Bitcoin Mechanic is the Chief Boiling Officer at OCEAN.

In this episode, we dive deep into the battle over OP_RETURN and Bitcoin node policy. Mechanic explains why arbitrary data like inscriptions and JPEGs represent an attack vector, how Core developers have responded, and why he believes filters are essential to protecting Bitcoin’s monetary use case. We also cover the risks of miner centralisation, the tension between Bitcoin’s ideological roots and its current developer politics, and what’s really at stake in the “OP_RETURN war.”

Follow: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Mechanic: https://x.com/GrassFedBitcoin

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Checkmate is an on-chain analyst and founder of Checkonchain.

In this episode, we get into Bitcoin’s breakout back above $100k and what on-chain data reveals about who’s buying, who’s selling, and whether retail is finally showing up. We also discuss whether the Bitcoin cycles are over, how the global macro shift is influencing hard asset flows, and why gold might be the early signal for a longer Bitcoin run. Finally, we get into the OP_RETURN war.

Follow: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Checkmate: https://x.com/_Checkmatey_

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Zack Shapiro is a lawyer and Head of Policy at the Bitcoin Policy Institute.

In this episode, we discuss the Samurai Wallet case, how the U.S. government is using outdated laws to target non-custodial Bitcoin tools — and why the outcome of this case could criminalise running a node or writing open-source Bitcoin code.

We also discuss the DOJ’s “regulation by prosecution” playbook, the fact that FinCEN explicitly told prosecutors Samurai was not breaking the law, why prosecutors hid that fact for a year and why he believes a political fix — not just a legal one — is urgently needed.

FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Zack Shapiro: https://x.com/zackbshapiro P2P Rights Fund: https://p2prights.org/

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Shinobi is the Technical Editor at Bitcoin Magazine.

In this episode, we get into the latest "OP_RETURN war," exploring whether the debate is a cultural clash or a technical discussion about Bitcoin’s future.

We discuss the origins of the OP_RETURN limit, how users are bypassing it, and the arguments for and against changing data limits. Shinobi lays out his view that filters designed to block certain transactions could increase mining centralisation and degrade network security. We also get into the questions about non-monetary uses of Bitcoin and the ongoing tensions between scaling, freedom, and preserving Bitcoin's values.

FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Shinobi: https://x.com/brian_trollz

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Jesse Myers is the author of the Once in a Species newsletter.

In this episode, we discuss why humanity’s obsession with scarce assets may be hardwired into our DNA and how this evolutionary trait could explain Bitcoin’s inevitable rise.

We also get into how early humans monetised scarcity, why Homo sapiens may have outcompeted Neanderthals through money-based cooperation, and how Dunbar’s number and inter-tribal trade shaped civilisation. Finally, we explore why Bitcoin represents the culmination of a 140,000-year human search for perfect scarcity — and why Jesse believes we are in the early innings of a species-wide gravitation towards Bitcoin.

FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles & https://primal.net/danny Jesse Myers: https://x.com/Croesus_BTC

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In this episode we have three sessions recorded live at CheatCode in Bedford.

In the first session, Checkmate, Preston Pysh, and Alex Thorn break down the cracks in the fiat system, the rise of deglobalization, stablecoins, Bitbonds, and how Bitcoin and gold are emerging as neutral reserve assets.

In the second session, Matthew Pines unpacks the global economic reordering, the U.S.–China trade war, escalating tariffs, the fragility of the bond market, and why Bitcoin may be the ultimate escape valve.

In the final session, Lawrence Lepard, James Lavish, and Cameron Parry go deep on gold vs Bitcoin, the debt doom loop, the case for a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, and the fight for financial sovereignty.

FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles & https://primal.net/danny Checkmate: https://x.com/_Checkmatey_ Preston Pysh: https://x.com/PrestonPysh & https://primal.net/preston Lawrence Lepard: https://x.com/LawrenceLepard & https://primal.net/lawrencelepard James Lavish: https://x.com/jameslavish Matthew Pines: https://x.com/matthew_pines Alex Thorn: https://x.com/intangiblecoins Cameron Parry: https://x.com/CameronJParry

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Mark Moss is an entrepreneur, investor, and host of the Mark Moss Show and Market Disruptors.

In this episode, we discuss why Bitcoin could 10x over the next five years as well as the political and financial cycles converging to drive massive change.

We also get into the collapse of global institutions like the World Economic Forum, the role of AI and Bitcoin in reshaping money and power structures, why open-source AI could decentralise innovation, and how Bitcoin might become the default money for autonomous AI agents. Finally, we explore why stock market valuations may be more fragile than they appear and how Bitcoin offers a simpler, sounder alternative for long-term wealth preservation.

FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles & https://primal.net/danny Mark Moss: https://x.com/1markmoss

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Alex Gladstein is the Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation and author of Check Your Financial Privilege, Hidden Repression and The Trojan Horse of Freedom.

In this episode, we discuss whether Bitcoin’s adoption by governments and Wall Street threatens its original mission, the Trojan Horse theory of Bitcoin and why nation-state adoption may be essential to separating money from state. We also get into the IMF’s decades-long role in global debt traps, the potential endgame of Bitcoin as a global reserve and debate quantum threats to Bitcoin.

FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles & https://primal.net/danny Alex Gladstein: https://x.com/gladstein or https://primal.net/gladstein

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Matt Odell is host of Citadel Dispatch, co-host of Rabbit Hole Recap, managing partner at Ten31 and co-founder of OpenSats and Bitcoin Park.

In this episode, we discuss the risks of Bitcoin’s increasing financialisation, why only a small minority may ever use it as true “freedom money,” and whether Bitcoin is on track to become a global reserve currency.

We also get into the rise of stablecoins and their impact on adoption, MicroStrategy’s role in reshaping public market exposure to Bitcoin, and a potential quantum computing threat. Plus, we cover why sats should be the standard, the Gamestop pivot to Bitcoin, and the ways Nostr and censorship resistance might shape the future of speech.

FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles & https://primal.net/danny Matt Odell: https://primal.net/odell

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Junseth is the co-founder of the legendary Bitcoin Uncensored podcast and a longtime Bitcoiner.

In this episode, we discuss whether Bitcoin has actually “done anything yet,” why financialisation might be both Bitcoin’s future and a serious threat, and how MicroStrategy’s could play a key role in that. We also get into the risks of leverage and ETFs, Junseth’s unique investment strategy based on volatility and diversification, why most Bitcoiners aren’t truly prepared for sovereign-level adoption, and the missing financial tools — like insurance and mortgages.

FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles & https://primal.net/danny Junseth: https://x.com/verysmallclaims

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: IREN: https://www.iren.com/ RIVER: https://river.com/wbd CASA: https://casa.io/ LEDGER: https://www.ledger.com/ ANCHORWATCH: https://www.anchorwatch.com/