Stablecoins as a bridge to Bitcoin and lifeline in emerging markets

My guest today is Max Kei, former private banker and founder of Debifi, the world’s largest non-custodial Bitcoin-backed lending platform for institutions. With over a decade in private banking and deep experience building peer-to-peer Bitcoin infrastructure at Hodl Hodl and launching the Baltic Honeybadger conference, Max has become a leading voice on how Bitcoin will reshape global finance. In this episode, he explains why banks will adapt to Bitcoin rather than be destroyed by it, how Switzerland is quietly becoming the prototype for Bitcoin-banking integration, and why non-custodial finance is essential to prevent the next FTX-style collapse. We explore the tradeoffs between custodial and non-custodial systems, the security advantages of three-of-four multisig for institutional loans, and why stablecoins act as both a lifeline in emerging markets and a gateway to a full Bitcoin standard. 

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-- CHAPTERS –

00:00 - Coming Up

01:20 - Introduction to Max Kai: Bitcoin Pioneer

04:50 - Baltic Honey Badger Conference Origins

10:27 - Ad Break: Trezor & BitVault

11:50 - Bitcoin’s Community Ethos, Mission & Conferences

19:00 - Max’ Intro to Bitcoin Through A Client 

20:50 - Gradually Moving From Fiat To Bitcoin

30:40 - When Will Banking Join Bitcoin?

32:53 - Switzerland's Role in Bitcoin Banking

38:03 - Rehypothication, Non-Custodial, Multisig Solutions

42:01 - Flexible Lending Platforms & Security Measures

56:13 - Max’s Take On Stablecoins: A Bridge to Bitcoin

1:08:18 - Max Motivations, Aspiration & Hope