The Pomp Podcast
#577 Scott Harrison on the Bitcoin Water Trust
- Scott Harrison's transformation from nightclub promoter in New York City to founder of Charity Water, moving from a decade of hedonistic lifestyle to humanitarian work in post-war Liberia.
- Charity Water's 100% donation model separating project funding from overhead costs, establishing transparency and tracking wells via satellite imagery to prove impact.
- The Bitcoin Water Trust initiative: a five-year holding strategy where donors contribute Bitcoin (from 0.0005 BTC to 100+ BTC) to appreciate before deployment, with matching from the Winklevoss twins and others.
- Current scale: Charity Water has raised $550 million over 14 years, helped 12.7 million people access clean water, and aims to help 50 million people long-term using Bitcoin.
- Rationale for Bitcoin strategy: holders resist selling appreciated assets, so holding Bitcoin for five years allows donors tax deductions now while maximizing future purchasing power for well construction across 29 countries.
- Bitcoin as global currency for development: spending Bitcoin directly in emerging markets for water infrastructure rather than converting to fiat, leveraging price appreciation to multiply impact.