1d ago

Philip Charter | The Bitcoin Nova #111

What keeps bringing me back to Nostr is the people. The conversations, the support, and the feeling that something you created actually meant something to someone. In this episode of The Bitcoin Nova, I’m joined by Philip Charter, also known as Totally Human Writer, to talk about why we’re choosing to spend more time in communities where that connection matters. We get into decentralized social media, zapping sats, and marketplaces like Conduit, where creators and customers can connect and exchange value directly. We also talk about what happens when platforms reward outrage and attention, while the people doing the creating struggle to be seen. One of my favorite parts of this conversation was Philip explaining why five people zapping his writing can mean more to him than 10,000 views. Someone took the time to read his work, appreciate it, and give something back. That means something. Philip also shares the story behind 21 Futures, the fiction series exploring Bitcoin, freedom, and the worlds we could build, including Tales from the Timechain and Financial Fallout. We talk about: ⚡ Why real engagement can matter more than views and follower counts 🟣 Nostr, decentralized markets, and supporting creators directly 🤝 Why a useful app needs an engaged community ✍️ Human creativity, storytelling, and authenticity in a world of AI 📚 Bitcoin fiction and imagining different futures 🌱 How online connections become friendships, meetups, and communities in real life 🎙️ Getting past imposter syndrome and finding your own way to contribute I loved this conversation because it brought us back to why we’re doing any of this: connecting with people, recognizing what they bring to the world, and helping each other build something we care about. Have you started spending more time on Nostr? What makes it feel different to you? Let us know in the comments, and go show Philip some love! 💜⚡️ Nostr #Bitcoin #TheBitcoinNova Links: * [Philip Charter — Totally Human Writer: writing and services](https://totallyhumanwriter.com/) * [21 Futures — Tales from the Timechain, Financial Fallout, and stories](https://21futures.com/) * [Buy Tales from the Timechain through Konsensus](https://konsensus.net/book/21-futures-tales-from) * [Konsensus Network — browse the bookshop](https://konsensus.net/books/) * [Publish with Konsensus — publishing and editing support](https://konsensus.net/publish/) * [Conduit — marketplace and commerce on Nostr](https://conduit.market/) * [Nostr — learn about the network and find apps](https://nostr.org/) * [Stacker News — discussions and sharing value in sats](https://stacker.news/) * [Fountain — podcasts and direct listener support](https://fountain.fm/) * [Human Rights Foundation — financial freedom work discussed in the episode](https://hrf.org/program/financial-freedom/) Chapters: 0:04 Introduction to Philip Charter and His Work 02:31 Exploring the Twenty One Futures Series 05:02 The Intersection of Sci-Fi and Bitcoin 07:30 The Impact of Media and Polarization 10:16 Bitcoin as a Catalyst for Change 13:15 The Importance of Authentic Storytelling 16:01 The Role of AI in Creative Work 18:40 Building Community in Decentralized Spaces 21:17 The Value of Human Connection in Business 23:50 Overcoming Social Anxiety in Public Speaking 26:37 Embracing Authenticity in Leadership 31:19 The Celebrity Paradox: Fame and Isolation 34:08 The Unique Community of Bitcoin 36:16 From Online to Real-Life Connections 39:30 The Energy of Bitcoin Conferences 43:26 Building a Grassroots Movement 46:45 The Value of Authentic Connections 50:19 Empathy and Community in Bitcoin

Sep 4

Brett Hansen | The Belief Machine | The Bitcoin Nova #110

What does your reaction to Bitcoin actually reveal about you.. not whether you love it or hate it, but why? In this episode of The Bitcoin Nova, I sit down with my friend Brett Hansen, author of The Belief Machine. This isn’t the typical Bitcoin book. It doesn’t explain what Bitcoin is, how the technology works, or why we need it. Instead, it uses Bitcoin to help us understand ourselves. We explore how identity, belonging, status, past experiences, and inherited beliefs shape what feels true and why challenging those beliefs can feel like a personal attack before our minds even have time to process what happened. Brett explains why facts alone rarely change someone’s mind, how our bodies react before our thoughts catch up, and why Bitcoiners are not immune to the very same belief machine. We also discuss: ⚡ Why intelligent people can be deeply resistant to Bitcoin ⚡ The difference between understanding Bitcoin and performing Bitcoin ⚡ How beliefs become part of our identities ⚡ Why anger gives discomfort somewhere to go ⚡ Conviction without consensus ⚡ Bitcoin volatility, patience, and emotional freedom ⚡ Property rights, self-custody, and truly owning something ⚡ How understanding our own reactions can create more empathy ⚡ Why “there is no red pill” only the practice of noticing the machine at work Knowing that your belief machine exists doesn’t stop it from running. The best we may be able to do is observe it, question the stories it creates, and become more honest about why we believe what we believe. This conversation is vulnerable, thoughtful, funny, and incredibly introspective. Whether you are a Bitcoiner or not, The Belief Machine will challenge you to examine the gap between who you believe you are and what your reactions reveal. 0:00 What Does Your Bitcoin Reaction Reveal? 2:30 Why Intelligent People Resist Bitcoin 5:38 Learning to Observe Yourself 7:16 We Inherit Beliefs Like Language 8:20 Understanding vs. Performing Bitcoin 11:04 The Knife Points Both Ways 15:30 Bitcoin Challenges Identity, Not Logic 18:49 How The Belief Machine Was Written 21:21 A Book Designed to Make You Uncomfortable 27:26 Are Beliefs Maps or Territories? 29:14 When Load-Bearing Beliefs Collapse 35:55 Why Evidence Doesn’t Change Minds 39:22 Bitcoiners Have a Belief Machine Too 41:12 When Bitcoin’s Price Controls Your Emotions 43:51 Building Conviction Beyond the Market 46:31 Bitcoin, Property Rights and Ownership 48:36 Who Determines Value in an Exchange? 50:55 The Ship of Theseus Thought Experiment 52:47 The Hidden Meaning in the Book Cover 56:59 Conviction Without Consensus 1:00:31 How the Brain Compresses Reality 1:01:49 There Is No Red Pill 1:04:43 Awareness Is the Practice 1:08:02 Bringing The Belief Machine to Conduit 1:09:17 Why Self-Promotion Feels Cringey 1:12:35 Why Creators Need Community Support 1:17:34 Midwest Bitcoin Summit and Closing 1:19:10 Where to Find Brett and the Book 📖 Explore The Belief Machine: https://thebeliefmachine.org/ 𝕏 Follow Brett Hansen: https://x.com/Bcuz21 🛍️ Explore Conduit Market and support Bitcoin merchants: https://shop.conduit.market/products ⚡ Join us at the Midwest Bitcoin Summit in Columbus, Ohio, September 23–24, 2026: https://midwestbtc.com/ If this conversation gets your own belief machine running, share your thoughts in the comments. What has Bitcoin revealed to you about yourself? Bitcoin #TheBeliefMachine #BitcoinPodcast #Psychology #SelfAwareness #TheBitcoinNova

Aug 30

Bria Lane Papia | The Bitcoin Nova #109

What happens when a female medical device leader and a Bitcoin convert meet at exactly the right moment? You get a conversation about chronic pain, spinal cord stimulation, and the unexpected way a finance class led to Bitcoin ownership, deeper conviction, and a new sense of freedom. Staci sits down with Bria Lane Papia, a veteran in medical device sales at Saluda Medical, who explains how modern spinal cord stimulation is changing the way doctors treat patients with chronic pain. Bria breaks down how the technology works, why precision dosing matters, and how minimally invasive treatment can help some patients reduce opioids, regain mobility, and reclaim quality of life. You'll discover: How spinal cord stimulation evolved from a 1967-era concept into a highly refined, patient-specific therapy Why Saluda Medical focuses on precise electrical dosing, trial periods, and long-term outcomes What patients actually experience during implantation, charging, and recovery Why insurance approval and physician selection can shape access to care How yoga, mobility, and small daily movement habits connect to long-term spine health Then the conversation shifts into something bigger. Bria shares how COVID, job uncertainty, and fear of financial instability pushed her back to school, where an executive master's program introduced her to Bitcoin and the blockchain. That moment changed everything - not just her view of money, but her sense of what freedom, planning, and generational wealth could look like. If you care about health innovation, women speaking up in male-dominated spaces, or the real-world reasons people start questioning the traditional system, this episode delivers. It's part medical education, part personal transformation, and part Bitcoin awakening - with a story that connects the body, the balance sheet, and the future. Perfect for listeners who want practical insight, a powerful origin story, and a reminder that the right information can show up exactly when you need it most. 00:04 Empowering Women in Podcasting 01:54 Bria's Journey in Medical Device Sales 05:20 Innovations in Pain Management 08:59 The Role of Physical and Mental Health 12:20 Understanding Spinal Cord Stimulation 16:27 The Future of Pain Management Technology 19:48 Navigating Insurance and Treatment Options 22:34 The Implantation Process Explained 25:44 The Importance of Patient Empowerment 29:56 Yoga and Overall Health 34:16 Cultural Practices and Mobility 35:37 The Importance of Movement and Long-Term Thinking 38:50 Navigating Life's Challenges: A Personal Journey 44:27 The Awakening: Discovering Bitcoin During Crisis 49:29 Bitcoin Education: Insights from an Advanced Finance Class 56:24 Finding Freedom Through Bitcoin: A New Perspective Follow Bria: https://x.com/BriaLanePapia

Aug 24

Anthony & Danielle Luna | The Bitcoin Nova #108

How can Bitcoin strengthen a marriage, shape intentional parenting, and help families teach kids about money? Staci sits down with Anthony and Danielle Luna, hosts of the Bitcoin podcast To the Moon with the Lunas, to explore Bitcoin family values, financial literacy for kids, and building a meaningful life together. Anthony first fell down the Bitcoin rabbit hole while Danielle was focused on raising their three young children. Instead of keeping Bitcoin as his thing, they started a podcast so she could learn from other Bitcoiners at her own pace. The result was a shared mission that helped them connect, create, and grow together. They discuss marriage communication and staying on the same team, chores versus allowances, saving sats for children, gratitude, work ethic, homeschooling, entrepreneurship, college versus real world experience, digital distractions, and raising critical thinkers. Anthony also shares how he began working at sixteen and gave his paychecks to his mother so their family could leave a difficult living situation. At its heart, this episode is about more than money. It is about Bitcoin, marriage, parenting, purpose, and creating a family culture rooted in responsibility, curiosity, and time together. CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome to The Bitcoin Nova 00:34 Why they started a Bitcoin podcast 03:00 Learning Bitcoin as a couple 04:44 Building something with your spouse 08:35 Marriage, communication, and staying on the same team 15:12 Chores, allowances, and family responsibility 17:06 Teaching kids about sats and saving 18:23 Raising critical thinkers in a digital world 20:15 College degrees versus real world experience 24:29 Start before you feel ready 29:51 Purpose, work, and personal growth 35:32 Podcasting while raising three young kids 40:09 Two very different childhoods 46:48 Spoiled versus entitled 50:46 Anthony's childhood, sacrifice, and work ethic 58:41 Bitcoin dating and the future of relationships 1:01:40 Returning to simpler family life 1:03:59 Are parents overscheduling kids? 1:06:56 Small trips and lasting family memories 1:08:06 Modeling a healthy marriage 1:09:59 Final thoughts CONNECT WITH ANTHONY AND DANIELLE YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tothemoonwithlunas Anthony on X: https://x.com/Anthony_Luna5 Danielle on X: https://x.com/MrsDanielleLuna Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2561031 Subscribe to The Bitcoin Nova Podcast for honest conversations about Bitcoin, family, freedom, personal growth, and the ideas shaping our future. What are you teaching your children about money, work, and responsibility? Share your thoughts in the comments. Bitcoin #BitcoinFamily #BitcoinPodcast Check out Anthony & Danielle's Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@tothemoonwithlunas

Aug 18

Tatum Turn Up | Compass Mining | The Bitcoin Nova #107

In this episode of The Bitcoin Nova Podcast, Staci sits down with Tatum Turn Up for a fun, wide-ranging conversation that starts with a Vegas birthday shoutout and quickly opens into the bigger story behind Bitcoin community, privacy, music, and mining. Tatum shares how Bitcoin conferences can feel like a family reunion, why music and DJing are such a meaningful part of his life The conversation also goes deep on digital security, online privacy, and the ways Bitcoin has changed how he thinks about his identity and public presence. They get into mining, including the realities of working in the industry, the intensity of deployments, noisy facilities, power management, and what it’s like to move from support and operations into sales. Along the way, Staci and Tatum reflect on the value of genuine Bitcoin friendships, the pressure of public-facing work, and why honesty, humor, and community matter so much in this space. If you want a behind-the-scenes look at Bitcoin culture, mining life, and the people who make the ecosystem feel like home, this one is for you. Chapters: 00:00 DJing the Birthday Party 01:23 Bitcoin Conferences Feel Like Family Reunions 04:03 Mutual Friend Who Connected Us 07:52 How Music Becomes a Personal Diary 13:20 Digital Identity, Surveillance & Online Security 18:14 Privacy vs. Being a Public Bitcoiner 20:18 The Online Persona vs. the Real Person 21:36 Why Between Two ASICs Was Never a Podcast 26:43 Bitcoin Friends, Community & Showing Up for People 28:49 Monetization, Views & the Reality of Content Creation 38:58 Falling in Love With Bitcoin Mining 41:50 Speaking About Mining at the Bitcoin Conference 44:28 How Tatum Ended Up at Compass Mining 53:36 What It's Really Like Inside a Bitcoin Mining Farm 1:02:00 Mining Safety & Respecting Electricity 1:04:40 Bitcoin Mining, Energy & Power Markets 1:05:42 Compass Mining & the Denver Operation Connect with Tatum Turn Up ⚡️ Tatum Turn Up on X: https://x.com/tatumturnup Tatum on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TatumTurnUp Compass Mining on X: https://x.com/Compass_Mining Compass Mining: https://compassmining.io/

Aug 12

Eric FJ | CEO of Conduit Market | The Bitcoin Nova #106

Btc and Nostr are colliding with e-commerce, and Eric FJ says the real opportunity is not another closed platform - it is an open marketplace where users can actually own their identity, move freely, and get paid in Bitcoin. Staci sits down with Eric FJ, the builder behind Conduit, to unpack why open-source systems, interoperable marketplaces, and Nostr-native commerce may be the missing piece for making Bitcoin useful at everyday scale. If you have ever felt trapped by social platforms, payment processors, or app ecosystems that control your reach, this conversation will hit home. This conversation is especially meaningful to me because I recorded it shortly after accepting a role with Conduit, and we officially announced that I’m joining the team as Head of Community just before this episode was released. I’m incredibly honored and excited to work alongside a company building freedom tech on open networks, powered by freedom money. Conduit represents so much of what drew me to Bitcoin in the first place: open systems, individual choice, resilience, and creating real tools that people can actually use. You’ll discover: Why Eric came to Nostr after reading Lynn Alden’s Broken Money and why the protocol immediately felt different from traditional social media How open source changes the incentive structure for apps, merchants, and users Why “switching costs” are the hidden weapon of closed platforms - and how Nostr flips that dynamic What Conduit is building as an interoperable marketplace layer for NIP-99 commerce How AI now lets non-coders inspect open-source code and verify what an app is really doing Why Bitcoin needs real settlement demand, not just paper narratives and treasury-company hype How merchants can start stacking sats by selling real goods through Bitcoin-native rails Eric also breaks down the long-term Bitcoin thesis in plain language, from base-layer settlement and mining incentives to why open systems may be the only way to build something resilient enough to survive attacks, deplatforming, or centralized failure. Staci brings the perspective of a Bitcoin creator, merchant, and community builder, connecting the dots between social control, attention economy addiction, and the freedom that decentralized tools can restore. Eric FJ is a builder in the Nostr ecosystem and the creator behind Conduit, a Bitcoin and Nostr marketplace project focused on open, interoperable commerce. He also hosts The Open Markets Podcast, where he explores the future of Bitcoin-native marketplaces and open standards. Perfect for Bitcoiners, Nostr users, merchants, builders, and anyone who wants to understand where decentralized commerce is actually heading. If you care about sovereignty, open protocols, and turning Bitcoin from a holding asset into a living economy, this episode is for you. Chapter List: 0:00 The Trap of Traditional Social Media 1:11 Discovering the Rabbit Hole 2:29 Understanding Incentives in Nostr 5:37 Are All Algorithms Inherently Bad? 7:38 The Truth About Attention Mining 10:03 Verifying Code with AI Tools 17:59 Building Conduit: A Decentralized Marketplace 26:41 The Future of Bitcoin Settlement Follow Eric on Primal: https://primal.net/EricFJ Follow Conduit.Market Primal https://primal.net/p/nprofile1qqsfmys8030rttmk77cumprnsqqt0whmg0fqkz3xcx8798ag8rf8z3sad6jak Check out Eric’s Podcast: Open Markets Podcast: https://fountain.fm/show/8aujy1pUxhDKcm0fHcsM Conduit Market: https://shop.conduit.market/ Gamma Market: https://github.com/GammaMarkets Check out Open Markets Foundation: https://openmarkets.pub/ Shoutout to Plebeian Market & Shopstr! ⚡️ Building interoperable commerce together on the open web. 🤝💜 Plebeian: https://plebeian.market/ Shopstr: https://shopstr.market/

Aug 8

Steve Keider | Engineer at Swan | Coldcard Incident Insights | The Bitcoin Nova #105

Coldcard incident explained with Swan engineer Steve Keider Staci is joined by Steve Keider, an engineer at Swan, to break down the ongoing Coldcard incident, what appears to have gone wrong, and why the recommended response is broader than just affected devices. They also dig into how AI-assisted red teaming is changing both Bitcoiners just got a brutal reminder that self-custody is only as safe as the code behind it. Swan engineer Steve Keider breaks down the Coldcard incident, how a seed-generation flaw opened the door to compromise, and why this is pushing the entire Bitcoin security stack into a new era of AI-assisted red teaming. Staci and Steve trace what happened in the first hours after the issue surfaced, why the recommendation is still to move funds off affected Coldcard-generated seeds, and how a vulnerability in wallet firmware can create risk long after a device is updated. They also dig into the scale of the blast radius, the likely timeline of the attack, and why the on-chain behavior suggests a small, highly motivated actor rather than a nation-state operation. You'll hear how open-weight AI models are changing defensive security work, why frontier models with safety guardrails can be a bad fit for legitimate audits, and how engineers now need to think like attackers to protect Bitcoin infrastructure. Steve explains the concept of adversarial reviews, why bug bounties matter more than ever, and what this incident reveals about the tension between privacy, usability, and extreme self-custody rituals. The conversation also widens into the bigger picture: what open source and source-available code mean for security, why multi-sig and multi-manufacturer setups are becoming more attractive, and how collective Bitcoiners using AI may become the best line of defense against future exploits. If you care about Bitcoin security, hardware wallets, AI safety, or the real-world consequences of one hidden bug, this episode is essential listening. Steve Keider is an engineer at Swan, where he works on Bitcoin security and technical analysis. He helped investigate the Coldcard vulnerability and has been actively involved in the community response and red-teaming effort. Perfect for Bitcoiners, self-custody users, engineers, and anyone trying to understand how AI is reshaping both attacks and defenses in crypto. coldcard #bitcoinnews Steve Keider: https://x.com/SteveKeider Swan Bitcoin: https://www.swanbitcoin.com/ Chapter List: (00:00) Coldcard Incident (00:37) The First Night (01:06) AI Finds the Flaw (01:45) Swan Responds (03:28) Old Seeds at Risk (05:00) Open Models for Audits (07:12) Limits of Restricted AI (08:30) Adversarial Review (09:58) Media & Narrative Risk (11:48) Early Theft Totals (13:07) Auditing Other Wallets (15:13) Open Source vs. Source Available (16:59) Sponsorships & Trust (18:57) Auditing Cryptography (20:24) Better Self-Custody (22:23) Paranoia & Multisig (24:22) AI Speeds Up Exploits (26:29) A Mass Wallet Attack? (29:11) Was Frontier AI Needed? (30:38) Tracking the Attacker (32:24) Why the Coins Can’t Move (34:37) The Attacker’s Paper Trail (35:38) Small Team or Nation-State? (37:14) Next-Gen AI Audits (40:38) Bug Bounties Matter (43:09) AI Tracks the Attacker (45:14) Defensive vs. Offensive AI (47:14) Everyone Felt Safe (49:37) AI Guardrails & Defenders (52:00) AI Custody & Kill Switches (54:03) Think Like an Attacker (54:53) Closing Thoughts

Aug 5

Breaking down the Coldcard Incident | Josh | The Bitcoin Nova #104

The Bitcoin self-custody disaster that rocked the space — and what it reveals about trust, verification, and the future of crypto security A catastrophic vulnerability in one of the most trusted Bitcoin hardware wallets has caused over $100 million in losses, catching even the most diligent self-custody advocates off guard. In this urgent episode, seasoned security researcher Josh (secsovereign) shares an insider’s perspective on how a series of seemingly small technical choices led to the worst disaster in Bitcoin’s self-custody history — and why it’s a wake-up call for everyone holding Bitcoin today. You’ll discover: How a firmware switch from open source to a murky “verifiable” label concealed serious security flaws The overlooked risks of relying solely on source code and community reputation instead of actual audits The role of license changes, internal retaliation, and insufficient vetting in enabling a multi-million dollar theft Whether AI played a part in uncovering or hiding vulnerabilities — and what future automation might mean for Bitcoin security Practical steps to protect your Bitcoin through minimal trust setups like passphrase separation and multi-sig strategies How the community is responding, what’s being destroyed, and what this reveals about governance in the Bitcoin ecosystem This episode is a must-listen for anyone serious about true security and sovereignty — whether you’re a seasoned hodler or new to Bitcoin self-custody. With raw insights, technical deep-dives, and a call for greater oversight, Josh guides us through a painful yet vital lesson: in Bitcoin, trust must be verified. If you want your Bitcoin to stay safe amid rolling vulnerabilities, don’t miss this essential discussion. Guest: Josh (secsovereign) is a respected Bitcoin security researcher, always digging into the intricacies of consensus and hardware wallet safety, and offering practical advice to build a more resilient ecosystem. Stay informed, protect your assets, and build a future where trust is earned, not assumed. Hit play now. This episode is perfect for those who want to understand the real risks behind seemingly secure hardware wallets — and how to stay a step ahead. As the disaster unfolds, one thing is clear: true sovereignty in Bitcoin requires relentless verification. 00:00 Background of Cold Card and its open source history 04:59 Cold Card’s open-source origins 09:51 License change and security review gaps 21:06 Self-custody, entropy, and accessibility 31:26 Warning signs and missed opportunities 51:54 How the wallet drain unfolded 01:03:54 Protecting funds: single-sig and multisig 01:18:37 Bitcoin governance, audits, and accountability 01:30:12 Closing reflections: rebuilding trust Topics: Coldcard vulnerability, self custody security, don't trust verify, Bitcoin security audits Subscribe for more real conversations on Bitcoin, sovereignty, and the incentives shaping our world. Guest: Josh, Secure Sovereign https://secsov.com/ https://x.com/BitVaultApp https://x.com/BtcCommons https://novasapien.com/ https://microseed.io/ Code: Nova

The Bitcoin Nova Podcast

Philip Charter | The Bitcoin Nova #111

Brett Hansen | The Belief Machine | The Bitcoin Nova #110

Bria Lane Papia | The Bitcoin Nova #109

Anthony & Danielle Luna | The Bitcoin Nova #108

Tatum Turn Up | Compass Mining | The Bitcoin Nova #107

Eric FJ | CEO of Conduit Market | The Bitcoin Nova #106

Steve Keider | Engineer at Swan | Coldcard Incident Insights | The Bitcoin Nova #105

Breaking down the Coldcard Incident | Josh | The Bitcoin Nova #104

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The Bitcoin Nova Podcast

Episodes

Philip Charter | The Bitcoin Nova #111

Brett Hansen | The Belief Machine | The Bitcoin Nova #110

Bria Lane Papia | The Bitcoin Nova #109

Anthony & Danielle Luna | The Bitcoin Nova #108

Tatum Turn Up | Compass Mining | The Bitcoin Nova #107

Eric FJ | CEO of Conduit Market | The Bitcoin Nova #106

Steve Keider | Engineer at Swan | Coldcard Incident Insights | The Bitcoin Nova #105

Breaking down the Coldcard Incident | Josh | The Bitcoin Nova #104

Ratings & Reviews

About

Information

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