Stephan Livera Podcast

Zach Pardey, CEO and co-founder of Bold, a Bitcoin-focused banking platform, discusses Zach's journey into the Bitcoin space, the societal issues stemming from fiat systems, and how Bitcoin can serve as a solution. The conversation delves into the integration of Bitcoin with traditional banking, the unique offerings of Bold, including Bitcoin rewards and self-custody options, and the emerging trend of Bitcoin treasury companies...

In this episode, Aaron discusses his book 'The Sovereign Child' and his unique approach to parenting, which is influenced by libertarian philosophy and the ideas of David Deutsch. Stupple emphasizes the importance of understanding children's reasons for their behavior rather than imposing authoritarian discipline. He advocates for a parenting style that maximizes freedom and autonomy while still providing guidance and s...

Stephan & Matt discuss the ‘Save Our Wallets’ campaign, which aims to protect non-custodial wallets from regulatory challenges posed by the U.S. government. He highlights the legal risks developers face due to broad interpretations of regulations and the potential consequences of future administrations. The importance of advocacy for legislative change, user engagement, and improving user experience in Bitcoin transactions are ...

Blake & Stephan discusses the emerging concept of Bitcoin treasury companies, their role in the debt market, and the potential benefits and risks associated with them. He emphasizes the proactive approach these companies take to bring capital into Bitcoin, the importance of understanding the mechanics behind their operations, and the sustainability of their net asset value (MNAV). The discussion also touches on investment strat...

Lyudmyla Kozlovska, President, Open Dialogue Foundation discusses the intersection of Bitcoin, human rights, and the weaponization of financial regulations. She highlights the dangers of transnational financial repression, where authoritarian regimes exploit financial action task force (FATF) and anti-money laundering (AML) regulations to target individuals and organizations. The discussion emphasizes the need for privacy protectio...

Igor Neumann, co-founder of Firefish, discusses the innovative approach of their Bitcoin lending platform. Firefish operates as a decentralized marketplace connecting borrowers and lenders, allowing users to leverage their Bitcoin as collateral for loans. Igor explains the unique features of their protocol, the loan terms, user demographics, and the growing interest in Bitcoin collateralized loans. He also addresses the technical a...

Reed Wommack shares his journey into Bitcoin, transitioning from a role at Swan Bitcoin to running Groundluxe, a company focused on grounding products. He discusses the evolving landscape of Bitcoin treasury companies, the risks and rewards associated with leveraging debt for investments, and the importance of a long-term perspective in navigating market cycles. Reed also emphasizes the potential for Bitcoin to dominate the equity ...

Stephen and Zac discuss the innovative intersection of Bitcoin and life insurance. They explore how Bitcoin can disrupt traditional life insurance markets, the recent funding successes of Meanwhile, and the unique benefits of Bitcoin-denominated policies. 

The conversation dives into the mechanics of these policies, the yield generation strategies employed by Meanwhile, and the tax advantages that make them appealing to customers. T...

Stephan and Antoine discuss the complexities surrounding Bitcoin's OP_RETURN functionality and the ongoing debate about spam filtering on the Bitcoin network. They explore the implications of consensus rules, standardness, and the historical context of these discussions. 

Antoine provides insights into the motivations behind changes in Bitcoin Core's policies and the potential future of Bitcoin as both a currency and a data storage ...

In this conversation, Stephan Livera and Michael Tanguma explore the current landscape of Bitcoin, focusing on the challenges of self-custody, the role of custodians, and the emergence of multi-institution custody solutions. They discuss the importance of education in the Bitcoin space, the dynamics of Bitcoin treasury companies, and the unique opportunities for Bitcoin adoption in the Middle East. The conversation emphasizes the n...

Shehzan Meredia, CEO and founder of Lava, a non-custodial Bitcoin lending platform shares the unique features of Lava, including its focus on security, user experience, and the use of Discreet Log Contracts (DLCs) to provide cryptographic guarantees for borrowers. Shehzan explains the loan process, interest rates, and how Lava differentiates itself from traditional custodial lending platforms. 

The conversation also touches on the i...

At the Tuscany Lightning Summit 2025, we discussed Ark and VTXOs, batching, RGB, DLCs, what constitutes spam on Bitcoin, Bitcoin payments market, miniscript, bitcoin inheritance tools and more.

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:48) - Tiero

(09:17) - Alekos Filini

(18:40) - Sponsors

(20:56) - Anant Tapadia 

(33:16) - Andi Pitt

(44:24) - Sponsors

(45:21) - Giacomo Zucco

Links: 

• https://x.com/tierotiero 

• https://x.com/ArkLabsHQ 

Stephan discusses the significance of Bitcoin as money and the concept of monetary maximalism with guests Rockstar Dev and Di from BTC Inc. They explore the current state of Bitcoin as a medium of exchange, the challenges of adoption, and the innovations being introduced, such as the Bolt Card, to facilitate Bitcoin payments. The conversation emphasizes the importance of leading by example in the Bitcoin community and the need for ...

Leon Wankum shares his journey from studying philosophy to becoming a property expert and Bitcoin enthusiast. He discusses the intersection of real estate and Bitcoin, emphasizing the monetary premium in real estate, the impact of the fiat system on property prices, and the social consequences of property investment. Leon differentiates between property speculation and development, highlighting the business aspects of real estate. ...

Stephan & NVK discuss the current state of self-custody in Bitcoin, highlighting the advancements in hardware wallets like Coldcard and the importance of understanding trade-offs in wallet solutions. Coldcard introduces new features such as co-signing and key teleport, which enhance security and usability. The conversation also touches on the future of wallet software, including the promising Cove Wallet and the potential of Mi...

Stephan & Vijay discuss the current state of Bitcoin, its market cycle, and its comparison with gold. They explore the implications of geopolitical factors on gold and Bitcoin, the rise of Bitcoin treasury companies, and the evolving liquidity channels in the market. The discussion also touches on speculation in Bitcoin and how it contributes to its growth, while emphasizing the importance of understanding the underlying econom...

At Bitcoin Oasis 2025, we discussed Bitcoin tools & innovation, bitcoin cycles, financialization of bitcoin, adoption in the MENA region and India’s first bitcoin treasury company.

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Intro

(00:57) - Preston Pysh

(12:47) - Sponsors

(15:03) - Sooly Kobayashi

(21:49) - Max Hillebrand

(28:46) - Sponsors(29:43) - Siddarth Bharwani

(40:07) - Lara Eggiman

Links: 

• https://bitcoin-oasis.com/ 

• https://x.com/BTCArab...

Stephan & Gilded Pleb, a developer who created StackMath, a financial calculator for Bitcoin, discuss Gilded's personal journey with Bitcoin, its potential impact on homelessness, and the importance of understanding financial models for retirement planning. 

Gilded explains how traditional financial calculators often fail to account for the volatility of Bitcoin and introduces the Monte Carlo simulation as a more effective t...

In this episode, Stephan discusses the latest updates on Fedimint with its founders Eric Sirion and Joschi. They delve into the concept of eCash, its significance in the Bitcoin ecosystem, and the differences between Fedimint and other systems like Cashu. The conversation highlights the real-world applications of Fedimint, recent updates including version 0.7, and the introduction of IROH, which simplifies the setup process. 

They a...