Bitcoin Audible

Chat_146 - Building for Sovereignty with Craig Raw

16 snips
Oct 8, 2025
Craig Raw, the legendary developer behind Sparrow Wallet, shares his journey towards building self-sovereign Bitcoin tools. He emphasizes the importance of true ownership of money and how Sparrow caters to that need. Craig discusses the influence of the Patriot Act on Bitcoin privacy, the magic of Partially Signed Bitcoin Transactions (PSBT), and the intricate challenges of developer UX. He offers practical security tips, advocates for multi-signature setups, and stresses the importance of self-custody for financial independence.
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INSIGHT

Control Is The Core Value Of Bitcoin

  • Holding Bitcoin yourself grants control and permissionless access that custodial instruments don't provide.
  • Craig Raw argues this personal control is the main reason people stay with Bitcoin, beyond price appreciation.
ADVICE

Write Code, Don't Run Coordinators

  • If you're a builder, avoid running servers that process user funds or coordinator functions to reduce legal risk.
  • Craig Raw recommends focusing on writing code rather than operating services that accept and relay users' transaction data.
INSIGHT

Wallets Reflect Their Technological Era

  • Wallet design reflects the era of Bitcoin tech when it was built, affecting interoperability and features.
  • Sparrow benefited from being built around PSBTs, which enabled modern multisig and portability.
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