
John Carvalho
CEO of Synonym and longtime Bitcoin developer and thinker, known for writing and commentary on Bitcoin governance, scaling, and protocol design.
Top 5 podcasts with John Carvalho
Ranked by the Snipd community

16 snips
Sep 24, 2025 • 2h 13min
Chat_145 - Trust Scales Where Bitcoin Can't with John Carvalho
John Carvalho, CEO of Synonym and creator of PubKey and PayKit, shares his vision for the 'atomic economy,' a reimagined structure for identity and payments. He challenges the effectiveness of decentralization, critiquing Nostr's design while promoting his innovative solutions like PKDNS and PICAR for identity. Carvalho tackles the complexities of scaling Bitcoin, discussing the balance between trust and trustlessness. He also delves into the role of AI in tagging and the pitfalls of corporate Bitcoin treasuries, all while pushing for a user-centric free market society.

12 snips
Nov 28, 2025 • 1h 6min
Why Bitcoin Can’t Scale | John Carvalho
John Carvalho, CEO of Synonym and a Bitcoin innovator, shares his thought-provoking insights on Bitcoin scaling. He argues that the main issue isn't technology but trust. John challenges the effectiveness of Lightning and layer-two solutions, stating they inherit fundamental limitations. He highlights how trust dynamics are essential for a functional payment system and introduces his PubKey protocol for enhanced scalability. Additionally, he critiques treasury-backed products while offering a personal strategy for using Bitcoin effectively. Don't miss these unconventional views!

Jan 6, 2026 • 51min
Bitcoin’s Hard Limits and Illusion of Governance | John Carvalho
John Carvalho, CEO of Synonym and a seasoned Bitcoin developer, dives deep into Bitcoin's governance and scaling challenges. He argues that many current debates distract from Bitcoin's fundamental constraints. Carvalho emphasizes the difficulty of future changes and views soft-fork proposals as increasingly centralized. He critiques the misuse of Bitcoin's governance for moral arguments and asserts that the creators can't dictate its purpose. The discussion also covers Bitcoin's blockspace as an emerging commodity and the potential limitations of scaling with layers like Lightning.

Jan 15, 2025 • 2h 16min
Chat_124 - The Next Web with John Carvalho
In this discussion, John Carvalho, a long-time Bitcoin advocate and innovator at Synonym, dives into the challenges of decentralizing the web. He explores the concept of an 'atomic economy' and how technological advancements can reshape banking and governance. John addresses the importance of censorship resistance and user control through tools like PubKey. He also examines digital tipping, the implications of trust in online interactions, and the rise of decentralized social platforms. This thought-provoking conversation will have you rethinking the future of digital society.

Dec 27, 2024 • 1h 38min
#568: Building A Way Around Govt Digital ID with John Carvalho
Marty chats with John Carvalho, a software developer renowned for his innovative work on Bitcoin units and Pubky, a decentralized identity system. They dive into Carvalho's Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP) and the importance of Millisats. The discussion highlights the risks of government-issued digital IDs and advocates for self-managed identities through Pubky. They also touch on the complexities of Bitcoin's integration into regulated markets and the challenges of maintaining privacy and autonomy in a digital economy.


