My guest today is Caitlin Long, Founder and CEO of Custodia Bank, a 22-year Wall Street veteran, and one of the most influential voices in Bitcoin policy and financial regulation. A Harvard-trained lawyer and early Bitcoin advocate, Caitlin played a central role in turning Wyoming into the most crypto-friendly legal jurisdiction in the United States, helping pass over 20 blockchain-enabling laws. In this episode, Caitlin walks us through her ongoing legal battle with the Federal Reserve, the hidden mechanics of Operation Chokepoint 2.0, and why access to a Fed master account is the front line of financial freedom. We discuss the stablecoin wars, the surveillance threats of CBDCs, and how privacy, law, and innovation are colliding inside the US banking system. Above all, this is a conversation about fighting centralized control, defending open access to money, and building the legal rails for a Bitcoin-native financial future.
► This episode is part of the "Bitcoin Vegas 2025 Special" in collaboration with Ben Samocha, Founder of Israel’s CryptoJungle and Crypto Talks podcast.
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-- SPONSORS & AFFILIATES --
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-- LINKS –
Caitlin’s Twitter: https://x.com/CaitlinLong_
Custodia Bank’s Website: https://custodiabank.com/
Efrat's Twitter: https://twitter.com/efenigson
Efrat's Telegram: https://t.me/efenigsonBen's Twitter: https://x.com/bensamocha
Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-samocha-728147153/
Watch/listen on all platforms: https://linktr.ee/yourethevoice
Support Efrat's work: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/efenigson
Support Efrat with Bitcoin: https://geyser.fund/project/efenigson
-- CHAPTERS –
00:00 Coming Up
01:05 Welcome from Bitcoin Vegas & Intro to Caitlin
02:05 Vegas, Bitcoin & Fiat
04:00 Founding Custodia & Wyoming’s Role
08:14 Anti-Bank Bias & Innovation Crackdown
12:08 Battling the Fed for a Master Account
14:35 Chokepoint 2.0 & Bitcoin’s Resilience
17:44 Suing the Fed: Strategy & Stakes
24:29 Stablecoins: Banks vs Startups
31:12 Outdated US Payment Rails
37:54 CBDCs: Privacy & Surveillance
42:20 Does Financial Privacy Exist? Coinbase Goes To Court
50:55 Stablecoins vs Eurodollar System
54:54 LIBOR Ends: US Reclaims Control
57:27 Wyoming’s Pro-Bitcoin Laws
1:05:45 Remove Taxes on Bitcoin
1:09:05 Adoption, Saylor & Market Momentum
1:14:01 Final Thoughts & Hope for
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