The Bitcoin Frontier

Hosted by Unchained Capital, Inc

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111

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Apr 2026

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About the show

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.

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April 7, 2026Episode 1557 min

Inside Wall Street’s bitcoin playbook with Denny Galindo

Denny is a wealth manager and bitcoin research lead at Morgan Stanley, where he bridges traditional finance and bitcoin for high-net-worth investors. He operates inside one of the world’s largest financial institutions while developing frameworks to help advisors understand and allocate to bitcoin. In this episode, Denny joins The Bitcoin Frontier to share how investors should think about bitcoin in a portfolio, the three core investor buckets driving adoption, and his thoughts on determining whether you’re underweight or overweight bitcoin. We dig into bitcoin’s market cycles and seasonal framework, the role of global money supply in driving returns, and practical strategies for gaining exposure in a volatile asset. 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 & Denny’s role bridging traditional finance and bitcoin 2:00 – From equity research to leading bitcoin insights at Morgan Stanley 4:20 – The three investor buckets: digital gold, venture, and diversifier 7:30 – How institutions evaluate volatility and correlation 10:50 – Where bitcoin fits in portfolios today (risk asset vs store of value) 14:00 – How to determine if you’re underweight or overweight bitcoin 18:00 – Why most investors are still early (0–4% allocation range) 21:40 – Will the three investor frameworks converge over time? 23:10 – Bitcoin cycles: macro liquidity vs halving-driven supply shocks 26:30 – Using cycles for rebalancing vs long-term holding strategies 31:20 – Tail risks: quantum computing and “earthquake” scenarios 36:10 – Bitcoin as a global store of value and M2-driven returns 41:10 – Modeling long-term returns: monetary expansion + adoption 48:30 – How to build a position: dollar-cost averaging and timing 52:15 – Seasons of bitcoin: winter, spring, and portfolio adjustments 55:00 – What it takes for bitcoin to become a standard portfolio allocation WHERE TO FOLLOW US: → Unchained X: https://x.com/unchained → Unchained LinkedIn: / unchainedcom → Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter → Denny Galindo’s Twitter: https://x.com/DennyGalindo → Timot Lamarre’s Twitter: https://x.com/TimotLamarre

January 13, 2026Episode 1457 min

Venture on a bitcoin standard with Allen Farrington

Allen Farrington is an investor at Axiom BTC Capital and a writer known for sharp, contrarian takes on bitcoin and adjacent topics like bitcoin venture capital, fiat “plumbing,” and stablecoins. With Axiom, Allen uniquely focuses on clients’ returns not coming from financial engineering, but from productive deployment of capital to solve real world problems. In this episode, Allen joins The Bitcoin Frontier to share how bitcoin exposes the fiat distortions inside venture capital, why clear lines between saving and investing change founder and limited partner (LP) behavior, and what a bitcoin-first stack means for payments and stablecoins. We dig into local capital allocation on a sound-money standard, free/open-source dynamics and moats, and why lightning + ecash may be the endgame for stablecoins. 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 & disclaimer; setting up VC in a world of finite money 2:12 – Bitcoin as “fixing the plumbing”: unwinding fiat distortions vs fantasizing about the end state 4:45 – How artificially low rates monetize other assets and push allocators out the risk curve 7:28 – Pension funds, liabilities, and why flows into venture decouple from fundamentals 9:46 – “Thousand-x or bust”: why LP incentives shape VC behavior (and fund crypto) 12:02 – Saving vs investing: why buying bitcoin ≠ venture investing (and Axiom’s thesis) 16:05 – Local investing on a sound-money standard and higher opportunity costs for founders 20:52 – Measuring in bitcoin terms: hurdle rates, returns, and what “outperforming bitcoin” really means 27:15 – Trusted third parties are security holes… so where do businesses add value? (non-custodial services) 32:06 – Moats in a FOSS world: compete by delivering value, not lock-in 36:50 – “Zero to One,” monopolies, and why ruthless excellence beats user exploitation 41:10 – Open vs closed source: the healthy tension in bitcoin-native companies 44:22 – Allen’s “half-baked” stablecoin thesis: why new “stablecoin blockchains” are a dead end 47:06 – The Genius Act: fully reserved dollars, surveillance tradeoffs, and limited real-world impact so far 48:55 – Lightning as settlement layer for fiat tokens; taproot assets / RGB today, ecash tomorrow 55:00 – Could fully reserved rails hollow out small banks? Centralization pressures and unintended consequences 56:44 – Closing: where to find Allen and Axiom BTC WHERE TO FOLLOW US: → Unchained X: https://x.com/unchained → Unchained LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unchainedcom → Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter → Allen Farrington’s Twitter: https://x.com/allenf32 → Timot Lamarre’s Twitter: https://x.com/TimotLamarre → Jose Burgos (Director of Media Production): https://x.com/DeFBeD

December 30, 2025Episode 1343 min

Dictators fuel bitcoin adoption with Anna Chekhovich | The Last Free Americans

Anna Chekhovich is a Russian activist who manages the Anti-Corruption Foundation’s finances while living in exile. She runs payrolls, budgeting, and fundraising for a movement that faces surveillance, asset seizures, and sanctions. What sets Anna apart is her operational playbook for keeping an organization alive when banks fail you. In this episode, Anna joins The Last Free Americans to share how bitcoin became ACF’s plan B for payroll and donations, how activists build practical off-ramps under hostile regimes, and how she co-designed a simple three-day training that now serves activists from more than 50 countries. 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, and why Bitcoin self-custody matters for human rights 1:04 - Running ACF finances under surveillance and in exile 3:23 - Bank freezes and the shift to bitcoin as plan B 4:52 - Paying 300 plus staff when accounts are seized 5:57 - Donor safety in authoritarian regimes and why self-custody is essential 7:10 - Explaining self-custody in the U.S. context 9:37 - The HRF webinar design and why simplicity wins 12:09 - Day 1 playbook: custody types, first wallet, sending sats 12:41 - Day 2 playbook: last mile options, P2P, meetups, and ATMs 13:52 - Day 3 playbook: self-hosted crowdfunding with BTCPay Server and cold storage 16:22 - Why lightning for live demos and choosing simple wallets like Muun 20:57 - Sanctions and supporting family via P2P off-ramps 31:19 - Multisig for nonprofits and where Unchained fits 35:02 - Privacy by default with coinjoin and better ops hygiene 39:14 - The peace time case for self-custody and financial dignity 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 → Anna Chekhovich’s Twitter: https://x.com/AnyaChekhovich

December 16, 2025Episode 121 hr 3 min

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 crisis 3:15 – Lessons from Solomon Brothers to Bitcoin Park: where integrity lives 6:05 – How bitcoin fits into the third monetary regime since Bretton Woods 8:00 – The “hacks” that brought bitcoin into Wall Street’s line of sight 10:00 – Bitcoin as collateral and the coming collateral crisis 12:20 – Understanding volatility: why bitcoin’s risk is asymmetric 17:00 – The myth of volatility and the truth about upside variance 21:00 – “Good vol” vs “bad vol”: how bitcoin surprises to the upside 25:00 – Why rebalancing into bitcoin beats traditional 60/40 portfolios 29:00 – Can Wall Street co-opt bitcoin through paper markets? 31:00 – The importance of holding your own keys and verifying collateral 35:00 – Convincing older investors and rebuilding credibility post-FTX 37:00 – Regime changes, Bretton Woods, and how history rhymes 43:00 – How the dollar was “saved” by energy and the petrodollar system 46:00 – Hidden cracks in the financial system and repo stress explained 49:00 – How new liquidity facilities show a fragile, patched-up system 52:00 – Will Wall Street adopt bitcoin for safety or profit? 55:00 – The slow cultural shift toward integrity in finance 57:00 – The ultimate incentive: clients demanding bitcoin exposure 1:00:00 – Risks to bitcoin: mining centralization, paper supply, and innovation 1:02:00 – 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

December 9, 2025Episode 111 hr 31 min

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 policy 2:00 – Discovering the cypherpunks and the roots of internet freedom 4:00 – Entering bitcoin through law school and meeting Jerry Brito 6:00 – Founding Coin Center and defining “permissionless innovation” 9:00 – The mission: protecting the freedom to build and use open blockchains 11:00 – Bitcoin’s privacy problem and the legal risks of building privacy tech 13:00 – Educating DC: explaining bitcoin to Congress in the early days 16:00 – Navigating the SEC, ICOs, and defining what counts as a security 18:30 – The evolution from education to constitutional litigation 22:00 – Bitcoin as the revival of a “bearer instrument” economy 26:00 – The “secret right to cash” and the Fourth Amendment’s blind spot 30:00 – Privacy, property, and what bitcoin reveals about constitutional limits 35:00 – The Keep Your Coins Act and why it matters for financial sovereignty 43:00 – The DOJ’s shift toward prosecuting developers — and why it’s dangerous 46:00 – Inside the Tornado Cash and Samurai Wallet prosecutions 50:00 – How Coin Center is fighting for software publishing rights 54:00 – Legislative progress: Clarity, Keep Your Coins, and BRCA 1:00:00 – Lessons from the 1990s encryption wars 1:03:00 – How liability protections shaped (and centralized) the internet 1:08:00 – The convenience dilemma: why self-custody must become easier 1:12:00 – The Bank Secrecy Act, mass surveillance, and new legal challenges 1:19:00 – Coin Center’s constitutional lawsuits for privacy and association rights 1:23:00 – Why the BSA is ripe for reform — and bitcoin’s role in that debate 1:27:00 – Zero-knowledge proofs, AML, and a future of privacy-preserving compliance 1:29:00 – How self-custody wallets enable digital identity and personal sovereignty 1:31:00 – 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

December 2, 2025Episode 101 hr 49 min

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 policy 2:20 – How a securities regulator became an “accidental crypto lobbyist” 5:03 – Early bitcoin reading, monetary policy, and recognizing its political nature 7:43 – The aha moment of self-custody: from Ledger device to first withdrawal 12:58 – Ownership vs. possession: how financial markets drifted into full intermediation 16:40 – Why self-custody is not new: property as a natural human right 22:45 – How centralization overtook markets: certificates, DTCC, and efficiency tradeoffs 27:58 – 2021: the year Washington and the industry “woke up” to each other 33:10 – Keep Your Coins Act, Canadian truckers, and why lawful peer-to-peer matters 38:40 – Property rights, natural law, and the framers’ blind spots on privacy 45:55 – Executive Order 6102, takings law, and lessons for bitcoin 52:03 – How the Bank Secrecy Act and third-party doctrine became digital surveillance 59:42 – The three camps opposing self-custody: nats-ec hawks, socialists, and bureaucracies 1:05:40 – The IRS broker rule, CRA repeal, and precedents for stopping overreach 1:11:22 – House vs. Senate language: what “retain the right” really means 1:17:14 – Odds of passage in 2024 and why Senate floor time is everything 1:22:44 – The global landscape: why America is still the last best hope 1:27:50 – What comes next: privacy as the next digital freedom frontier 1:32:10 – 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

November 25, 2025Episode 91 hr 0 min

$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 scam 3:20 – Why he chose to go public: PSA, law-enforcement pressure, and justice 7:10 – Kent’s background in solar, bitcoin, and building Sazmining 10:05 – The setup: a “family office” deal, travel, and early yellow flags 14:40 – The first meeting in Amsterdam & unusual trust-building exercises 19:00 – How the attackers built credibility and portrayed ultra-wealth 23:15 – The second meeting, Atomic Wallet, and how the sweep unfolded 28:40 – The psychological trap: self-interest, exhaustion, and urgency 34:00 – Why immutability didn’t shake his conviction in bitcoin 37:25 – Internal policy changes: whitelisting, diligence, and cooling-off periods 41:50 – Distinguishing roles: CEO instincts vs. bitcoiner instincts 45:05 – Scam evolution, social engineering, and the danger of urgency 49:20 – Efforts to recover funds & the limits of both private and public options 54:10 – How AI deepfakes raise the stakes for family safety 57:20 – Why code words, local trust, and multisig can protect loved ones 59:40 – 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

November 18, 2025Episode 856 min

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 series 2:00 – What self-custody really means and why it’s the foundation of bitcoin’s value 3:45 – ETFs, financialization, and the fading connection to real bitcoin 5:00 – Why self-custody matters more than ever in 2025 6:15 – How outdated laws are clashing with a peer-to-peer world 7:40 – The Clarity Act and the battle for non-custodial rights 9:00 – Would bitcoin even be valuable without self-custody? 10:00 – How self-custody connects to America’s founding values 12:00 – The Constitution’s protections for holding bitcoin: 1st, 4th, 5th, 9th Amendments 16:00 – The history lesson: Executive Order 6102 and gold confiscation 18:30 – Enumerated powers, the 9th Amendment, and the people’s retained rights 21:00 – Why protecting non-custodial developers is critical to freedom 23:30 – Tornado Cash, Samurai Wallet, and the dangerous new legal precedents 27:30 – Knowledge vs. intent: how the DOJ’s theories stretch the law 31:00 – The risk of calling developers “money transmitters” 33:30 – Steelmanning the other side: why regulators see a loophole 37:00 – How the Bank Secrecy Act evolved from mob busting to digital dragnet 40:30 – From halawa networks to bitcoin: applying old laws to new rails 42:30 – The real ideological divide: state control vs. individual liberty 46:00 – Why self-custody embodies the American idea of limited government 47:30 – If Bitcoin existed in 1776, would the framers have protected self-custody? 49:00 – Strategy going forward: the Clarity Act, education, and vigilance 52:00 – The political battle ahead: Elizabeth Warren, ICOs, and what’s really at stake 54:00 – 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:

November 12, 2025Episode 756 min

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 now 0:51 – “The Last Free Americans”: series premise 1:16 – Tim’s path: 2017 bull run, law school, FINRA, and meeting Rep. Davidson 3:34 – From Hill staffer to crypto policy: Token Taxonomy Act & early frameworks 6:51 – The spark for the Keep Your Coins Act and naming the bill 11:12 – Two legislative styles: affirming a right vs. restricting regulators 16:24 – Digital ownership as a new chapter in American property rights 19:05 – CBDCs vs. self-custody: opposite ends of the spectrum 22:30 – Social media’s role: sunlight, mobilization, and changing the odds 30:34 – The 2020 “unhosted wallet” rule & why KYCs on self-hosted wallets don’t fit 39:00 – Bank Secrecy Act’s $10k threshold, report overload, and diminishing returns 41:37 – House passage, Senate path, and realistic timelines for the Clarity Act 47:26 – What’s next: tokenized securities and the future of self-custody 52:58 – Peer-to-peer (with an asterisk): whitelists, accounts, and true control 55:01 – 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

November 4, 2025Episode 633 min

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-custody 1:06 – Alaska, boats, and learning self-sufficiency 2:54 – Conservation mindset: preserving wilderness and preserving peer-to-peer money 4:03 – From accounts to keys: the “aha” of sending bitcoin yourself 5:39 – Seeing the water we swim in: intermediaries, fees, and privacy tradeoffs 8:03 – Frontiers and phases: from prospectors to politics—how new assets mature 10:57 – Gold rush parallels: excess, scams, and integration into the mainstream 12:55 – National parks as a model: ring-fencing what matters for future generations 15:00 – “The last free Americans”: a proud warning about peer-to-peer rights 17:02 – Building Unchained on bitcoin’s assumptions, not fiat rails 19:16 – ETFs as a useful bridge vs. living the peer-to-peer experience 21:03 – Who are today’s “John Muirs”? Gear, guidance, and making self-custody approachable 23:42 – Beyond one bill: culture, developer protections, and keep-your-coins language 26:34 – Free speech, code, and the very American fight for financial privacy 27:34 – Short memories: SVB, protests, and why self-custody matters before the next shock 29:16 – 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