Playable Characters Show with Brandon Gentile

Could THIS Be the Turning Point for Bitcoin’s Price and Future?

Nov 14, 2025

Tor Eklund, a renowned criminal defense lawyer specializing in crypto cases, and Michael Hazard, an attorney focused on Bitcoin defenses, dive into pivotal discussions surrounding Bitcoin's future. They highlight the importance of privacy tools in legal battles, revealing how privacy can protect users from overreaching authorities. The duo explores real-life implications from the Roman Sterlingov case, the challenges of financial surveillance, and the necessity for community support in legal defenses. They urge the normalization of privacy and continued Bitcoin adoption for financial freedom.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Convictions Without Direct Evidence

Government prosecutions can convict people without eyewitnesses or direct evidence in digital forensic cases.
Tor Eklund says this reality is why decentralized money like Bitcoin is necessary to protect assets.

INSIGHT

Presumption Of Guilt In Practice

The justice system often assumes guilt and pressures innocent people to prove innocence.
Mike notes prosecutors sometimes demand defendants disprove allegations, reversing legal burdens.

ANECDOTE

How Roman Was Arrested

Roman Sterlingov was arrested after traveling to the U.S. for flight training and held in a rural Virginia facility.
Michael Hazard and Tor discovered Roman insisted he was unaware of any investigation and appeared innocent on first contact.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

👉 Stop trusting exchanges: secure your Bitcoin forever with Passport Core, the open-source, USA-made hardware wallet. 🎁 Get $10 OFF: https://www.foundation.xyz/brandonCould THIS Be the Turning Point for Bitcoin’s Price and Future?👉 Engrave the seed from your wallet on titanium with Stamp Seed, the last backup you’ll ever need. https://www.stampseed.com/ use code BRANDON for 15% OFF storewide!👉 Health insurance is the fiat system of healthcare: corrupt, overpriced, and built to keep you powerless. Take your freedom back NOW and get your first 3 months for $99 using code BRANDON at https://www.joincrowdhealth.com/👉 Don’t just HODL - protect what you HODL. Meanwhile is the first life insurance company built entirely in Bitcoin, helping you safeguard your wealth and pass it on safely. 💎 https://meanwhile.bm/start?referralCode=4QPBWC👉 Learn the RIGHT way to store and take care of your Bitcoin with a FREE 30-min call with my good friends at The Bitcoin Way (help with self-custody, privacy, VPN support, nodes, etc): https://www.thebitcoinway.com/brandon👉 Get your health in order by using natural tallow soaps, deodorants, and balms by Soap Miner and get 10% OFF using code BRANDON at: https://soapminer.com/Connect with Tor & Michel and find ALL their info and contact at their website - https://torekeland.comLearn more about Roman Sterlingov and his case at - https://cointelegraph.com/news/bad-blockchain-forensics-convict-roman-sterlingovDonate at - www.freeroman.today🔊 LISTEN ONFountain - https://fountain.fm/show/X8q7DR6vzgS9zXPYgJum📲 TALK TO ME ONTwitter - https://twitter.com/brandon_gentileNostr - primal.net/p/npub1r6xc8z27uv9dy4zd55z6rjxe2vcdu40jrygla0wcug56klfeh4nshta9je 📱 FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/brandongentile811Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandongentileTik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@brandon_gentile?_t=8knOkrkTtlO&_r=1⚡️ SUPPORT THE SHOW & VALUE FOR VALUE ECONOMY!Strike ID: https://strike.me/brandongentile/ Cash App: $ThinkingBig811Timestamps:00:00 – Tor Ekeland explains how he became one of Bitcoin’s earliest defense lawyers.02:30 – How digital forensics are being misused to convict innocent people.03:45 – What a Bitcoin mixer actually does—and why privacy isn’t a crime.07:40 – Why owning Bitcoin could one day make you a “criminal.”09:00 – Chainalysis, conflicts of interest, and the revolving door at DOJ.10:30 – How the government seizes assets before trial to force guilty pleas.12:00 – The Roman Sterlingov case explained—Bitcoin Fog and wrongful conviction.14:50 – How forensics built on assumptions ruined an innocent man’s life.16:40 – Why venue manipulation means anyone in the world could be targeted.18:10 – Roman’s real story: an early Bitcoiner, not a criminal mastermind.21:50 – The New Deal to the Bank Secrecy Act: How control over money evolved.23:30 – “Complexity is a subsidy for the rich.”30:50 – Bitcoin is winning—the establishment can’t stop it.33:10 – The hypocrisy of regulators and bankers now embracing Bitcoin.36:45 – Privacy is capitalism’s secret weapon.38:40 – Why the government’s money printer makes true justice impossible.40:20 – How Bitcoin restores power to individuals through privacy tools.42:10 – Bad forensics, missing evidence, and one innocent man’s appeal.46:40 – “Privacy is essential for capitalism—without it, there’s no negotiation.”48:20 – Bitcoin as global property rights and the new Bill of Rights.52:00 – Courts still don’t understand Bitcoin—“Can we subpoena the blockchain?”1:14:20 – How to protect yourself: use Bitcoin, normalize privacy, free Roman.1:35:00 – Closing thoughts: Privacy is normal. Freedom depends on defending it.EDITOR: Francis ⁠ @nillistudio ⁠ DISCLAIMER: “Playable Characters” is for entertainment purposes only and does not intend to be taken as financial advice. #bitcoin #btc #crypto #cryptocurrency #money