Bitcoin Regulation and Political Dynamics

Zack Shapiro is a lawyer and Head of Policy at the Bitcoin Policy Institute.

In this episode, we discuss the Samurai Wallet case, how the U.S. government is using outdated laws to target non-custodial Bitcoin tools — and why the outcome of this case could criminalise running a node or writing open-source Bitcoin code.

We also discuss the DOJ’s “regulation by prosecution” playbook, the fact that FinCEN explicitly told prosecutors Samurai was not breaking the law, why prosecutors hid that fact for a year and why he believes a political fix — not just a legal one — is urgently needed.

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