

Hell Money
Hell Money
A weekly podcast from two Bitcoin enthusiasts. Each week Casey and Erin discuss a different aspect of Bitcoin's technology, culture, and vibe.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 27, 2025 • 59min
How Did We Get Here? From Machine Learning to AI Boyfriends
On the Season 3 premiere of Hell Money, we’re diving headfirst into the world of Artificial Intelligence as Bad Rudy and Ani Grok AI companions.We explore:- The history of AI hype cycles and AI winters- How LLMs are trained (and where they’ll plateau)- ARC-AGI- /r/MyBoyfriendIsAI and AI psychosis- Snapewives, fanfiction, and the history of AI boyfriends- Parasocial relationships and the meaning crisis- AI spirituality and cultsGet bonus content by subscribing to @hellmoneypod on X: https://x.com/hellmoneypod/creator-subscriptions/subscribeOr support the podcast by sending a BTC donation: bc1qztncp7lmcxdgude4px2vzh72p2yu2aud0eyzys ORDINALS PROTOCOL SHIRT: https://shop.inscribing.com/products/ordinals-protocol-shirtTIMESTAMPS:0:00 Intro & Grok AI companions4:44 History of AI: hype cycles, AI winters, machine learning15:00 LLMs22:00 Anthropomorphizing AI, ARC-AGI27:00 Where will AI plateau?30:50 /r/MyBoyfriendIsAI, AI psychosis40:30 Snapewives, fanfiction, and the origin of AI boyfriends47:00 Adapting to AI, crisis of meaning50:30 AI cults & spirituality56:20 Parasocial relationships with AI

Aug 13, 2025 • 1h 24min
This Man is Saving Bitcoin (Using Miniscript & Timelocks) [featuring Rob Hamilton]
In the final episode of Hell Money Podcast Season 2, we wrap up our Vegas interview series with Rob Hamilton, Co-Founder & CEO of AnchorWatch.We explore:- Rob’s journey from Esports to Bitcoin twitter culture maker- Miniscript, OP_CTV, and vaults- Insurance & risk- Lloyd's of London- Bitcoin treasury companies & why greed is a sinFOLLOW ROB: https://x.com/Rob1HamGet bonus content by subscribing to @hellmoneypod on X: https://x.com/hellmoneypod/creator-subscriptions/subscribeOr support the podcast by sending a BTC donation: bc1qztncp7lmcxdgude4px2vzh72p2yu2aud0eyzys ORDINALS PROTOCOL SHIRT: https://shop.inscribing.com/products/ordinals-protocol-shirtTIMESTAMPS0:00 Introduction to Rob Hamilton4:15 Journey from Esports to Bitcoin22:00 Miniscript31:00 Bitcoin insurance & AnchorWatch36:00 OP_CTV & Vaults39:30 Insurance risk & Acts of God45:00 Lloyd's of London54:30 Timelock product ideas1:00:00 ETH teleburn & burning a Bored Ape1:03:00 The future of Bitcoin culture1:12:00 Bitcoin treasury companies, greed is a sin1:15:30 Life outside of Bitcoin, astrological dating advice1:20:00 Poker & outro

Jul 30, 2025 • 1h
Paul Sztorc Explains It All
In this episode of the Hell Money Podcast, we’re joined by economist and Bitcoin thinker Paul Sztorc (@Truthcoin) for a whirlwind tour through the foundations of economic thought and why Bitcoin should be every economist’s favorite subject.We explore:- Paul’s background: how he found Bitcoin and why he stayed- Core economic frameworks and what most people get wrong- The compatibility (and incompatibility) of Bitcoin with academic economics- The role of timing in the spread of ideasFOLLOW PAUL: https://x.com/TruthcoinGet bonus content by subscribing to @hellmoneypod on X: https://x.com/hellmoneypod/creator-subscriptions/subscribeOr support the podcast by sending a BTC donation: bc1qztncp7lmcxdgude4px2vzh72p2yu2aud0eyzys ORDINALS PROTOCOL SHIRT: https://shop.inscribing.com/products/ordinals-protocol-shirtTIMESTAMPS0:00 Intro5:28 Paul Sztorc origin story12:20 Economic theories37:45 Bitcoin and economics53:10 Timing of ideas

Jul 15, 2025 • 1h 39min
Adam Krellenstein Returns: Counterparty’s Comeback & Bitcoin’s Soul Search
In this episode of the Hell Money Podcast, we sit down with Adam Krellenstein — Counterparty’s co‑founder and longtime lead maintainer — for a tour of Bitcoin’s formative years and the ideas shaping its future. Adam revisits the birth of XCP, explains why he walked away a decade ago, and describes what dragged him back into the codebase. Along the way we tackle the perennial question: What is Bitcoin for? Is embedding data on‑chain an evolutionary feature or a contagion best off‑loaded to sidechains? And if you aren't buying your daily coffee with BTC, has Satoshi’s dream failed, or merely evolved?We explore:- Counterparty’s origin story- Early Bitcoin dev culture- OP_RETURN drama, Blockstream’s sidechain vision & the data‑bloat dilemma- Whether Bitcoin is prepared for sophisticated political actors- Counterparty culture & NFTs- Adam’s decade‑long hiatus: burnout, philosophy of nature & why he’s back- What's next for BitcoinFOLLOW ADAM: https://x.com/agkrellensteinGet bonus content by subscribing to @hellmoneypod on X: https://x.com/hellmoneypod/creator-subscriptions/subscribeOr support the podcast by sending a BTC donation: bc1qztncp7lmcxdgude4px2vzh72p2yu2aud0eyzys ORDINALS PROTOCOL SHIRT: https://shop.inscribing.com/products/ordinals-protocol-shirtTIMESTAMPS0:00 The beginning of Counterparty17:30 Worse is better development24:15 Early Bitcoin dev culture32:05 OP_RETURN & Bitcoin core devs38:05 Blockstream & sidechains, storing data on Bitcoin45:15 Bitcoin is unprepared for sophisticated political actors54:55 Counterparty culture & NFTs1:00:30 Adam's departure from Counterparty1:08:00 Philosophy of Nature1:19:00 Returning to open source development1:36:00 What's next for Bitcoin?

Jun 26, 2025 • 1h 42min
Bitcoin Core Dev Walks Away… to Battle The Great Firewall of China (with Carl Dong)
We sat down with Carl Dong — former Bitcoin Core contributor, now founder of Obscura VPN focused on real-world censorship resistance.In this episode, we dive into:- Why Carl walked away from Bitcoin Core development to tackle privacy head-on- What sets Obscura apart from other VPNs- Lessons from the Great Firewall and routing traffic through hostile networks- Chinese numerology- Carl & Casey's long and storied shared historyFOLLOW CARL: https://x.com/carl_dongGet bonus content by subscribing to @hellmoneypod on X: https://x.com/hellmoneypod/creator-subscriptions/subscribeOr support the podcast by sending a BTC donation: bc1qztncp7lmcxdgude4px2vzh72p2yu2aud0eyzys ORDINALS PROTOCOL SHIRT: https://shop.inscribing.com/products/ordinals-protocol-shirtTIMESTAMPS:0:00 Intro & Carl's journey to Bitcoin development11:59 Hard problems in Bitcoin16:00 Binaries, compliers, and reproducible builds37:30 Transitioning from Bitcoin core to working on Obscura VPN1:05:00 Advice for current Bitcoin core contributors1:10:00 Ordinals numerology1:39:00 Outro

Jun 11, 2025 • 1h 32min
The Whitelist Grind is OVER: How Signals.art is Fixing NFT Launches (with Nick Sainato)
While Bitcoin 2025 and Inscribing Vegas lit up the Strip, we camped out with a mic and grabbed the builders behind the biggest moves in Ordinals. Episode #1 from Sin City features Nick Sainato —Gamma Co‑Founder, now debuting Signals.art, the platform out to kill the NFT whitelist grind and give everyone a social credit score.We dive into:- Whitelist grind culture & inefficiencies in the market- Price discovery and go-to-market strategies for NFTs- Signals.art walkthrough- Early Ordinals lore & Nick's origin storyFOLLOW NICK: https://x.com/nicksainatoFOLLOW SIGNALS: https://x.com/signalsartCLAIM 300 BARS ON SIGNALS.ART WITH CODE "#HMP": https://signals.art/Get bonus content by subscribing to @hellmoneypod on X: https://x.com/hellmoneypod/creator-subscriptions/subscribeOr support the podcast by sending a BTC donation: bc1qztncp7lmcxdgude4px2vzh72p2yu2aud0eyzys ORDINALS PROTOCOL SHIRT: https://shop.inscribing.com/products/ordinals-protocol-shirtTIMESTAMPS:0:00 Intro & Inscribing Vegas review8:55 Signals.art & where we're at in the market14:00 Fixing the whitelist grind18:30 What is Signals?29:00 Clearing price auction price discovery38:10 Signals is chain-agnostic41:00 Pricing psychology52:00 Mint behavior59:00 Signals walkthrough1:08:15 Nick Sainato origin story1:18:15 Early Ordinals lore1:25:50 Outro

May 14, 2025 • 1h
BITCOIN CORE IS COMPROMISED! Meanwhile the Ordinals empire expands 🔥
On this episode of Hell Money, we’re locking in on final updates before we take over Las Vegas, Nevada. We’re auctioning the first piece from FUN!, the debut collection by Casey Rodarmor and Parker Day, and showing why Bitcoin-native auction tech beats the grift of legacy art houses.We explore:- Why Sotheby’s and Christie’s can’t compete with Bitcoin builders- Launching Megalith.art, the first Ordinals + Bitcoin-native auction platform- The debut piece from FUN! by Casey + Parker- How to use Ordinals Satscards for in-person trading of inscriptions, runes, and more- The OP_RETURN drama: Bitcoin podcasters vs. Bitcoin Core devsGet bonus content by subscribing to @hellmoneypod on X: https://x.com/hellmoneypod/creator-subscriptions/subscribeOr support the podcast by sending a BTC donation: bc1qztncp7lmcxdgude4px2vzh72p2yu2aud0eyzys 10% OFF INSCRIBING VEGAS: https://pretix.eu/inscribing/vegas/redeem?voucher=HELLMONEY10% OFF BITCOIN 2025: https://tickets.b.tc/code/inscribing/event/bitcoin-2025ORDINALS PROTOCOL SHIRT: https://shop.inscribing.com/products/ordinals-protocol-shirtTIMESTAMPS:0:00 Intro and Inscribing Vegas9:12 Megalith.art auction of FUN!27:50 Ordinals Satscards32:00 Ordinals Satscard tutorial42:15 OP_RETURN drama57:00 Outro

Apr 30, 2025 • 2h 58min
THE SPIRITUALITY ICEBERG
On this episode of Hell Money, we map the descent from New Age girlboss spirituality into the deep lore of interdimensional entrapment. It’s Erin’s spirituality iceberg: past the veil, past the simulation, straight into the metaphysical abyss.We explore:Shifting, twin flames, and the TikTok spirituality pipelineGalactic Federation Council bureaucracy hellscapeWhether we’re evolving or being harvestedSaturnian timelines, Hyperborea, and nuclear karmaWhat it means to escape the reincarnation matrixGet bonus content by subscribing to @hellmoneypod on X: https://x.com/hellmoneypod/creator-subscriptions/subscribeOr support the podcast by sending a BTC donation: bc1qztncp7lmcxdgude4px2vzh72p2yu2aud0eyzys 10% OFF INSCRIBING VEGAS: https://pretix.eu/inscribing/vegas/redeem?voucher=HELLMONEY10% OFF BITCOIN 2025: https://tickets.b.tc/code/inscribing/event/bitcoin-2025ORDINALS PROTOCOL SHIRT: https://shop.inscribing.com/products/ordinals-protocol-shirtTIMESTAMPS:0:00 Intro6:35 Tier 133:50 Tier 21:09:15 Tier 31:41:00 Tier 42:36:00 Tier 5

Apr 16, 2025 • 1h 23min
Casey Rodarmor Breaks His Silence on OP_CAT
In this episode of the Hell Money Podcast, we deliver a cosmic market update from the depths of tariff uncertainty, then discuss the opcode everyone’s frothing at the mouth over: OP_CAT. What is OP_CAT? What does it unlock for Bitcoin? And should it even happen?We explore:- AI and telepathy in the Age of Aquarius- Tariffs and a cosmic market update- Finding decentralized truth in the Akashic Records- Explaining the basics of OP_CAT- How OP_CAT could enable powerful primitives like vaults, covenants, and turing completeness- Whether or not OP_CAT belongs in BitcoinGet bonus content by subscribing to @hellmoneypod on X: https://x.com/hellmoneypod/creator-subscriptions/subscribeOr support the podcast by sending a BTC donation: bc1qztncp7lmcxdgude4px2vzh72p2yu2aud0eyzys 10% OFF INSCRIBING VEGAS: https://pretix.eu/inscribing/vegas/redeem?voucher=HELLMONEY10% OFF BITCOIN 2025: https://tickets.b.tc/code/inscribing/event/bitcoin-2025ORDINALS PROTOCOL SHIRT: https://shop.inscribing.com/products/ordinals-protocol-shirtTIMESTAMPS:0:00 Intro & AI Telepathy8:00 Tariffs & Cosmic Market Update43:00 The Akashic Records, Decentralized Truth, & Randonauting51:45 OP_CAT54:15 Turing machines & completeness1:00:00 Uses for OP_CAT1:13:30 Rijndael's Taplocks1:18:00 Outro

Apr 2, 2025 • 2h 3min
Bitcoin Meets Wall Street: How Futures & Derivatives Drive Global Adoption (with Matt Wraith)
Today we’re joined by dear friend of the pod Matt Wraith, CTO of Bitnomial, a Bitcoin futures and derivatives exchange. What starts as a conversation about Bitcoin futures and derivatives trading quickly spirals into a philosophical exploration of financial abstraction, capitalism, and the physical reality of money itself.We cover:- How Bitcoin futures and derivatives work- Good and bad abstraction in financialization- Self regulation in complex economic systems- Matt's journey from physics to Bitcoin- Why money should be expensive and useless- Ordinals, Runes, and Inscriptions derivativesGet bonus content by subscribing to @hellmoneypod on X: https://x.com/hellmoneypod/creator-subscriptions/subscribeOr support the podcast by sending a BTC donation: bc1qztncp7lmcxdgude4px2vzh72p2yu2aud0eyzys 10% OFF INSCRIBING VEGAS: https://pretix.eu/inscribing/vegas/redeem?voucher=HELLMONEY10% OFF BITCOIN 2025: https://tickets.b.tc/code/inscribing/event/bitcoin-2025ORDINALS PROTOCOL SHIRT: https://shop.inscribing.com/products/ordinals-protocol-shirtFOLLOW MATT: https://x.com/wraith_mFOLLOW BITNOMIAL: https://x.com/BitnomialLEARN MORE ABOUT BITNOMIAL: https://bitnomial.com/BOTANICAL.FINANCE: https://botanical.finance/FOLLOW HELL MONEY PODCAST:→ HMP: https://x.com/hellmoneypod→ Casey: https://x.com/rodarmor→ Erin: https://x.com/realizingerin→ Podcast Links: https://hell.money/TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Intro, the Friedman family, SF Bitdevs11:00 Bitnomial: Bitcoin futures & options13:30 How do futures work?18:00 Bitcoin futures21:00 Matt's history with Bitcoin & Bitnomial28:40 Bitcoin derivatives, futures, options, & risk36:00 Oil futures went negative in 202039:00 Complicated economic systems self regulating44:00 21st century economic experiments49:50 Matt's academic history, physics of metals1:01:00 Chicago & the commodities industry1:04:00 Bitcoin futures are a necessary part of institutional adoption1:10:00 Derivatives, financial abstraction, & market stability1:15:00 Investors fund the future, our rigged economic system1:23:00 We need more economic/political experiments1:24:30 Matt's journey to Bitcoin1:30:00 Bitcoin is a tether between digital and physical reality1:35:00 Money should be useless and expensive1:38:00 We don't know everything that Bitcoin can do1:41:30 Instantaneous money transfer1:44:30 Stablecoins on Runes1:46:30 Ordinals, Runes, & Inscriptions futures1:51:00 Trading Places, people are not fungible1:59:00 Outro