

The Bitcoin Standard Podcast
Dr. Saifedean Ammous
Saifedean's The Bitcoin Standard Podcast is the place to discuss Bitcoin and economics from the Austrian school's perspective. Listen to the weekly saifedean.com discussion seminar, where a group of learners from all over the world discuss the website's online courses, as well as a wide variety of economic, political, and social issues, and occasionally host special guests for the discussion. The podcast also includes the most interesting interviews conducted with Saifedean on other shows.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 11, 2025 • 41min
299. Property Rights: The Root of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
The lecture explores how the denial of property rights is the fundamental cause of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It dissects historical land ownership statistics and the impact of 1948 expulsions. The discussion highlights the dual legal systems in the region, the systematic demolition of Palestinian homes, and overall restrictions on mobility. It emphasizes that a lack of property rights leads to conflict, challenging the narrative of ethnic hatred. Historical examples of coexistence underscore the importance of property rights as a foundation for civil society.

4 snips
Nov 4, 2025 • 39min
298. The Fiat Standard Lecture 17: Bitcoin Cost-Benefit Analysis
Explore Bitcoin as an innovative electricity-based savings tool that outperforms traditional fiat systems. Discover how declining supply growth enhances efficiency, making it a sound monetary choice. Delve into the costs of mining, security expenditures, and transaction fees, illustrating Bitcoin's dynamic market-driven nature. Saifedean emphasizes that energy consumption fuels valuable services, countering common objections. Ultimately, Bitcoin emerges as a technological upgrade over outdated monetary systems, promising stability and protection against debasement.

11 snips
Oct 28, 2025 • 1h 18min
297. The Fiat Standard Lecture 16: Bitcoin and Energy Markets
Explore how Bitcoin's proof-of-work stands as a counter to the political chaos of fiat systems. Delve into the intriguing dynamics of energy markets and how miners seek out zero-opportunity-cost power sources. Discover why Bitcoin's difficulty adjustment is crucial for network security and how it links supply with real-world energy economics. The conversation highlights Bitcoin's potential to revolutionize energy consumption, encouraging investment in reliable power while sidelining unreliable sources.

15 snips
Oct 21, 2025 • 1h 7min
296. The Fiat Standard Lecture 15: Bitcoin Banking
The discussion centers on the evolving role of banks in a Bitcoin-driven world. It explores why custodial services remain vital, even with cryptocurrency. Bitcoin banking is shown to prioritize equity over credit, reshaping capital allocation. The podcast highlights how Bitcoin simplifies savings and reduces systemic fragility. It argues that Bitcoin could eliminate the bond market by removing inflation-driven incentives. Lastly, it draws intriguing parallels between Bitcoin finance and the principles of Islamic finance.

17 snips
Oct 14, 2025 • 56min
295. The Fiat Standard Lecture 14: Bitcoin Scaling
Delve into the world of Bitcoin scaling with insights on why on-chain transactions face hard limits. Explore the necessity of keeping block space scarce for immutability. Discover how economic incentives shift smaller payments to second-layer solutions, particularly the Lightning Network, which facilitates rapid, inexpensive transactions. Learn about the contrasting roles of on-chain versus non-cash payments and the future of Bitcoin as it evolves with specialized routing businesses and managed liquidity services, balancing decentralization with usability.

11 snips
Oct 7, 2025 • 37min
294. The Fiat Standard Lecture 13: Why Bitcoin Fixes This
Explore how Bitcoin outshines fiat and gold in salability and efficiency. Discover its role as a final settlement layer and how it lowers international transfer costs. Learn about Bitcoin’s unique properties that separate money from debt and empower multiple settlement providers. Understand the contrast between liquid money and risky credit representations. Finally, see why Bitcoin is a catalyst for economic freedom, despite its limits in eradicating poverty. This discussion is a deep dive into the transformative potential of Bitcoin.

19 snips
Sep 30, 2025 • 33min
293. The Fiat Standard Lecture 12: Fiat Cost-Benefit Analysis
Explore the sharp contrast between the minor benefits of fiat money and its immense costs, like wealth erosion and societal decay. Discover how inflation drives inequality, enriching the elites while impoverishing the poor. Learn about the destructive effects of fiat on saving, capital accumulation, and technological progress. The discussion also highlights how fiat systems distort economic behavior and enable state power, making war easier. Ultimately, a staggering $15 trillion annual cost is outlined, proving the overwhelming damage fiat does to civilization.

10 snips
Sep 23, 2025 • 1h 5min
292. The Fiat Standard Lecture 11: Fiat States
Dive into the pitfalls of fiat money and its global impact. Discover how reserve currencies export inflation and entrench countries in debt traps. Explore the disastrous legacy of the IMF and World Bank, which reinforce dependence on unreliable financial systems. Learn about the historical link between fiat-driven inflation and protectionism, sparking conflicts throughout the 20th century. Finally, uncover how genuine growth relies on freedom and sound money, not on failed debt-driven solutions.

12 snips
Sep 16, 2025 • 1h 15min
291. The Fiat Standard Lecture 10: Fiat Fuels
This discussion dives into the impact of the fiat monetary system on energy markets, arguing that hydrocarbons are irreplaceable in modern economies. It critiques reliance on subsidized and unreliable energy sources, exposing the myths surrounding climate narratives. The conversation also highlights the inflating costs of energy linked to monetary policy and emphasizes the economic consequences of shifting away from fossil fuels. Ultimately, it challenges prevalent climate criticisms while stressing the importance of hydrocarbons for progress and infrastructure.

14 snips
Sep 9, 2025 • 1h 23min
290. The Fiat Standard Lecture 9: Fiat Science
Explore how fiat money centralizes education and distorts scientific research. Delve into the pitfalls of government funding that leads to inefficiency and lack of accountability. Discover the challenges in Egypt's educational system and the transformation of universities into indoctrination centers. Hear a critique of humanities education that prioritizes politics over real skills, and the flaws of the current academic publishing system. Finally, analyze the alarming influence of financial interests on scientific innovation and health guidelines.


