Episodios

  • Self-custody rights are property rights Seth Hertlein | The Last Free Americans

    Self-custody rights are property rights Seth Hertlein | The Last Free Americans
    Dec 2 2025

    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

    Más Menos
    1 h y 50 m
  • $220K bitcoin scam blindsides a mining CEO with Kent Halliburton

    $220K bitcoin scam blindsides a mining CEO with Kent Halliburton
    Nov 25 2025

    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

    Más Menos
    1 h y 1 m
  • Self-custody is foundational to bitcoin's value with Zack Shapiro | The Last Free Americans

    Self-custody is foundational to bitcoin's value with Zack Shapiro | The Last Free Americans
    Nov 18 2025
    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 series2:00 – What self-custody really means and why it’s the foundation of bitcoin’s value3:45 – ETFs, financialization, and the fading connection to real bitcoin5:00 – Why self-custody matters more than ever in 20256:15 – How outdated laws are clashing with a peer-to-peer world7:40 – The Clarity Act and the battle for non-custodial rights9:00 – Would bitcoin even be valuable without self-custody?10:00 – How self-custody connects to America’s founding values12:00 – The Constitution’s protections for holding bitcoin: 1st, 4th, 5th, 9th Amendments16:00 – The history lesson: Executive Order 6102 and gold confiscation18:30 – Enumerated powers, the 9th Amendment, and the people’s retained rights21:00 – Why protecting non-custodial developers is critical to freedom23:30 – Tornado Cash, Samurai Wallet, and the dangerous new legal precedents27:30 – Knowledge vs. intent: how the DOJ’s theories stretch the law31:00 – The risk of calling developers “money transmitters”33:30 – Steelmanning the other side: why regulators see a loophole37:00 – How the Bank Secrecy Act evolved from mob busting to digital dragnet40:30 – From halawa networks to bitcoin: applying old laws to new rails42:30 – The real ideological divide: state control vs. individual liberty46:00 – Why self-custody embodies the American idea of limited government47:30 – If Bitcoin existed in 1776, would the framers have protected self-custody?49:00 – Strategy going forward: the Clarity Act, education, and vigilance52:00 – The political battle ahead: Elizabeth Warren, ICOs, and what’s really at stake54:00 – How bitcoin helps the least powerful—and why that matters mostWHERE TO FOLLOW US: → Unchained X: https://x.com/unchained → Unchained LinkedIn: / unchainedcom → Unchained Newsletter:
    Más Menos
    56 m
  • Inside the fight to keep your coins with Tim Hite | The Last Free Americans

    Inside the fight to keep your coins with Tim Hite | The Last Free Americans
    Nov 12 2025

    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
    Más Menos
    56 m
  • The Last Free Americans with Joe Kelly

    The Last Free Americans with Joe Kelly
    Nov 4 2025

    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

    Más Menos
    33 m
  • Bitcoin is inevitable, not automatic with Pierre Rochard

    Bitcoin is inevitable, not automatic with Pierre Rochard
    Oct 28 2025

    Pierre Rochard is one of the original bitcoin thinkers, builders, and educators — now serving as CEO of The Bitcoin Bond Company. Known for popularizing the term “speculative attack” in the bitcoin space, Pierre has long explored how bitcoin can replace legacy finance from the inside out.
    In this episode, Pierre joins The Bitcoin Frontier to discuss how banks adopting bitcoin could strengthen global stability, how fractional reserve banking might evolve on a bitcoin standard, and why he believes governments buying bitcoin is inevitable. We dig into the rise of bitcoin treasury companies, the idea behind bitcoin bonds, and whether bitcoin’s decentralization can withstand institutional adoption.

    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 & bitcoin’s ideological roots in libertarianism
    3:00 – Why banks holding bitcoin could prevent future financial crises
    7:20 – Can fractional reserve banking exist on a bitcoin standard?
    10:50 – MicroStrategy and the rise of bitcoin treasury companies
    12:40 – Why collapsing banks would be dangerous for society
    16:00 – Financial intermediation, savings culture, and a soft landing to a bitcoin economy
    18:00 – “Money for enemies”: Why state adoption isn’t betrayal
    20:00 – Bitcoin in U.S. and state reserves: From Texas to Trump
    23:00 – Can governments or corporations co-opt bitcoin?
    25:00 – What bitcoin bonds are and how the Bitcoin Bond Company works
    29:30 – Bringing bitcoin into institutional portfolios through structured credit
    35:00 – Comparing bitcoin bonds to MicroStrategy’s convertibles
    37:00 – Why treasury companies are undervalued and what investors are missing
    40:00 – Hyperbitcoinization, speculative attacks, and soft landings
    45:00 – How adoption is accelerating asymmetrically across nations
    50:00 – The ETF era: Collaborative custody and the path from convenience to sovereignty
    55:00 – Have we peaked in self-custody? UX, education, and generational change
    58:00 – Is bitcoin’s freedom money inevitable — and what are the real threats ahead?
    1:02:00 – Quantum computing, Satoshi’s coins, and the future of protocol resilience
    1:03:00 – Where to find Pierre online and closing thoughts

    WHERE TO FOLLOW US:
    → Unchained X: https://x.com/unchained
    → Unchained LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unchainedcom
    → Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter
    → Pierre Rochard’s Twitter: https://x.com/BitcoinPierre
    → Timot Lamarre’s Twitter: https://x.com/TimotLamarre

    Más Menos
    1 h y 4 m
  • Using AI to Accelerate the Bitcoin Revolution with Marty Bent

    Using AI to Accelerate the Bitcoin Revolution with Marty Bent
    Oct 7 2025
    Marty Bent is a bitcoin investor, media founder, and host of TFTC — one of the longest-running bitcoin podcasts. He’s also a managing partner at Ten31, supporting companies building critical bitcoin infrastructure. Marty is uniquely positioned at the intersection of bitcoin, energy, and now artificial intelligence.In this episode, Marty joins The Bitcoin Frontier to share how AI is transforming the bitcoin ecosystem, how his team at TFTC is leveraging it to streamline media production, and how it’s fueling his latest creative projects. We dig into how he built Opportunity Cost, why AI drives decentralization in mining, and how bitcoiners can use these tools to stay ahead of the curve.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 & why bitcoin and AI are converging faster than anyone expected2:00 – Marty’s projects: TFTC, Ten31, and bitcoin mining5:00 – The evolution of TFTC and what the rebrand to “Truth for the Commoner” means8:30 – How the team integrates AI tools across research, writing, and production12:00 – From Perplexity to Claude: learning to use AI as a research assistant15:00 – Automating TFTC’s backend workflows with AI and no-code tools18:00 – Clipping, editing, and distribution: using AI for speed and quality23:00 – Building Opportunity Cost: turning fiat prices into sats in your browser27:00 – Why open-source and privacy-preserving design still matter30:00 – The birth of AI-generated storytelling33:00 – Storyboarding, JSON prompts, and producing viral AI bitcoin videos38:00 – The Trojan horse approach: spreading bitcoin ideas through culture46:00 – Bitcoin and AI’s overlap: how energy demand is driving decentralization50:00 – Paying for compute with bitcoin and why eCash may win55:00 – AI, energy, and the physical limits of growth58:00 – How bitcoin founders are using AI to build faster and cheaper1:00:00 – Practical advice: using AI without compromising your craft or security1:01:30 – Where to follow Marty and watch his latest creationsWHERE TO FOLLOW US: → Unchained X: https://x.com/unchained → Unchained LinkedIn: / unchainedcom → Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter → Marty Bent’s Twitter: https://x.com/MartyBent → Trey Seller’s Twitter: https://x.com/ts_hodl
    Más Menos
    1 h y 3 m
  • The new psychology of a $2T bitcoin market with James Check

    The new psychology of a $2T bitcoin market with James Check
    Sep 23 2025
    James Check (aka Checkmate) is the co-founder of Checkonchain and one of the leading voices making onchain data accessible for everyday bitcoiners. Known for his ability to turn complex charts into compelling stories, James blends his engineering background with market analysis to help people see human behavior imprinted in bitcoin’s ledger. In this episode, James joins The Bitcoin Frontier to share why realized cap is one of the most powerful adoption metrics, how to interpret profit and loss across holders, and what onchain data is saying about the current cycle. We dig into the role of ETFs and treasury companies, the impact of derivatives on market structure, and why the future of onchain analytics remains deeply human.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 & why onchain data matters for bitcoin 1:30 – Buying the 2017 top, engineering background & finding bitcoin 4:50 – Realized cap, cost basis, and why it just crossed $1T 7:30 – From civil engineering to onchain analysis 10:00 – Orange pill moments, macro influences, and early metrics 12:40 – Human behavior, fear & greed mapped onchain 15:00 – Turning raw data into stories people understand 18:00 – State of the market in 2025: leverage, ETFs, and demand 22:00 – Cycles, late-stage dynamics & institutional flows 26:00 – Rethinking market cycles: the three-cycle structure 31:00 – Sell-side pressure, hodlers, and ETF dynamics 35:00 – Are ETFs and treasury companies changing onchain analysis? 40:00 – Profit, loss, and building decision frameworks for different price scenarios 46:00 – Key support zones: 110K, 90K, and Sailor’s liquidation line 49:00 – Derivatives, ETFs, and how flows shape volatility 54:00 – Risks of leverage, banks entering, and future fireworks 58:00 – Rapid fire: desert island metrics, entry point for retail, and data wish list 1:02:00 – The Australian bitcoin community & grassroots conferences 1:05:30 – The future of onchain analytics, AI, and Checkonchain’s next reportWHERE TO FOLLOW US: → Unchained X: https://x.com/unchained → Unchained LinkedIn: / unchainedcom → Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter → James Check’s Twitter: https://x.com/_Checkmatey_ → Connor Dolan’s Twitter:
    Más Menos
    1 h y 10 m