Running a Bitcoin Node: Purpose, Privacy, and Self‑Verification

Bitcoin HORROR Stories with BTC Sessions: Mistakes That Cost Everything In Part 2 of our conversation, Ben Perrin, @BTCsessions ,opens up like never before, sharing real-world Bitcoin disasters, OPSEC failures, privacy traps, and security mistakes you do not want to repeat.

From cold storage setups that weren’t so cold, to the emotional toll of burnout, scams, social engineering attacks, and multisig misunderstandings. This episode is a must-watch for anyone serious about self-custody, sovereignty, and survival in the age of surveillance.

We cover:

• The dangers of weak OPSEC (and what he does instead)

• Mistakes people make after watching tutorials

• Why multi-sig isn’t magic and what your family needs to know

• Privacy fails in CoinJoin and Lightning

• Fee nightmares, inheritance setups, and physical threats

• What to avoid at conferences & how to stay safe

• Lessons from the hardest Bitcoin horror stories

If you’ve ever said “I’ll deal with that later,” this episode is for you.

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TIME STAMPS:

0:00 Introduction

1:28 Censorship survival kit

2:20 How to live fully on a Bitcoin standard without losing your mind

3:37 Passwords & 2FA 4:49 Multi-sig vs single seed

6:47 Private communication for Bitcoiners

8:21 The harsh truth about “value-for-value”

10:00 How to earn Bitcoin like a pro

13:30 The pressure behind BTCsessions

17:30 From flip phones to Bitcoin

18:28 The biggest mistakes Bitcoin newcomers make

25:25 Ledger controversy

27:35 Personal threats, OPSEC fails, and how to stay safe

35:05 The worst Bitcoin fee disasters

42:54 The $100K mistake

46:01 CoinJoin fails

50:06 2025’s sneakiest social-engineering scams in crypto

54:20 Bitcoin kidnappings, safety tips, and physical-world threats

57:00 Ben´s hardest-won lesson

58:18 Where to follow BTCsessions

DISCLAIMER:All views expressed by me or my guests are solely our own opinions. You should not treat any opinions expressed in this podcast as a specific endorsement to make a particular investment or follow a particular strategy, but only as an expression of personal opinion. This podcast is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, legal, or political advice, and it does not promote or oppose any political party, candidate, or campaign. This podcast may contain speculation, or interpretation. We encourage listeners to do their own research and verify information independently.