In this episode, I chat with Trace Mayer, early Bitcoin investor and the mind behind the Seven Network Effects, about monetary sovereignty and the ideas that shaped Bitcoin culture. We dive into his rabbit-hole journey from gold to Bitcoin, debates from the block size wars, why “proof of keys” still matters, and how time preference and family tie into sound money.

If you want a masterclass in first-principles Bitcoin thinking with historical and philosophical depth, this episode is for you.

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––– Chapters –––

00:00 - Intro

01:18 - Trace’s rabbit-hole origins

04:00 - Digital gold currencies & early “sound money” online

11:24 - Austrian deep dive: Mises, Rothbard & building a “proof-of-work” mind

13:31 - When the dots clicked: entering Bitcoin as a monetary-sovereignty maxi

18:21 - Bitcoin at 25¢: early evangelism, Keiser/Schiff, Ron Paul trail

21:10 - “Tangible, not corporeal”: precious numbers vs precious atoms

28:18 - Stock-to-flow & Bitcoin’s hardness argument (early public mentions)

32:01 - Money & family: time preference, children, and society’s horizon

38:45 - Nations, gold repricing, and why the U.S. advantage may persist

43:20 - Inside the Blocksize Wars: uncertainty, secession & antifragility

55:09 - Is Bitcoin a store of value?

58:29 - Proof of Keys: origin story, purpose & January 3rd culture

1:00:56 - The Seven Network Effects

1:05:01 - Global adoption, tax code, and Bitcoin’s persistence

1:07:12 - “Bitcoin changes you” & personal sacrifices

1:20:47 - Lessons from WWII & proof of work in life

1:22:05 - Closing thoughts

I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for tuning in, supporting the show, and contributing.

Thank you for listening!

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