

The Mustard Seed—a bitcoin and long-term thinking podcast
Joe Burnett
Joe Burnett is Director of Bitcoin Strategy at Semler Scientific (NASDAQ: SMLR), the second publicly traded company to adopt a bitcoin treasury strategy, where he helped the company accumulate more than 5,000 BTC. He previously served as Director of Market Research at Unchained, which helps secure over 100,000 BTC. Joe hosts The Mustard Seed, a Bitcoin podcast featuring leading experts such as Michael Saylor, Lyn Alden, and Luke Gromen. Before Unchained, he worked at Blockware Solutions and Ernst & Young.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 23, 2025 • 1h 6min
MSTR’s Evolution into a Bitcoin Capital Markets Machine with Brian Brookshire
MSTR’s bitcoin strategy is no longer a theory. It is a proven capital markets machine reshaping how corporations accumulate bitcoin through preferred equity, digital credit, and disciplined balance-sheet design. In this episode, we examine why volatility is being monetized, why fixed income is the next frontier, and why this strategy is built to compound over decades, not quarters.00:00 - Why MicroStrategy’s bitcoin strategy was misunderstood02:30 - The 2024 blow-off top that ignited bitcoin treasury adoption05:00 - Why price action is the true signal for corporate bitcoin adoption07:45 - How the strategy model survived the bear market09:15 - The pivot from convertible bonds to perpetual preferred equity12:10 - Why preferred equity works better in volatile markets15:00 - Digital credit and unlocking the $300 trillion fixed-income market18:45 - How long the bitcoin capital-markets arbitrage can last22:45 - Bitcoin’s end game, AI, and long-term growth limits27:20 - What digital credit looks like in the next bitcoin bull market31:30 - Is BTC Yield a flawed or misunderstood metric36:45 - Digital money, stablecoins, and building on bitcoin credit44:00 - Has Saylor actually changed the core bitcoin strategy49:15 - OG selling, volatility suppression, and market structure54:30 - Why holding a USD reserve strengthens the bitcoin strategy

Dec 18, 2025 • 1h 2min
Making Bitcoin Quantum-Resistant with Hunter Beast
Bitcoin’s security assumptions are entering a new era as quantum computing moves from theory toward reality. In this episode, Hunter Beast explains which bitcoin are actually at risk, why most supply remains safe, and how Bitcoin can evolve without compromising its core principles. This is a sober, long-term discussion on cryptography, state-level threats, and why Bitcoin remains the strongest monetary system for the decades ahead.Timestamps:00:00 - Welcome and why quantum matters for bitcoin04:28 - What quantum computers are and why they are different10:13 - How quantum computers break cryptography17:35 - Why quantum risk specifically matters for bitcoin19:44 - Which bitcoin are actually vulnerable today23:28 - Why Taproot changes the quantum threat model27:26 - High-level recap of bitcoin’s quantum exposure30:14 - NSA, NIST, and why government cryptography cannot be trusted32:40 - Why hash-based cryptography may be bitcoin’s safest path40:39 - Broken money, central banking, and why bitcoin matters51:56 - What the bitcoin community should focus on next54:43 - The “quantum discount” on bitcoin’s future value57:39 - Why bitcoin survives even state-level adversaries01:00:06 - Final thoughts and where to follow Hunter Beast

8 snips
Dec 11, 2025 • 54min
QE-lite Sets Up Bitcoin’s 2026 Explosion with Joe Consorti
In this engaging discussion, Joe Consorti, a bitcoin and macro strategist, dives into the implications of the Fed's recent policy resembling 2019's QE-lite. He analyzes why liquidity is returning and how bitcoin stands strong amid economic shifts. Topics include the K-shaped economy's winners and losers, the potential impact of a new Fed chair, and bitcoin's evolving market structure. With insights on credit dynamics and an optimistic outlook for 2026, Consorti makes a compelling case for bitcoin as an essential asset in today's financial landscape.

Dec 3, 2025 • 1h 4min
Was the Bitcoin Crash Just a Fakeout? with John Haar
Bitcoin is entering a new phase where old narratives are breaking down and real macro forces are taking over. In this episode, John Haar explains why the halving cycle is losing its power, how corporate balance sheets and global credit markets are setting the stage for explosive long-term adoption, and why 2026 may redefine every prior price cycle.Timestamps:00:00 - Intro and 2025 bitcoin price action & sentiment02:05 - Why this is not a repeat of the 2021 cycle top09:44 - Are halvings still driving bitcoin or are they becoming irrelevant?12:02 - John’s base case: new ATH above $130k in 2026 and the end of the 4-year cycle meme19:15 - Bitcoin vs Mag 7: why it’s still the best debasement trade in a passive world30:24 - Why “credit came before money” makes no sense logically33:18 - MMT, government IOUs, and the push to normalize debt-based money36:27 - What drives the next wave of bitcoin adoption and who joins next40:10 - What credit looks like on a bitcoin standard vs today’s dollar debt system44:52 - How corporate debt issuance is a speculative attack on the dollar48:45 - Bitcoin treasury companies: from overheated hype to “ice cold” sentiment50:25 - Can $300T of fixed income eventually flow into bitcoin-backed digital credit?58:26 - Why strategy is stockpiling 1–2 years of USD reserves for its preferreds59:38 - Catalysts for the next bitcoin bull run into 2026

11 snips
Nov 19, 2025 • 53min
Amplified Bitcoin, STRC, and Core vs Knots with Stephan Livera
In this discussion, Stephan Livera, a prominent Bitcoin podcaster and economist, dives deep into the world of digital credit and its impact on Bitcoin’s dynamics. He explains the concept of amplified Bitcoin and why its volatility can be so intense. The debate between Bitcoin Core and Knots is assessed, revealing how it may be more noise than substance. Topics like the power law adoption model and the looming threat of quantum computing are also explored, alongside insights into Bitcoin’s growth as a medium of exchange and merchant adoption.

Nov 6, 2025 • 55min
Bitcoin, the business cycle, and the coming wave of monetary easing with Joe Consorti
In this discussion, Joe Consorti, a macro and markets commentator, delves into Bitcoin's latest price dynamics and the silent shifts among long-term holders. He argues that recent sell-offs may actually indicate strength, highlighting key support levels at $95,000 and $100,000. Joe explores the ramifications of rising socialism tied to economic discrepancies and warns about the risks linked to concentrated equity markets. Additionally, he underscores how Bitcoin's movements reflect the business cycle more than its halving, hinting at an upcoming rally driven by easing financial conditions.

Oct 31, 2025 • 47min
Bitcoin, AI, and self-storage: building the new productive economy with Kenny Alves
Kenny Alves, founder of West Main Self Storage and a seasoned Bitcoiner, joins the conversation on integrating Bitcoin into traditional business. He shares insights on transforming his family’s self-storage company into a Bitcoin treasury, discussing the potential of using Bitcoin as collateral for real estate investments. Kenny also emphasizes how small businesses can lead Bitcoin adoption and explores AI's role in boosting productivity. He envisions humanoid robots reshaping labor in the storage sector, making for an exciting glimpse into the future of the productive economy.

23 snips
Oct 21, 2025 • 1h 13min
What does the world look like at $10,000,000 BTC? with Fred Krueger
Fred Krueger, a Bitcoin investor and author, dives into a world where Bitcoin hits $10 million. He discusses the potential coexistence of Bitcoin and fiat, the declining value of traditional assets like real estate, and how deflation can drive innovation. The conversation explores the implications for portfolio allocation, advocating for significant Bitcoin holdings and questioning whether the traditional 60/40 investment strategy is still viable. He also highlights how AI and automation could reshape society during this transition.

Oct 17, 2025 • 56min
Gold is screaming, so why isn’t bitcoin? with Joe Consorti
Is the global monetary system is cracking? In this episode, Joe Consorti explains why gold’s record-breaking surge is a warning signal, how sovereigns are accelerating a shift in global finance, and why bitcoin may soon explode after months of consolidation. We cover the Fed’s race to respond faster to every crisis, what renewed liquidity means for risk assets, and how monetary easing could fuel the next leg of bitcoin adoption. Joe also breaks down Strategy’s STRC and why digital credit could redefine yield as capital moves from fiat to bitcoin-based instruments.Timestamps:00:00 - Intro and welcome to The Mustard Seed Podcast00:35 - Why gold is up 62% in 202503:18 - The global monetary reordering underway06:14 - Why bitcoin can still move violently higher11:13 - Why bitcoin beats gold as a store of value13:21 - How banks now view bitcoin as part of the gold trade16:20 - Why gold is outperforming bitcoin this year20:35 - How the Fed, shutdowns, and tariffs weigh on bitcoin24:05 - Why the Fed’s crisis response time keeps accelerating29:17 - Why the Fed can’t allow a protracted bear market35:16 - Comparing 2021’s tightening to today’s easing cycle40:10 - What happens when liquidity returns to markets44:58 - Introducing digital credit and MicroStrategy’s STRC48:39 - Why STRC could attract yield-hungry investors52:09 - Why bitcoin’s next breakout could be explosive54:29 - Final thoughts and closing advice from Joe Consorti

Oct 8, 2025 • 49min
Bitcoin and AI will define the next century with Christian Catalini from Lightspark
Bitcoin is becoming the foundation of a new financial and technological order. In this episode, Christian Catalini shares why open networks must win over corporate blockchains, how the Lightning Network and Spark are unlocking true global payments, and what lessons he learned building Libra inside Facebook. We explore the limits of stablecoins, the risks of leverage, and why proof of work may be humanity’s greatest defense in a world racing toward automation.Timestamps:00:00 - Welcome and guest intro00:20 - The MIT bitcoin experiment02:09 - Why Christian is a bitcoin pragmatist02:30 - Linux analogy for bitcoin04:11 - Making Lightning Network enterprise grade05:37 - Before Lightspark: MIT professor to fintech researcher08:12 - Inside Project Libra10:04 - Building on permissionless open networks11:10 - When block subsidies fall to zero15:06 - How AI reshapes work and value17:31 - Why AI agents should not hold wallets18:40 - Micropayments for agents with Lightning20:29 - Are we plateauing or accelerating in AI22:49 - Redefining capitalism for the AI era24:18 - The real AI risk: unknown preferences26:51 - bitcoin and money in an automated world28:24 - Proof of work as time and energy31:32 - Is AI bigger than bitcoin32:27 - The current state of the Lightning Network44:24 - Thoughts on Saylor’s preferred equity47:40 - Closing call to builders to choose open networks


