Intro

"The atomic economy and Synonym's mission is to research, design and ship a working free market society. So not just a free market economy, but a free market society. /CUT/ So it replaces government, it replaces big tech, it replaces big banks, it replaces Visa, MasterCard, you know, everything. Everything you would want to do in a network is represented here as part of the economy."
~ John Carvalho

What happens when the drive to “scale Bitcoin” collides with the reality that trust itself may be the one thing that actually scales? In this conversation with John Carvalho, we dig into Synonym’s vision for the “atomic economy” — a rethinking of how identity, payments, and data flow across the web. We talk about PubKey, PayKit, and the hard lessons of building and scrapping projects until they actually work. We pull apart the hype around Nostr, BlueSky, and Holepunch, and ask whether decentralization is enough or if we really just end up with new kinds of trusted hubs. Along the way, John shares candid thoughts on running a business, managing culture inside a startup, and the frustrations of navigating Bitcoin scaling debates.

Is Bitcoin about removing trust — or about enabling us to place it more wisely? How do we build tools for coordination without creating new silos? And what does it really take to design a free-market society from the ground up?

Check out our awesome sponsors!

• Ledn: Need fiat but don’t want to sell your Bitcoin? Ledn offers secure, Bitcoin-backed loans with no credit checks, flexible repayment, and fast turnaround—often within 24 hours. With $10B+ in loans across 100+ countries and transparent Proof of Reserves, Ledn is a trusted option for unlocking liquidity without giving up your Bitcoin. (Link: https://learn.ledn.io/audible)
• HRF: The Human Rights Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. Subscribe to HRF's Financial Freedom Newsletter today. (Link: https://mailchi.mp/hrf.org/financial-freedom-newsletter)
• OFF: The Oslo Freedom Forum is a global human rights event by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), uniting voices from activism, journalism, tech, and beyond. Through powerful stories and collaboration, OFF advances freedom and human potential worldwide. Join us next June. (Link: https://oslofreedomforum.com/)
• Pubky: Pubky is building the next web, a decentralized system designed to put control back in your hands. Escape censorship, algorithmic manipulation, and walled gardens by owning your identity and data. Explore the Pubky web and become the algorithm today. Don't forget to find me on my Pubky ID here: pk:5d7thwzkxx5mz6gk1f19wfyykr6nrwzaxri3io7ahejg1z74qngo. (Link: https://pubky.org)
• Chroma: Chroma is dedicated to advancing human performance and well-being through cutting-edge light therapy devices and performance eyewear. Their mission is to enhance physical and mental health, unlocking peak human health, cognitive function, and physical performance. Get 10% off your order with the code BITCOINAUDIBLE. (Link: https://getchroma.co/?ref=BitcoinAudible)

Guest Links

• John Carvalho on X (https://x.com/BitcoinErrorLog)

Host Links

• ⁠Guy on Nostr ⁠(Link: http://tinyurl.com/2xc96ney)
• ⁠Guy on X ⁠(Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann)
• Guy on Instagram (Link: https://www.instagram.com/theguyswann)
• Guy on TikTok (Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguyswann)
• Guy on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@theguyswann)
• ⁠Bitcoin Audible on X⁠ (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible)
• The Guy Swann Network Broadcast Room on Keet (Link: https://tinyurl.com/3na6v839)