Consumer Choice Center and a Fellow at the Bitcoin Policy Institute, he unpacks how overreach during the pandemic exposed institutional distrust, why agencies like the CFPB often hinder innovation, and how Bitcoin and decentralized technologies empower individuals to reclaim control. From vaping to stablecoins, they explore how consumer choice and sound money are fueling consumer empowerment.

        About Yaël Ossowski

        Yaël Ossowski is a consumer advocate, journalist, and Bitcoin policy expert with a unique global lens. Born in Quebec, Canada, raised in the U.S., and now based in Austria, Yaël has experienced firsthand how different governments approach citizen trust. As Deputy Director of the Consumer Choice Center, he champions individual choice in areas like vaping, technology, and finance. A Fellow at the Bitcoin Policy Institute, Yaël advocates for policies that restrain government overreach and enable Bitcoin’s adoption. His work as a journalist and commentator bridges philosophy, policy, and technology to promote freedom and autonomy.

        Quotes to Remember

        • “We’ve seen our institutions much more involved in our lives, much more so than they ever were for our parents or grandparents.” — Yaël Ossowski
        • “I think we as individuals know exactly what’s best for us, for our families, and for those in our community.” — Yaël Ossowski
        • “Bitcoin can exist and will be very strong without any government rule. The problem now is not that there are not enough government rules, but that the rules that are on the books are, themselves, restrictive of the technology.” — Yaël Ossowski

          • Resources & Links

          • Consumer Choice Center
          • Bitcoin Policy Institute
          • Yaël’s Website
          • Yaël on Nostr
          • Yaël on X

            • Subscribe: https://podcast.trustrevolution.co

            Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man

            56 min
          • Decoding trust | Dr. David Strayhorn

            In this episode of Trust Revolution, Shawn welcomes Dr. David Strayhorn, a neurologist, electrical engineer, and freedom technologist, for a deep dive into Web of Trust. Recorded at Bitcoin Park in Nashville, David shares his journey from clinical practice to building Brainstorm, a personal Web of Trust relay on Nostr, and GrapeRank, an algorithm reimagining trust curation. Together, they explore how decentralized systems can empower individuals to control their data and trust networks, challenging centralized gatekeepers and reshaping how we find truth in a skeptical world.

            Dr. David Strayhorn is a board-certified neurologist specializing in epilepsy, with a background in electrical engineering. A decade-long contributor to freedom technology, he focuses on decentralized systems and Web of Trust protocols. His current project, Brainstorm, is a personal Web of Trust relay on Nostr, while GrapeRank is an extensible algorithm for contextual trust scores. Follow him on Nostr (@[email protected]) or explore his GitHub (github.com/wds4) for insights into Concept Graph and Grapevine.

            Quotes to Remember

            • “Trust doesn’t live in any one place in the brain, just like there’s no single neuron in charge. It’s decentralized, like the systems we’re building.” — Dr. David Strayhorn
            • “Web of Trust is about letting your community decide what trust means—not developers imposing categories.” — Dr. David Strayhorn
            • “GrapeRank is PageRank for people: it uses any signal—follows, zaps, mutes—to calculate trust in context, not just importance.” — Dr. David Strayhorn

              • Resources & Links

              • David Strayhorn’s GitHub: Dive into Concept Graph and Grapevine (github.com/wds4).
              • Nostr Protocol: Learn about the platform powering Web of Trust (nostr.com).

                • Subscribe: https://podcast.trustrevolution.co

                Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man.

                1 hr 11 min
              • The rise of peer-to-peer economies | Max Hillebrand

                From working inside the banking system to living fully bankless.

                In this episode of Trust Revolution, Shawn welcomes entrepreneur, cypherpunk, and Bitcoin privacy pioneer Max Hillebrand for a powerful conversation about how trust, finance, and community are being rebuilt from the ground up.

                Max shares his personal journey from inside the banking system to living fully bankless, his leadership in advancing Bitcoin privacy, and how freedom technologies like Nostr are fueling the rise of decentralized, peer-to-peer economies. Together, they explore the cultural and economic shifts already underway — and what it means for individuals, entrepreneurs, and the future of trust itself.

                About Max Hillebrand

                Max Hillebrand is an entrepreneur, cypherpunk, and leading advocate for financial privacy and economic freedom. He is a longtime contributor to Wasabi Wallet, where he served as CEO and continues to support the development of Bitcoin privacy technologies. With a background in Austrian economics and a foundation in praxeology, Max’s work bridges philosophy, technology, and entrepreneurship. He is a prominent voice in the Bitcoin community, advising individuals, businesses, and institutions through Sound Money Solutions while helping to build the parallel economies and decentralized networks shaping the future.

                Quotes to Remember

                • "We actually don't need to trust a financial institution like a bank anymore. We can replace that trust with Bitcoin." — Max Hillebrand
                • "Technology is not everything. Especially when it comes to security technology — it only works if the user resists the attacker." — Max Hillebrand
                • "The second realm has always existed. It's where people meet and trade without asking permission, simply because they want to help each other." — Max Hillebrand

                  • Resources & Links

                  • Follow Max Hillebrand on Nostr — His main profile and posts.
                  • Sound Money Solutions — Bitcoin and freedom tech consulting by Max.
                  • Wasabi Wallet — Open-source Bitcoin privacy wallet supporting CoinJoin.
                  • The Second Realm: Book on Strategy (PDF Download) — Practical guide to building parallel economies.
                  • Nostr Resources — Learn how Nostr enables decentralized communication.
                  • Human Action by Ludwig von Mises — Foundation for Austrian economics and praxeology.

                    • Subscribe: https://podcast.trustrevolution.co

                    Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man.

                    1 hr 2 min
                  • Reshaping privacy with secure enclaves | Marks

                    Can your private data be as secure as your Bitcoin? In this thought-provoking episode of Trust Revolution, host Shawn Yeager sits down with Marks, co-founder and CEO of OpenSecret and Maple AI, to explore the future of digital trust. Marks unpacks how secure enclaves are reshaping privacy, evolving from the privacy-first Mutiny Wallet to a platform that safeguards user data and shields businesses from costly liabilities. This conversation illuminates a new frontier where AI agents and apps prioritize your security, delivering an encrypted, seamless experience that could redefine how we protect what matters most.

                    Marks, co-founder and CEO of OpenSecret and Maple AI, is a seasoned mobile app developer and privacy advocate. With a startup background, he’s pioneering secure enclave solutions to safeguard data and rebuild trust in the digital world.

                    • Follow Marks on X or Nostr: [email protected].
                    • Explore OpenSecret and follow them on X and Nostr: [email protected].
                    • Try Maple AI and connect on X or Nostr: [email protected].
                    • Learn about secure enclaves at opensecret.cloud.
                    • Check out Mutiny Wallet’s open-source privacy innovations on GitHub.

                      • Subscribe: https://podcast.trustrevolution.co

                      Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man.

                      57 min
                    • AI, decentralized networks, and political swarms | John Robb

                      What happens when trust—the glue holding society together—starts to crumble under the weight of AI, decentralized networks, and political swarms? In the premier episode of Trust Revolution, host Shawn Yeager sits down with John Robb, a former Special Ops officer turned tech visionary, to explore this question. With a career spanning the battlefield and Silicon Valley, Robb offers sharp insights into how "red" and "blue" network swarms are reshaping U.S. politics, how AI-driven augmented reality might disconnect us from reality, and how social AIs could spark the next economic revolution. From the fertility crisis to the future of decentralized systems, this conversation unpacks the challenges and opportunities in a world where trust is increasingly fragile.

                      John Robb is a US Air Force Academy graduate, a former Special Ops officer, and a tech entrepreneur. He founded Gomez and served as CEO of Userland Software, a key player in the development of RSS technology. Robb is also the author of Brave New War and a leading strategist focused on decentralized systems and artificial intelligence.

                      For more from John Robb, check out these links:

                      • John Robb’s Substack – His current platform for insights on technology, trust, and society.
                      • "Brave New War" on Amazon – Purchase or learn more about his book on modern warfare.
                      • Userland Software and RSS – Background on his role in pioneering RSS.
                      • John Robb’s Wikipedia Page – More details on his career and contributions.

                        • Stay tuned to Trust Revolution for new, weekly episodes diving into trust, technology, and our evolving world.

                        Subscribe:

                        https://podcast.trustrevolution.co

                        Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man.

                        1 hr 6 min
                      • Season 1 Trailer

                        Trailer for Season 1 of Trust Revolution with Shawn Yeager

                        Subscribe: https://podcast.trustrevolution.co

                        Your host: Shawn Yeager

                        Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man.

                        2 min

                      About Trust Revolution

                      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.