What if your “simple” tap-to-pay purchase hides fourteen different payments?

This episode features Allen Farrington, an author and investor who is the co-founder and general partner at a venture firm focused on companies building on Bitcoin. He is also the co-founder and CEO of an asset management business deploying in Bitcoin, and he recently gave a conference talk debunking the idea that fiat payments are easy while Bitcoin payments are a headache. Tune in to find out what actually happens when you buy something with a card and why that mess matters for the future of money.

Most people think paying with a tap or a swipe is clean and instant, without realizing how many hidden credit relationships that fiat system is juggling for a single purchase. We look at how the costs and delays that businesses live with every day create openings for Bitcoin to act as real settlement money inside those payment flows. And we get into what that shift could mean in the next few years without pretending that any one technology instantly solves money for everyone. Because once you see how the rails really work, you can’t unsee it.

You’ll Learn:

[00:00] Introduction

[01:58] Why fiat payments rely entirely on layers of credit instead of true debits

[03:26] How lightning parallels ACH but removes banks as mandatory intermediaries

[05:12] Why inbound liquidity and always-online requirements make lightning difficult for consumers but ideal for businesses

[07:53] The real reason fiat transactions involve 9+ intermediaries and constant credit risk

[10:46] How Bitcoin enables direct settlement instead of credit extensions hidden behind payment processors

[13:32] Merchants feel the pain of fiat and how Bitcoin flips that incentive

[15:49] The future where paying in fiat carries a premium and Bitcoin payments become cheaper by default

[18:44] Stablecoins are not “worse Bitcoin,” just better fiat for broken use cases

[20:19] How stablecoins may eventually settle over Bitcoin rails as liquidity deepens

[22:41] What multiple stablecoin issuers would require and why Bitcoin simplifies interbank settlement

[30:18] Why non-Bitcoin companies need a strategic stance on it before it's a fiduciary requirement

[33:14] How fiat payment inefficiencies create the wedge that brings mainstream companies onto Bitcoin rails

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

Resources Mentioned:

Bitcoin Is Venice by Allen Farrington and Sacha Meyers | Book or Audiobook

Find more from Allen:

Allen Farrington | 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 your neighbourhood cafe quietly turned itself into a Bitcoin miner?

In this episode, I'm kicking off a new series with Bitcoin entrepreneurs and executives who are actually weaving this asset into the way they work and save. Today I'm joined by Kurtis Warren, a longtime Bitcoiner and owner of a downtown Vancouver coffee bar that's evolved into a community hub. He shares how his path collided with Bitcoin and how it changed how he thinks about building for the long term.

The coffee industry runs on tight margins in a city where costs just keep climbing. Curtis flipped that script for his team and his own future plans. You’ll hear the questions he had to answer around day-to-day payments, security, and taxes, and why he still chooses to keep stacking instead of selling.

You’ll Learn:

[00:00] Introduction

[02:16] Why building a cafe around low time preference changes how a business survives

[05:12] What happens when a coffee shop becomes a modern version of a historic idea hub

[08:47] How a community space transforms once people start treating it like a meetup home

[10:59] The reason Bitcoin reshapes how owners think about margins, risk, and expansion

[20:14] How comparing Bitcoin’s growth to a new location’s returns forces harder decisions

[26:01] Why this cafe treats Bitcoin as a long-term savings engine instead of quick revenue

[29:12] What happens when a team starts converting part of their pay into a volatile asset

[36:02] The moment Bitcoin stops feeling speculative and starts feeling like real hope

[38:01] Why entrepreneurs see personal possibility in an asset most people still doubt

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

Learn more from Kurtis:

Funk Coffee Bar | Website

Funk Coffee Bar | Instagram

Kurtis Warren | LinkedIn

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 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