Banking on Bitcoin w/ Natalie Brunell #968

Apr 9, 2025

In this engaging discussion, Natalie Brunell, a former investigative journalist and host of the Coin Stories podcast, delves into the transformative power of Bitcoin. She argues that BTC is not just an investment but a new, incorruptible financial system promoting freedom and equality. Topics range from strategies for integrating Bitcoin into investment portfolios to the risks of third-party brokers. Natalie also tackles Bitcoin's role in mitigating inflation and wealth disparities, making a compelling case for its significance in modern finance.

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ANECDOTE

Family Influence

Natalie Brunell's parents struggled after immigrating to the US, facing financial insecurity and eventually bankruptcy during the 2008 crisis.
This experience shaped Brunell's perspective on money and motivated her to become an investigative journalist.

INSIGHT

Inflation as a Hidden Tax

Natalie Brunell's view on inflation changed after learning about Bitcoin, realizing it's a hidden tax.
She now believes in saving in assets that are immune to inflation, like Bitcoin.

INSIGHT

Inflation and the Working Class

Inflation is a significant problem for the working class because it outpaces wage growth, making it hard to catch up.
The Cantillon effect explains how those closest to the money printer benefit the most, while the working class benefits the least.

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Whether it’s too late to get in on BTC, hackers targeting crypto, what a Federal Bitcoin Reserve means for the price of BTC… these are just a few of the topics we get into today with our guest, Natalie Brunell. When we occasionally talk about Bitcoin, it’s typically within the context of investing, and even then our approach is for it to be a relatively small portion of our overall portfolio. Could most folks do without it? Totally. Don't overly focus on what we see as a more alternative investment if you’re not predominantly in low-cost index funds. Don’t major in the minors. But that is not at all how Natalie views Bitcoin. She sees it initially as an asset, but then as an entirely new system of money- a system that is incorruptible and nonpartisan. In Natalie’s words, BTC is egalitarian, it doesn’t benefit any race over another, and it’s the purest expression of freedom and self-determination, who doesn’t want that?! For over a decade Natalie was an investigative journalist and is now a predominant figure in the BTC space, she’s an influential educator, host of the Coin Stories podcast where she dives in deep and we think you’ll really enjoy her thoughtful approach to investing in crypto!

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