
Ep. 98: Max Kei - Banks Will Bow to Bitcoin
You're The Voice | by Efrat Fenigson
Intro
Efrat and Max introduce themselves, Max's background, and the episode's focus on Bitcoin, banking, and Debify.
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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-- SPONSORS --
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– AFFILIATES –
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-- LINKS –
Max’s Twitter: https://x.com/keidunm
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Efrat's Channels: https://linktr.ee/efenigson
Watch/listen on all platforms: https://linktr.ee/yourethevoice
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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