The Good Stuff 22 - Bitcoin, Nostr and Sovereign Engineering w. Gigi
Sep 11, 2025
Exploring the scenic streets of Madeira, the hosts dive into the seamless adoption of Bitcoin among local merchants, challenging centralized finance. They discuss the evolution of eCash and how AI is revolutionizing online services, making payments more accessible. With a vision for a permissionless internet, they highlight Nostr’s role in fostering decentralized communities. The conversation also touches on using AI for business transformation and creating tools that simplify user interactions without ideological barriers.
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Everyday Bitcoin Payments In Madeira
- Gigi describes paying with Bitcoin daily in Madeira where merchants accept it as "just another payment method."
- She highlights how commonplace payments for meals, babysitters, and handymen became without friction.
From Early Lightning Failures To Daily Use
- Pete recounts early Lightning hiccups at the first Lightning conference when many payments failed.
- He contrasts that with today's reliable Lightning usage for everyday coffees and meals.
eCash Fits AI Micro-Payments
- eCash will likely materialize first as payments for AI and online services rather than consumer retail payments.
- Prepaid micro-payments solve the chicken-and-egg problem by front-loading consumer risk and enabling permissionless APIs.