What happens when a small AI company moves its entire treasury into bitcoin? In this episode, we sit down with Drew D’Agostino, founder of Crystal, to unpack his bold decision to adopt a bitcoin standard. Drew shares how the 2022 bear market forced him to rethink his company’s financial strategy, the challenges of onboarding employees to bitcoin, and how he uses bitcoin as a hurdle rate for business spending. We compare his approach to Microstrategy’s aggressive accumulation, explore AI’s role in disrupting traditional business models, and discuss whether AI and bitcoin together could decentralize the world.
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Intro
1:01 - Why drew moved his company to a bitcoin standard
3:46 - The bear market forced a critical decision
5:28 - How bitcoin saved the company from collapse
7:11 - Using bitcoin as a hurdle rate for business spending
9:05 - How employees reacted to the bitcoin strategy
12:42 - How bitcoin aligns with long-term company culture
18:17 - Comparing microstrategy’s strategy to a private business
23:15 - Will more businesses adopt a bitcoin-first strategy?
25:30 - AI is accelerating faster than expected
29:56 - Why AI gives small companies an edge over big corporations
32:35 - Can bitcoin and AI decentralize the world?
35:41 - Will AI accelerate hyperbitcoinization?
45:00 - The biggest risk to bitcoin’s future
57:15 - Where to find Drew
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