Matthew Mezinskis is a macroeconomic researcher, host of the Crypto Voices podcast and creator of Porkopolis Economics. In this episode, we discuss fractional reserve banking, why it's controversial among Bitcoiners, the historical precedent for banking practices, and whether fractional reserve banking inherently poses systemic risks. We also get into the dangers and instabilities introduced by central banking, and why Bitcoin uniquely offers a pathway to financial sovereignty, the plumbing of the global financial system, breaking down money supply metrics, foreign holdings of US treasuries, and how all these elements indicate growing instability in the dollar system. Follow: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Matthew Mezinskis: https://x.com/1basemoney THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: IREN: https://www.iren.com/ RIVER: https://river.com/wbd ANCHORWATCH: https://www.anchorwatch.com/ LEDGER: https://www.ledger.com/ CASA: https://casa.io/
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1:27:48
The True Cost of the Dollar Empire w/ Lyn Alden
Lyn Alden is a macro analyst, investment strategist and the author of Broken Money. In this episode, we discuss the structural imbalances underpinning the U.S. trade deficit and its link to the dollar’s status as the global reserve currency. We get into the mechanics of capital surpluses, why U.S. treasuries are at the heart of global liquidity, and how foreign ownership of American assets introduces systemic fragility. We also discuss Bitcoin as a neutral reserve asset,, gold and tariffs, Bitcoin’s market structure, and why $150k might be in sight. Follow: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Lyn Alden: https://x.com/LynAldenContact or https://primal.net/lyn THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: IREN: https://www.iren.com/ RIVER: https://river.com/wbd ANCHORWATCH: https://www.anchorwatch.com/ LEDGER: https://www.ledger.com/ CASA: https://casa.io/
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1:07:53
The OP_RETURN War: Who Controls Bitcoin w/ Bitcoin Mechanic
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 THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: IREN: https://www.iren.com/ RIVER: https://river.com/wbd ANCHORWATCH: https://www.anchorwatch.com/ LEDGER: https://www.ledger.com/ CASA: https://casa.io/
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1:23:45
$100K Bitcoin: Is the Cycle Breaking? W/ Checkmate
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_ THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: IREN: https://www.iren.com/ RIVER: https://river.com/wbd ANCHORWATCH: https://www.anchorwatch.com/ LEDGER: https://www.ledger.com/ CASA: https://casa.io/
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1:16:09
The US Government Vs Bitcoin w/ Zack Shapiro
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/ THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: IREN: https://www.iren.com/ RIVER: https://river.com/wbd ANCHORWATCH: https://www.anchorwatch.com/ LEDGER: https://www.ledger.com/ CASA: https://casa.io/
Colombia