"All of the above did have an impact, however their impact is often overstated in our view. The most significant factor is culture. Some Bitcoiners and Bitcoin developers simply did not want this type of activity on the Bitcoin blockchain and they successfully discouraged it."
~ BitMEX Research

Did Bitcoin’s culture - not its code - push DApps to Ethereum? I read the “OP_RETURN wars” history and then dig into incentives, mempool policy, and filters: are we defending sound money or just inviting smarter spam under a new label?

Check out the original article The OP_Return Wars of 2014 – Dapps Vs Bitcoin Transactions by BitMEX Research (Link: https://blog.bitmex.com/dapps-or-only-bitcoin-transactions-the-2014-debate/)

Check out our awesome sponsors!

• Ledn: Need fiat but don’t want to sell your Bitcoin? Ledn offers secure, Bitcoin-backed loans with no credit checks, flexible repayment, and fast turnaround—often within 24 hours. With $10B+ in loans across 100+ countries and transparent Proof of Reserves, Ledn is a trusted option for unlocking liquidity without giving up your Bitcoin. (Link: https://learn.ledn.io/audible)
• HRF: The Human Rights Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. Subscribe to HRF's Financial Freedom Newsletter today. (Link: https://mailchi.mp/hrf.org/financial-freedom-newsletter)
• OFF: The Oslo Freedom Forum is a global human rights event by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), uniting voices from activism, journalism, tech, and beyond. Through powerful stories and collaboration, OFF advances freedom and human potential worldwide. Join us next June. (Link: https://oslofreedomforum.com/)
• Pubky: Pubky is building the next web, a decentralized system designed to put control back in your hands. Escape censorship, algorithmic manipulation, and walled gardens by owning your identity and data. Explore the Pubky web and become the algorithm today. Don't forget to find me on my Pubky ID here: pk:5d7thwzkxx5mz6gk1f19wfyykr6nrwzaxri3io7ahejg1z74qngo. (Link: https://pubky.org)
• Chroma: Chroma is dedicated to advancing human performance and well-being through cutting-edge light therapy devices and performance eyewear. Their mission is to enhance physical and mental health, unlocking peak human health, cognitive function, and physical performance. Get 10% off your order with the code BITCOINAUDIBLE. (Link: https://getchroma.co/?ref=BitcoinAudible)

Host Links

• ⁠Guy on Nostr ⁠(Link: http://tinyurl.com/2xc96ney)
• ⁠Guy on X ⁠(Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann)
• Guy on Instagram (Link: https://www.instagram.com/theguyswann)
• Guy on TikTok (Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguyswann)
• Guy on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@theguyswann)
• ⁠Bitcoin Audible on X⁠ (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible)
• The Guy Swann Network Broadcast Room on Keet (Link: https://tinyurl.com/3na6v839)...

"It's that old saying, right? It's that meme. It's like, however bad you think it is, it's going to get worse, right? But at the same time, it's also going to get better.
So be very bearish on fiat. Be very bullish on Bitcoin. This system, it's going to get worse. The collateral problem and the fail to deliver problem is going to get worse. Your shares that you own in brokerage aren't really yours. They're held by the broker. They're held at the DTCC. They can freeze them whenever they want. They can create fake shares whenever they want. They can fail to deliver. They can naked short. They can manipulate with derivatives, all these sorts of things. And really the only financial asset that you can truly own is Bitcoin."
~ Peruvian Bull

In this episode, I sit down with Peruvian Bull for a deep dive into the fragility of our financial system. From Japan’s zombified economy to the slow-motion collapse of the U.S. dollar, we peel back the illusions of stability that most people take for granted. Why does the debt machine always accelerate? What if your stocks aren’t really yours? And how does Bitcoin fit as the inevitable escape hatch?

We dig into the GameStop saga, the “great taking” of securities, stealth QE, the carry trade, and why debt — not retail payments — may be the problem Bitcoin is destined to solve first. Along the way, we explore what happens when central banks kick the can “up the stairs,” why Japan’s story is a glimpse of our own future, and how individuals can prepare themselves before the next inning begins.

This one is a rich discussion for anyone trying to make sense of late-stage fiat, the dollar endgame, and the hope that Bitcoin offers.

Check out our awesome sponsors!

• Ledn: Need fiat but don’t want to sell your Bitcoin? Ledn offers secure, Bitcoin-backed loans with no credit checks, flexible repayment, and fast turnaround—often within 24 hours. With $10B+ in loans across 100+ countries and transparent Proof of Reserves, Ledn is a trusted option for unlocking liquidity without giving up your Bitcoin. (Link: https://learn.ledn.io/audible)
• HRF: The Human Rights Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. Subscribe to HRF's Financial Freedom Newsletter today. (Link: https://mailchi.mp/hrf.org/financial-freedom-newsletter)
• OFF: The Oslo Freedom Forum is a global human rights event by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), uniting voices from activism, journalism, tech, and beyond. Through powerful stories and collaboration, OFF advances freedom and human potential worldwide. Join us next June. (Link: https://oslofreedomforum.com/)
• Pubky: Pubky is building the next web, a decentralized system designed to put control back in your hands. Escape censorship, algorithmic manipulation, and walled gardens by owning your identity and data. Explore the Pubky web and become the algorithm today. Don't forget to find me on my Pubky ID here: pk:5d7thwzkxx5mz6gk1f19wfyykr6nrwzaxri3io7ahejg1z74qngo. (Link: https://pubky.org)
• Chroma: Chroma is dedicated to advancing human performance and well-being through cutting-edge light therapy devices and performance eyewear. Their mission is to enhance physical and mental health, unlocking peak human health, cognitive function, and physical performance. Get 10% off your order with the code BITCOINAUDIBLE. (Link: https://getchroma.co/?ref=BitcoinA...

"Technology is always and everywhere a tool, not an autonomous agent.
It requires humans to operate, which they will do in order to satisfy human desires."
When we say "technology" saves labor, what we really mean is it leverages labor.
It gives to labor powers that were previously impossible, inconceivable even.
Only in the aftermath of witnessing its novel capabilities do we articulate that a car gives
to a man the literal physical power of 200 horses.
We do not start by imagining squishing 200 horses into a metal box."
~ Allen Farrington

What if AI isn’t replacing us - but multiplying us? In this read and my take, we dig into the fear of job-killing machines, from the steam engine to LLMs, and why every “this time is different” panic always misses the point. Is AI just the next bicycle for the mind—or something even bigger?

Check out the original article Vibe Capital Accumulating by Allen Farrington (Link: https://tinyurl.com/2h555x39)

Mentions & Resources from the Episode

• Bitcoin is Venice: Essays on the Past and Future of Capitalism Audiobook (Link: https://tinyurl.com/mruuspj5)
• Read_901 - 6 Weeks of Claude Code on Fountain (Link: https://fountain.fm/episode/ZZdBRuVw3FvpTb3YmXLO)
• Margaret Jacob’s Scientific Culture and the Making of the Industrial West (https://a.co/d/ahpm1B1)
• Scientific Culture and the Making of the Industrial West by Margaret C. Jacob (Link: https://tinyurl.com/3sj8x5mt)
• The 1982 British TV documentary on Japanese robots (Link: https://youtu.be/LMuI1-2SlGk)

Check out our awesome sponsors!

• Ledn: Need fiat but don’t want to sell your Bitcoin? Ledn offers secure, Bitcoin-backed loans with no credit checks, flexible repayment, and fast turnaround—often within 24 hours. With $10B+ in loans across 100+ countries and transparent Proof of Reserves, Ledn is a trusted option for unlocking liquidity without giving up your Bitcoin. (Link: https://learn.ledn.io/audible)
• HRF: The Human Rights Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. Subscribe to HRF's Financial Freedom Newsletter today. (Link: https://mailchi.mp/hrf.org/financial-freedom-newsletter)
• OFF: The Oslo Freedom Forum is a global human rights event by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), uniting voices from activism, journalism, tech, and beyond. Through powerful stories and collaboration, OFF advances freedom and human potential worldwide. Join us next June. (Link: https://oslofreedomforum.com/)
• Pubky: Pubky is building the next web, a decentralized system designed to put control back in your hands. Escape censorship, algorithmic manipulation, and walled gardens by owning your identity and data. Explore the Pubky web and become the algorithm today. Don't forget to find me on my Pubky ID here: pk:5d7thwzkxx5mz6gk1f19wfyykr6nrwzaxri3io7ahejg1z74qngo. (Link: https://...