Haley Berkoe met with Clara Shikhelman, the Head of Research at Chaincode Labs. Clara has been researching complex mathematical problems for nearly a decade and is currently focusing on the Lightning Network and bitcoin in the age of post-quantum computing.Episode highlights include:* Her goals with the quantum computing report: provide an overview of the current status and future direction, reduce FUD, and clarify what actually matters.* A call for cryptographers to engage with bitcoin and read the whitepaper.* The need for bitcoin to have a more user-friendly experience and tools that are as simple to use as Venmo.* Excitement about new developers entering the space through the Chaincode BOSS program https://learning.chaincode.com/* Advice to researchers: follow interesting questions rather than adhering to traditional academic paths.FOLLOW:Clara Shikhelman: @ClaraShik, https://x.com/ClaraShikChaincode Labs: @ChaincodeLabs, https://x.com/ChaincodeLabsHaley Berkoe: @HBerkoe, https://x.com/HBerkoePresidio Bitcoin: @PresidioBitcoin, https://x.com/PresidioBitcoinWatch the podcast:https://www.youtube.com/@PresidioBitcoin This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit presidiobitcoin.substack.com
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21 in 21: Ben Carman
Haley Berkoe met with Ben Carman, who recently joined the Spiral team to work on the Lightning Development Kit and LDK-related projects. Previously he was at Taproot Wizards and Mutiny, a non-custodial Lightning wallet.Episode highlights include:- Ben’s new focus areas at Spiral.- His bitcoin journey, which started with a comedy podcast and Andreas Antonopoulos's videos.- Ben’s concerns about the bitcoin community's lack of emphasis on real-world payments.- He stresses the need for next-generation Lightning and self-custodial wallets, warning that without proper infrastructure, bitcoin risks being seen merely as a banking asset.- Shoutouts to Rockstar Dev and folks in the Austin bitcoin community, such as Buck Pearly, Jack Lesser, and Rod from Bitcoin Park.- Advice for newcomers: do everything you can to learn, contribute, and enhance visibility in the community.FOLLOW:Ben Carman: @benthecarman, https://x.com/benthecarmanSpiral: @spiralbtc, https://x.com/spiralbtcHaley Berkoe: @HBerkoe, https://x.com/HBerkoePresidio Bitcoin: @PresidioBitcoin, https://x.com/PresidioBitcoinWATCH THE SHOW:https://www.youtube.com/@PresidioBitcoin This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit presidiobitcoin.substack.com
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21 in 21: Stephen DeLorme
In this episode, Haley Berkoe sat down with Stephen DeLorme, a Product Designer at Voltage and co-founder of ATL BitLab, a bitcoin-focused hackerspace in Atlanta.Episode Highlights:* Battle of the Mine-hackers starts this Saturday, June 7th, at ATL BitLab! Remote participation is welcome: https://minehackers.atlbitlab.com/* Centralization risks with mining pools, hardware manufacturing, and block template construction* Current focus areas at Voltage along with fun side projects like Bolt 12 Zaps* Hot takes on Cashu* Warming up to renaming sats to bitcoin. We need user research to gauge reactions* Making bitcoin fun with games and approaches like Bitty (go find all 9 on bitcoin.org)* Shoutouts to Steve Lee (@moneyball) and Adam Jonas (@adamcjonas)* His positive experiences with vibe coding and advice that everyone should start doing itFOLLOW:Stephen DeLorme: @StephenDeLorme https://x.com/StephenDeLormeATLBitLab: @atlbitlab, https://x.com/atlbitlabHaley Berkoe: @HBerkoe, https://x.com/HBerkoePresidio Bitcoin: @PresidioBitcoin, https://x.com/PresidioBitcoinWATCH THE SHOW: https://www.youtube.com/@PresidioBitcoin This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit presidiobitcoin.substack.com
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21 in 21: Ella Hough
Haley Berkoe met with Ella Hough, who has dedicated significant time to educating younger generations about bitcoin. She just completed her bitcoin-focused study at Cornell University, co-founded the Bitcoin Students Network, and led the Cornell Bitcoin Club, which is now transitioning to new leadership. Additionally, she is conducting a global study examining bitcoin adoption and financial freedom.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:* How she went about pursuing bitcoin as an independent major, focusing on its connections to linguistics and game theory, and viewing bitcoin as a language—a new protocol for truth and the dissemination of information.* Her research study, which spans 25 countries, includes 25,000 surveys and about 250 interviews to explore how bitcoin serves as a tool for financial freedom.* Her bitcoin "aha" moment 4 years ago after attending the Oslo Freedom Forum with the Human Rights Foundation.* How hackathons can help foster connections and provide students a chance to build proof of work, making them more employable.* Shoutouts to Sarah Kreps (@sekreps), Troy Cross (@thetrocro), Parker Lewis (@parkeralewis), Erik Hersman (@whiteafrican), Dhruv Bansal (@dhruvbansal), and her mom Lisa Hough (@lisa_hough_). FOLLOW:Ella Hough: @21MMforthe21st, https://x.com/21MMforthe21stBitcoin Students Network: @BTCStudents, https://x.com/BTCStudents Haley Berkoe: @HBerkoe, https://x.com/HBerkoePresidio Bitcoin: @PresidioBitcoin, https://x.com/PresidioBitcoinWATCH THE SHOW: https://www.youtube.com/@PresidioBitcoin This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit presidiobitcoin.substack.com
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21 in 21: Laolu Osuntokun
Haley Berkoe interviewed Laolu Osuntokun, also known as Roasbeef. He’s a longtime bitcoiner, the CTO and co-founder of Lightning Labs, and lead developer for LND, one of the main Lightning implementations.Highlights of the conversation include his:- Winning project at the PB hackathon- Areas of focus at Lightning Labs, including improving LND and Taproot Assets- Pragmatic view on stablecoins- Ideas on how best to display bitcoin fractions and decimals- Current favorite gadget: a ring watch- Reflections on bitcoin's adoption and the need for better privacy- The story behind his nicknameFollow:Laolu Osuntokun: @roasbeef, https://x.com/roasbeefLightning Labs: @lightning, https://x.com/lightningHaley Berkoe: @HBerkoe, https://x.com/HBerkoePresidio Bitcoin: @PresidioBitcoin, https://x.com/PresidioBitcoinWatch:https://www.youtube.com/@PresidioBitcoin This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit presidiobitcoin.substack.com
Haley Berkoe asks some of the biggest names in bitcoin and Silicon Valley 21 questions in 21 minutes, from the personalities you know and love to tech’s unsung heroes. A new episode drops when someone stops by Presidio Bitcoin. Reach out if you are or will be in the area and are interested in being on the show.
presidiobitcoin.substack.com
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