The Bitcoin Frontier

Unchained Capital, Inc
  • 5.0 (31)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • COMPLETE

Explore how bitcoin as a monetary tool is transforming lives and perspectives. Through in-depth conversations, uncover stories of innovation, disruption, and growth as we chart the ever-evolving bitcoin frontier. Whether you're a bitcoin veteran or just curious, The Bitcoin Frontier is your guide to the future of money.

  1. Bitcoin’s volatility is the signal in the noise with Mark Connors

    DEC 16

    Bitcoin’s volatility is the signal in the noise with Mark Connors

    Mark Connors is a veteran credit analyst and macro thinker who’s spent nearly four decades on Wall Street, from the bond desks of Solomon Brothers to the hedge fund trenches. What makes Mark unique is his ability to pull the lens back—connecting regime changes in global finance to bitcoin’s rise as the asset with true integrity.In this episode, Mark joins The Bitcoin Frontier to share how his career shaped his understanding of risk, why bitcoin is the next monetary regime shift, and how Wall Street is still missing the plot. We dig into why bitcoin’s volatility is actually a superpower, how financial plumbing is breaking beneath the surface, and why institutions will eventually be forced to adopt bitcoin as pristine collateral. SUPPORT THE PODCAST: → Subscribe → Leave a review → Share the show with your friends and family → Send us an email: podcast@unchained.com → Learn more about Unchained: https://unchained.com/?utm_source=you... → Book a free call with a bitcoin expert: https://unchained.com/consultation?ut... TIMESTAMPS:0:00 – Intro & Mark’s 40-year Wall Street journey through credit and crisis3:15 – Lessons from Solomon Brothers to Bitcoin Park: where integrity lives6:05 – How bitcoin fits into the third monetary regime since Bretton Woods8:00 – The “hacks” that brought bitcoin into Wall Street’s line of sight10:00 – Bitcoin as collateral and the coming collateral crisis12:20 – Understanding volatility: why bitcoin’s risk is asymmetric17:00 – The myth of volatility and the truth about upside variance21:00 – “Good vol” vs “bad vol”: how bitcoin surprises to the upside25:00 – Why rebalancing into bitcoin beats traditional 60/40 portfolios29:00 – Can Wall Street co-opt bitcoin through paper markets?31:00 – The importance of holding your own keys and verifying collateral35:00 – Convincing older investors and rebuilding credibility post-FTX37:00 – Regime changes, Bretton Woods, and how history rhymes43:00 – How the dollar was “saved” by energy and the petrodollar system46:00 – Hidden cracks in the financial system and repo stress explained49:00 – How new liquidity facilities show a fragile, patched-up system52:00 – Will Wall Street adopt bitcoin for safety or profit?55:00 – The slow cultural shift toward integrity in finance57:00 – The ultimate incentive: clients demanding bitcoin exposure1:00:00 – Risks to bitcoin: mining centralization, paper supply, and innovation1:02:00 – Where to follow Mark and how he’s educating advisors WHERE TO FOLLOW US: → Unchained X: https://x.com/unchained → Unchained LinkedIn:   / unchainedcom  → Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter → Mark Connors’s Twitter: https://x.com/riskdimensions  → Timot Lamarre’s Twitter: https://x.com/TimotLamarre

    1h 4m
  2. Open-source lawfare and bitcoin’s defense with Peter Van Valkenburgh | The Last Free Americans

    DEC 9

    Open-source lawfare and bitcoin’s defense with Peter Van Valkenburgh | The Last Free Americans

    Peter Van Valkenburgh is the Executive Director of Coin Center, a leading nonprofit research and advocacy group focused on cryptocurrency policy. In this episode, Peter joins The Bitcoin Frontier to explore why defending the right to self-custody is about much more than bitcoin — it’s about the future of individual freedom, open-source innovation, and financial privacy. We dig into the parallels between the 1990s “crypto wars” and today’s digital sovereignty battles, the threats facing developers of privacy tools, and the constitutional foundations for privacy and property in the digital age. SUPPORT THE PODCAST: → Subscribe → Leave a review → Share the show with your friends and family → Send us an email: podcast@unchained.com → Learn more about Unchained: https://unchained.com/?utm_source=you... → Book a free call with a bitcoin expert: https://unchained.com/consultation?ut... TIMESTAMPS:0:00 – Intro and Peter’s journey from acting to bitcoin policy2:00 – Discovering the cypherpunks and the roots of internet freedom4:00 – Entering bitcoin through law school and meeting Jerry Brito6:00 – Founding Coin Center and defining “permissionless innovation”9:00 – The mission: protecting the freedom to build and use open blockchains11:00 – Bitcoin’s privacy problem and the legal risks of building privacy tech13:00 – Educating DC: explaining bitcoin to Congress in the early days16:00 – Navigating the SEC, ICOs, and defining what counts as a security18:30 – The evolution from education to constitutional litigation22:00 – Bitcoin as the revival of a “bearer instrument” economy26:00 – The “secret right to cash” and the Fourth Amendment’s blind spot30:00 – Privacy, property, and what bitcoin reveals about constitutional limits35:00 – The Keep Your Coins Act and why it matters for financial sovereignty43:00 – The DOJ’s shift toward prosecuting developers — and why it’s dangerous46:00 – Inside the Tornado Cash and Samurai Wallet prosecutions50:00 – How Coin Center is fighting for software publishing rights54:00 – Legislative progress: Clarity, Keep Your Coins, and BRCA1:00:00 – Lessons from the 1990s encryption wars1:03:00 – How liability protections shaped (and centralized) the internet1:08:00 – The convenience dilemma: why self-custody must become easier1:12:00 – The Bank Secrecy Act, mass surveillance, and new legal challenges1:19:00 – Coin Center’s constitutional lawsuits for privacy and association rights1:23:00 – Why the BSA is ripe for reform — and bitcoin’s role in that debate1:27:00 – Zero-knowledge proofs, AML, and a future of privacy-preserving compliance1:29:00 – How self-custody wallets enable digital identity and personal sovereignty1:31:00 – Closing thoughts: bitcoin as the foundation for a freer digital future WHERE TO FOLLOW US: → Unchained X: https://x.com/unchained → Unchained LinkedIn:   / unchainedcom  → Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter → Joe Kelly’s Twitter: https://x.com/josephkelly → Peter Van Valkenburgh’s Twitter: https://x.com/valkenburgh

    1h 32m
  3. Self-custody rights are property rights Seth Hertlein | The Last Free Americans

    DEC 2

    Self-custody rights are property rights Seth Hertlein | The Last Free Americans

    Seth Hertlein is the Global Head of Policy at Ledger and one of the earliest, most persistent advocates for bitcoin self-custody in Washington. Known for his “lone ranger” years as the only lobbyist focused on protecting non-custodial rights, he brings a rare combination of securities law expertise, political insight, and deep conviction about individual property rights. In this episode, Seth joins The Last Free Americans to share how he fell down the bitcoin rabbit hole, why self-custody is a return to humanity’s oldest property norms, and how today’s policy battles will define digital freedom for generations. We dig into the evolution of financial intermediaries, the history of natural rights from Aristotle to the framers, and the real political forces lining up for and against self-custody. SUPPORT THE PODCAST:→ Subscribe → Leave a review → Share the show with your friends and family → Send us an email: podcast@unchained.com→ Learn more about Unchained: https://unchained.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast → Book a free call with a bitcoin expert: https://unchained.com/consultation?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast TIMESTAMPS:0:00 – Intro to The Last Free Americans & Seth’s unique role in policy2:20 – How a securities regulator became an “accidental crypto lobbyist”5:03 – Early bitcoin reading, monetary policy, and recognizing its political nature7:43 – The aha moment of self-custody: from Ledger device to first withdrawal12:58 – Ownership vs. possession: how financial markets drifted into full intermediation16:40 – Why self-custody is not new: property as a natural human right22:45 – How centralization overtook markets: certificates, DTCC, and efficiency tradeoffs27:58 – 2021: the year Washington and the industry “woke up” to each other33:10 – Keep Your Coins Act, Canadian truckers, and why lawful peer-to-peer matters38:40 – Property rights, natural law, and the framers’ blind spots on privacy45:55 – Executive Order 6102, takings law, and lessons for bitcoin52:03 – How the Bank Secrecy Act and third-party doctrine became digital surveillance59:42 – The three camps opposing self-custody: nats-ec hawks, socialists, and bureaucracies1:05:40 – The IRS broker rule, CRA repeal, and precedents for stopping overreach1:11:22 – House vs. Senate language: what “retain the right” really means1:17:14 – Odds of passage in 2024 and why Senate floor time is everything1:22:44 – The global landscape: why America is still the last best hope1:27:50 – What comes next: privacy as the next digital freedom frontier1:32:10 – Closing thoughts on restoring founding principles through Bitcoin WHERE TO FOLLOW US: → Unchained X: https://x.com/unchained  → Unchained LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unchainedcom  → Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter → Joe Kelly’s Twitter: https://x.com/josephkelly  → Seth Hertlein’s Twitter: https://x.com/SethHertlein

    1h 50m
  4. $220K bitcoin scam blindsides a mining CEO with Kent Halliburton

    NOV 25

    $220K bitcoin scam blindsides a mining CEO with Kent Halliburton

    Kent is the CEO of Sazmining and a longtime bitcoiner who previously led large-scale solar operations before building a non-custodial bitcoin mining platform. Recently, he became the victim of a sophisticated in-person scam that resulted in the loss of $220,000 worth of bitcoin. In this episode, Kent joins The Bitcoin Frontier to share exactly what happened during the scam, what red flags he missed, and why he decided to go public. We dig into the psychology of social engineering, how attackers exploit self-interest, and why even experienced bitcoiners remain vulnerable. We also cover how to build operational security inside a business to mitigate social engineering attacks, how families can prepare for deepfake attacks, and why bitcoin’s immutability still strengthens personal responsibility even in difficult moments. SUPPORT THE PODCAST: → Subscribe → Leave a review → Share the show with your friends and family → Send us an email: podcast@unchained.com → Learn more about Unchained: https://unchained.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast → Book a free call with a bitcoin expert: https://unchained.com/consultation?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast TIMESTAMPS:0:00 – Intro & Kent’s disclosure of a $220k bitcoin scam3:20 – Why he chose to go public: PSA, law-enforcement pressure, and justice7:10 – Kent’s background in solar, bitcoin, and building Sazmining10:05 – The setup: a “family office” deal, travel, and early yellow flags14:40 – The first meeting in Amsterdam & unusual trust-building exercises19:00 – How the attackers built credibility and portrayed ultra-wealth23:15 – The second meeting, Atomic Wallet, and how the sweep unfolded28:40 – The psychological trap: self-interest, exhaustion, and urgency34:00 – Why immutability didn’t shake his conviction in bitcoin37:25 – Internal policy changes: whitelisting, diligence, and cooling-off periods41:50 – Distinguishing roles: CEO instincts vs. bitcoiner instincts45:05 – Scam evolution, social engineering, and the danger of urgency49:20 – Efforts to recover funds & the limits of both private and public options54:10 – How AI deepfakes raise the stakes for family safety57:20 – Why code words, local trust, and multisig can protect loved ones59:40 – Closing thoughts, personal accountability & Sazmining’s mission WHERE TO FOLLOW US: → Unchained X: https://x.com/unchained  → Unchained LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unchainedcom  → Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter → Kent Halliburton’s Twitter: https://x.com/khalliburton  → Timot Lamarre’s Twitter: https://x.com/TimotLamarre

    1h 1m
  5. Self-custody is foundational to bitcoin's value with Zack Shapiro | The Last Free Americans

    NOV 18

    Self-custody is foundational to bitcoin's value with Zack Shapiro | The Last Free Americans

    Zack Shapiro is the head of legal and policy at the Bitcoin Policy Institute and a key architect behind the Peer-to-Peer Rights Fund. He’s spent years on the frontlines where law, technology, and human freedom intersect—helping lawmakers and judges understand what it means to hold value in the digital age. In this episode, Zack joins The Bitcoin Frontier to break down why self-custody is foundational to bitcoin’s value, how the Clarity Act could define financial freedom for a generation, and why the right to hold your own money might be the most American right of all. We dig into the constitutional roots of property rights, how U.S. law is being stretched to fit a peer-to-peer world, and why the fight for non-custodial software developers will determine the future of bitcoin in America. SUPPORT THE PODCAST:→ Subscribe → Leave a review → Share the show with your friends and family → Send us an email: podcast@unchained.com→ Learn more about Unchained: https://unchained.com/?utm_source=you... → Book a free call with a bitcoin expert: https://unchained.com/consultation?ut... TIMESTAMPS:0:00 – Intro & the mission behind The Last Free Americans series2:00 – What self-custody really means and why it’s the foundation of bitcoin’s value3:45 – ETFs, financialization, and the fading connection to real bitcoin5:00 – Why self-custody matters more than ever in 20256:15 – How outdated laws are clashing with a peer-to-peer world7:40 – The Clarity Act and the battle for non-custodial rights9:00 – Would bitcoin even be valuable without self-custody?10:00 – How self-custody connects to America’s founding values12:00 – The Constitution’s protections for holding bitcoin: 1st, 4th, 5th, 9th Amendments16:00 – The history lesson: Executive Order 6102 and gold confiscation18:30 – Enumerated powers, the 9th Amendment, and the people’s retained rights21:00 – Why protecting non-custodial developers is critical to freedom23:30 – Tornado Cash, Samurai Wallet, and the dangerous new legal precedents27:30 – Knowledge vs. intent: how the DOJ’s theories stretch the law31:00 – The risk of calling developers “money transmitters”33:30 – Steelmanning the other side: why regulators see a loophole37:00 – How the Bank Secrecy Act evolved from mob busting to digital dragnet40:30 – From halawa networks to bitcoin: applying old laws to new rails42:30 – The real ideological divide: state control vs. individual liberty46:00 – Why self-custody embodies the American idea of limited government47:30 – If Bitcoin existed in 1776, would the framers have protected self-custody?49:00 – Strategy going forward: the Clarity Act, education, and vigilance52:00 – The political battle ahead: Elizabeth Warren, ICOs, and what’s really at stake54:00 – How bitcoin helps the least powerful—and why that matters most WHERE TO FOLLOW US: → Unchained X: https://x.com/unchained → Unchained LinkedIn:   / unchainedcom  → Unchained Newsletter:

    56 min
  6. Inside the fight to keep your coins with Tim Hite | The Last Free Americans

    NOV 12

    Inside the fight to keep your coins with Tim Hite | The Last Free Americans

    Tim Hite is the director of policy at Exodus and a former congressional staffer for Rep. Warren Davidson. He helped shape early self-custody legislation—including the Keep Your Coins Act (a playful nod to “KYC”)—and bridges law, technology, and individual rights. In this episode, Tim’s discussion kicks off The Last Free Americans miniseries to share the origin story of self-custody protections on Capitol Hill, how “keep your coins” language differs from the Clarity Act’s approach, and what meaningful safeguards against CBDCs could look like. We dig into the evolution of property rights in a digital world, why illicit-finance fears are often overstated, and how social media has changed the legislative battlefield. SUPPORT THE PODCAST:→ Subscribe→ Leave a review→ Share the show with your friends and family→ Send us an email: podcast@unchained.com→ Learn more about Unchained: https://unchained.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast→ Book a free call with a bitcoin expert: https://unchained.com/consultation?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast TIMESTAMPS:0:00 – Intro, disclaimers & why self-custody matters now0:51 – “The Last Free Americans”: series premise1:16 – Tim’s path: 2017 bull run, law school, FINRA, and meeting Rep. Davidson3:34 – From Hill staffer to crypto policy: Token Taxonomy Act & early frameworks6:51 – The spark for the Keep Your Coins Act and naming the bill11:12 – Two legislative styles: affirming a right vs. restricting regulators16:24 – Digital ownership as a new chapter in American property rights19:05 – CBDCs vs. self-custody: opposite ends of the spectrum22:30 – Social media’s role: sunlight, mobilization, and changing the odds30:34 – The 2020 “unhosted wallet” rule & why KYCs on self-hosted wallets don’t fit39:00 – Bank Secrecy Act’s $10k threshold, report overload, and diminishing returns41:37 – House passage, Senate path, and realistic timelines for the Clarity Act47:26 – What’s next: tokenized securities and the future of self-custody52:58 – Peer-to-peer (with an asterisk): whitelists, accounts, and true control55:01 – Closing thoughts: momentum, vigilance, and “nature finds a way” WHERE TO FOLLOW US: → Unchained X: https://x.com/unchained  → Unchained LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unchainedcom  → Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter → Joe Kelly’s Twitter: https://x.com/josephkelly  → Tim Hite’s Twitter: https://x.com/TimHite  → Jose Burgos (Director of Media Production): https://x.com/DeFBeD

    56 min
  7. The Last Free Americans with Joe Kelly

    NOV 4

    The Last Free Americans with Joe Kelly

    Joe Kelly is the co-founder and CEO of Unchained. In this latest episode, Joe shares his story and Alaskan roots that shaped a deep respect for self-sufficiency—an experience he now applies to the digital frontier. In this episode, Joe joins The Bitcoin Frontier to share why Unchained is launching a new miniseries, The Last Free Americans, how self-custody became his life’s work, and why the conservation movement offers a powerful analogy for protecting financial freedom. We dig into the frontier phases of new assets and ideas, the role of ETFs as a bridge (not the destination), and how policies like developer protections and “keep your coins” language can ring-fence essential rights. SUPPORT THE PODCAST: → Subscribe → Leave a review → Share the show with your friends and family → Send us an email: podcast@unchained.com → Learn more about Unchained: https://unchained.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast → Book a free call with a bitcoin expert: https://unchained.com/consultation?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast TIMESTAMPS:0:00 – Intro: The Last Free Americans and what’s at stake with self-custody1:06 – Alaska, boats, and learning self-sufficiency2:54 – Conservation mindset: preserving wilderness and preserving peer-to-peer money4:03 – From accounts to keys: the “aha” of sending bitcoin yourself5:39 – Seeing the water we swim in: intermediaries, fees, and privacy tradeoffs8:03 – Frontiers and phases: from prospectors to politics—how new assets mature10:57 – Gold rush parallels: excess, scams, and integration into the mainstream12:55 – National parks as a model: ring-fencing what matters for future generations15:00 – “The last free Americans”: a proud warning about peer-to-peer rights17:02 – Building Unchained on bitcoin’s assumptions, not fiat rails19:16 – ETFs as a useful bridge vs. living the peer-to-peer experience21:03 – Who are today’s “John Muirs”? Gear, guidance, and making self-custody approachable23:42 – Beyond one bill: culture, developer protections, and keep-your-coins language26:34 – Free speech, code, and the very American fight for financial privacy27:34 – Short memories: SVB, protests, and why self-custody matters before the next shock29:16 – What to expect from the series and the intellectual adventure of bitcoin WHERE TO FOLLOW US: → Unchained X: https://x.com/unchained  → Unchained LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unchainedcom  → Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter → Joe Kelly’s Twitter: https://x.com/josephkelly  → Timot Lamarre’s Twitter: https://x.com/TimotLamarre

    33 min
  8. Bitcoin is inevitable, not automatic with Pierre Rochard

    OCT 28

    Bitcoin is inevitable, not automatic with Pierre Rochard

    Pierre Rochard is one of the original bitcoin thinkers, builders, and educators — now serving as CEO of The Bitcoin Bond Company. Known for popularizing the term “speculative attack” in the bitcoin space, Pierre has long explored how bitcoin can replace legacy finance from the inside out.In this episode, Pierre joins The Bitcoin Frontier to discuss how banks adopting bitcoin could strengthen global stability, how fractional reserve banking might evolve on a bitcoin standard, and why he believes governments buying bitcoin is inevitable. We dig into the rise of bitcoin treasury companies, the idea behind bitcoin bonds, and whether bitcoin’s decentralization can withstand institutional adoption. SUPPORT THE PODCAST: → Subscribe → Leave a review → Share the show with your friends and family → Send us an email: podcast@unchained.com → Learn more about Unchained: https://unchained.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast → Book a free call with a bitcoin expert: https://unchained.com/consultation?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast TIMESTAMPS:0:00 – Intro & bitcoin’s ideological roots in libertarianism3:00 – Why banks holding bitcoin could prevent future financial crises7:20 – Can fractional reserve banking exist on a bitcoin standard?10:50 – MicroStrategy and the rise of bitcoin treasury companies12:40 – Why collapsing banks would be dangerous for society16:00 – Financial intermediation, savings culture, and a soft landing to a bitcoin economy18:00 – “Money for enemies”: Why state adoption isn’t betrayal20:00 – Bitcoin in U.S. and state reserves: From Texas to Trump23:00 – Can governments or corporations co-opt bitcoin?25:00 – What bitcoin bonds are and how the Bitcoin Bond Company works29:30 – Bringing bitcoin into institutional portfolios through structured credit35:00 – Comparing bitcoin bonds to MicroStrategy’s convertibles37:00 – Why treasury companies are undervalued and what investors are missing40:00 – Hyperbitcoinization, speculative attacks, and soft landings45:00 – How adoption is accelerating asymmetrically across nations50:00 – The ETF era: Collaborative custody and the path from convenience to sovereignty55:00 – Have we peaked in self-custody? UX, education, and generational change58:00 – Is bitcoin’s freedom money inevitable — and what are the real threats ahead?1:02:00 – Quantum computing, Satoshi’s coins, and the future of protocol resilience1:03:00 – Where to find Pierre online and closing thoughts WHERE TO FOLLOW US: → Unchained X: https://x.com/unchained  → Unchained LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unchainedcom  → Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter → Pierre Rochard’s Twitter: https://x.com/BitcoinPierre  → Timot Lamarre’s Twitter: https://x.com/TimotLamarre

    1h 4m
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About

Explore how bitcoin as a monetary tool is transforming lives and perspectives. Through in-depth conversations, uncover stories of innovation, disruption, and growth as we chart the ever-evolving bitcoin frontier. Whether you're a bitcoin veteran or just curious, The Bitcoin Frontier is your guide to the future of money.

Information

  • Creator
    Unchained Capital, Inc
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    108
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Unchained Capital, Inc
  • Show Website
    The Bitcoin Frontier

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