CoinDesk Podcast Network BITCOIN SEASON 2: How Nepal Used Discord to Elect its Next PM
Sep 13, 2025
The podcast explores how Nepal's protests leveraged technology to topple a government. Citizens used BitChat and Discord polls for organizing and voting in a politically charged atmosphere. With social media bans in effect, decentralized communication became vital for activism. The conversation covers the rise of mesh networks and the role of Bitcoin as both a financial asset and a tool for political empowerment. Additionally, it touches on the broader implications of wealthy individuals shifting towards Bitcoin amidst economic uncertainties.
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Vlogger Stumbled Into A Revolution
- A travel vlogger accidentally filmed Nepal's protests and the burning of the parliamentary building while on vacation.
- The footage captured how quickly everyday people found themselves amid a spontaneous uprising.
Mesh Networks Can Go Viral And Matter
- BitChat's sudden viral adoption in Nepal turned a fringe mesh app into a practical censorship‑resistant network overnight.
- Mesh networks rely on dense local adoption, so 50,000 downloads among urban Zoomers made BitChat operationally powerful.
Social Bans Drive Alternative Tool Adoption
- Nepal blocked 26 major social platforms, which pushed users to platform‑agnostic tools that bypass ISP censorship.
- The social media ban was the catalyst that made BitChat and Nostr adoption explode locally.