Recent episodes
Bitcoin For Organisations - My First Bitcoin - James Dewar, David Pool, Darren Freemantle. #609
- Bitcoin for Organizations curriculum: James Dewar, David Paul, and Darren Fremantle have developed an open-source educational framework (hosted on MyFirstBitcoin.org) designed to help mid-to-large organizations evaluate Bitcoin through a risk management lens rather than as a speculative investment. - Risk management as the entry point: The curriculum positions Bitcoin assessment as a fiduciary duty and risk management exercise. Organizations should document Bitcoin as a potential threat or opportunity on their risk registers, regardless of conviction about its probability or outcome. - Agentic AI and Bitcoin payments: The group discussed Bitcoin's unique suitability for payments between autonomous AI agents. Unlike traditional systems requiring KYC and legal identity, Bitcoin and Lightning Network enable instantaneous, irreversible micropayments between agents globally—a capability no other system can provide at scale. - Overcoming institutional resistance: Rather than knocking on corporate doors directly, the team is focusing on embedding Bitcoin education into business school curricula and approaching risk, compliance, and legal functions within organizations where educational traction has been strongest. - Curriculum structure and contributions: The framework covers industry verticals (energy, government, investment management, banking, technology, and others) and internal functions (risk, IT, treasury). It includes 10 "myth-dispelling" modules addressing common FUD and additional content on Bitcoin's adoption cycle and technical history. The curriculum is open-source on GitHub; contributors can add sections for industries or functions not yet covered. - Academic and institutional progress: Early wins include interest from business schools (Salford, Henley, Bayes/Cass in London) and law firms navigating MICA regulations. The Czech central bank has experimented with Bitcoin holdings, suggesting institutional exploration is beginning.
What's Happening With Bitcoin In India? - Santosh V - #608
- Santosh's background: Born in India, spent 10 years in Middle East (Bahrain, Dubai), moved to Canada at 11, worked in corporate consulting and SaaS for a decade before leaving to pursue Bitcoin full-time. - The 100-day Bitcoin challenge: Santosh stood on streets with a whiteboard offering free Bitcoin demos to spark curiosity (not educate) in Calgary, completing 96 interactions and learning that most people don't care but some merchants might adopt Bitcoin as a payment method. - Africa sabbatical and circular economies: Traveled Cairo to Cape Town overland with Anuja, finding strongest Bitcoin adoption in Kenya (M-Pesa familiarity), Uganda (three-merchant circular economy), and Victoria Falls, Zambia (150+ merchants). Built Juicy D juice shop in Uganda accepting Bitcoin—still operating after two years. - India accelerator program: Launched 12-week Bitcoin accelerator in January 2026 with nine teams, using personal sats to fund it. Winners include Reddit (Bitcoin EMI lending), Bitcoin Siege (in-person brand presence via events), and 256D (Bitcoin integration with UPI payment rails). - Bitcoin Mela conference planned: October 31–November 1, 2026 in Mumbai (tentatively); reimagining Bitcoin conferences by blending traditional panels with music, art, film, and food to attract creatives and broader audiences. - Philosophical observations: Critiqued the term "Bitcoiner" as alienating; emphasized hiring founders by business sustainability and revenue over grants; highlighted global South's underrepresentation in Bitcoin innovation despite exporting top developer talent.