Wargaming the Oil Crisis, Bitcoin's Role in US-China Competition, & AI Agent Payments | BPH Ep 31

The Iran conflict is sending global oil markets into crisis, and the ripple effects could trigger a geopolitical reset with massive implications for Bitcoin. In this episode of Bitcoin Policy Hour, Ken, Zack Shapiro, and host Zack Cohen break down Bitcoin's strategic role in U.S.-China competition, why Lightning Network is becoming the payment standard for AI agents, and the CFTC's precedent-setting no-action letter on non-custodial wallets. They also tackle Basel III's punitive 1,250% capital requirements for banks holding Bitcoin and the fight for a Bitcoin de minimis tax exemption on Capitol Hill. Click here to get 10% off bitcoin 2026 Conference in Las Vegas: https://tickets.b.tc/event/bitcoin-2026?promoCodeTask=apply&promoCodeInput=YT10🔶 Connect with Zack Shapiro on X: https://x.com/zackbshapiro🔶 Connect with Zack Cohen on X: https://x.com/zackcohen_🔶 Connect with Ken Egan on X: https://x.com/Bayman11771🔶 Connect with Luke Danielian on X: https://x.com/LukasDanielian🔶 Learn more about the Bitcoin Policy Institute: https://www.btcpolicy.org/Chapters: 0:00 - Cold Open: Energy, Civilization & the Global Oil Crisis0:40 - Bitcoin in the Indo-Pacific8:00 - Iran Conflict, Strait of Hormuz & the Energy Market Crisis14:56 - Could U.S. Ground Forces Enter Iran?18:40 - Finding Trustworthy Information on the Iran Conflict21:43 - Lightning Network for AI Agent Payments: Lightning Labs Demo Day27:10 - Why Bitcoin & Lightning Are Built for the Robots, Not Humans32:28 - CFTC No-Action Letter on Phantom Wallet39:23 - Sam Lyman Joins BPI & Basel III's 1,250% Capital Requirement Fight48:39 - Bitcoin De Minimis Tax Exemption vs. Market Structure Legislation55:01 - Section 1960, the BRCA & the Road Ahead for Bitcoin Policy#Bitcoin #BitcoinPolicy #BPI #BitcoinPolicyHour #LightningNetwork #AIagents #LightningLabs #CFTC #BaselIII #BitcoinTax #DeMinimis #BitcoinNationalSecurity #USChinaCompetition #IranConflict #OilCrisis #StraitOfHormuz #EnergyMarkets #NonCustodial #PhantomWallet #BitcoinBanking #FederalReserve #BitcoinRegulation #BRCA #BitcoinMining #Stablecoins #DigitalAssets #GeniusAct #BitcoinReserve #MonetaryPolicy #Geopolitics #SamLyman #DoombergEnergy #BitcoinAdoption #FreedomTech

Shone Anstey, Chairman and CEO of LQWD Technologies Corp, joins the Bitcoin for Corporations X Space to discuss how AI agents are creating explosive demand for the Lightning Network as the native payment rail of the internet. Shone breaks down why machines need instant, peer-to-peer micropayments, how LQWD is using Grok for channel rebalancing, the concept of agent identity on Bitcoin's mainchain, and why Lightning is the "eighth layer of the internet." He also shares insights on non-custodial Bitcoin yield for treasury companies, the parallels between today's AI boom and the 90s internet revolution, and what Treasury 2.0 looks like for Bitcoin operating companies.Chapters:00:00 – Introduction & Welcome02:00 – Shone's Open Cure Side Project and AI Passion08:15 – From the 90s Internet to Bitcoin: Shone's Background11:18 – Bitcoin as the Trust Protocol 14:41 – Why Lightning Beats Other Networks for AI Agents17:24 – Bitcoin Treasury Companies Earn Non-Custodial Yield27:15 – Onboarding AI Agents to Lightning29:07 – Agent Identity on Bitcoin37:17 – What the Future Looks Like for AI and Bitcoin48:07 – Digital Credit, Treasury 2.0, and Closing Thoughts#Bitcoin #LightningNetwork #AIAgents #LQWD #BitcoinTreasury #AgenticWeb #Micropayments #Layer2 #BitcoinForCorporations #CryptoAI #Web3 #OpenSource #BitcoinYield #LightningPayments #MachineLearning #BitcoinAdoption #TrustProtocol #DigitalEconomy #Fintech #BitcoinMining

Balaji Srinivasan explains why America's political system is swinging further left and further right until it breaks apart entirely. In this conversation with Brandon Green, he lays out why Bitcoin serves as the fire alarm for a failing system and why your location matters more than your portfolio. Balaji shares his "liquidate, emigrate, accelerate" framework, and reveals why Latin America and El Salvador may be the smartest destinations for Bitcoiners. Read more about the Network School Here: https://ns.com/Click here to get 10% off bitcoin 2026 Conference in Las Vegas: https://tickets.b.tc/event/bitcoin-2026?promoCodeTask=apply&promoCodeInput=YT10🔶 Brandon Green - BTC Inc CEO🔶 Balaji Srinivasan - Author/Founder of the Network SchoolCHAPTERS0:00 - Bitcoin Conquers Minds, Not Land7:00 - Network School: Building New Societies From the Cloud11:42 - Earn.com Is Coming Back — Major Alpha Drop21:00 - AI Supercharges Tribes But Creates Chaos Outside Them28:00 - Digital Borders, Physical Borders & the China Firewall36:00 - America's Freedom Tradition Could Lead to Anarchy44:00 - Bitcoin as the Seed of a Proposition Nation52:00 - Why Crypto Civilization Beats Crypto Anarchy59:00 - The Playbook for Liquidate, Emigrate, Accelerate 1:07:00 - Unleashing Elon, Humanoid Robots & the Future of Network States#Balaji #BalajiSrinivasan #Bitcoin #NetworkState #NetworkSchool #BitcoinPodcast #BitcoinMagazine #EarnCom #StartupSociety #DigitalTribes #BitcoinFuture #AIandBitcoin #ElSalvadorBitcoin #Decentralization #LiquidateEmigrateAccelerate #SovereignIndividual #BitcoinCivilization #StartupCities #PseudonymousEconomy #HumanoidRobots #BitcoinPrice #ChinaVsInternet #NetworkStatebook #BrandonGreen #BitcoinConference #SpecialEconomicZone

The US launches strikes on Iran and the global power balance is shifting fast. Ken Egan breaks down the geopolitics, from the BRICS setback to what happens when Trump meets Xi in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the White House is taking sides against the banks on the GENIUS Act as the stablecoin yield fight heats up ahead of midterms. Plus, BPI drops a groundbreaking study where they tested 36 AI models across 9,000+ conversations, and Bitcoin was chosen nearly 50% of the time without ever being mentioned in the prompts. Luke Danielian walks through the findings and Zack Shapiro explains why machine-to-machine commerce is about to reshape financial regulation. Check out the BPI Study here: https://www.moneyforai.org/🔶 Connect with Zack Shapiro on X: https://x.com/zackbshapiro🔶 Connect with Zack Cohen on X: https://x.com/zackcohen_🔶 Connect with Ken Egan on X: https://x.com/Bayman11771🔶 Connect with Luke Danielian on X: https://x.com/LukasDanielian🔶 Learn more about the Bitcoin Policy Institute: https://www.btcpolicy.org/Chapters: 1:48 Ken Egan Breaks Down the U.S. Strikes on Iran6:56 Geopolitical Chess10:54 Iran's Gulf State Strategy & Saudi Arabia's Response14:37 Stablecoin Yield Battle: White House vs. the Banks21:54 Kraken Gets a Fed Master Account: What It Means27:25 Zack Shapiro's Viral AI Article & the Judgment Premium34:00 BPI's AI Study: Which Money Do Agents Prefer?44:35 Reactions, Reddit Bias Debate & Policy Implications53:14 Machine-to-Machine Payments, Tort Law & the Legal Frontier#Bitcoin #BitcoinPolicy #AIagents #MoneyForAI #BPI #StablecoinLegislation #GENIUSAct #BitcoinRegulation #LightningNetwork #DigitalAssets #MachineLearning #AIeconomy #BitcoinTax #Kraken #FederalReserve #Geopolitics #IranStrikes #BRICS #TrumpXi #MarketStructure #BitcoinMining #WhiteHouseCrypto #DigitalNativeMoney #BitcoinStoreOfValue #UnitOfAccount #MachineToMachinePayments #BitcoinPolicyHour #BitcoinConference #ZackShapiro #OpenSourceDISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BTC Inc., Bitcoin Magazine, or any affiliated entities. This content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice. Nothing contained in this show constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer to buy or sell any securities or financial instruments. Viewers should consult their own advisors before making financial or business decisions.

Mark Yusko of Morgan Creek Capital sits down with Brandon Green to explain why Bitcoin's price has nothing to do with its value and why that distinction matters more than ever right now. They break down how futures markets suppress Bitcoin's spot price, why the four-year cycle played out exactly as expected, and how AI agents are already choosing Bitcoin as their native money. 🔶 Brandon Green - BTC Inc CEO🔶 Mark Yusko (Morgan Creek Capital Management)Chapters: 0:00 Mark Yusko Joins the Bitcoin Magazine Podcast7:30 Bitcoin's Four-Year Cycle and Why It Played Out Perfectly15:00 Futures Markets, the Carry Trade, and Bitcoin Price Suppression22:30 Price Is a Liar: Why Market Cap Is a Misleading Metric30:00 Portfolio Allocation: Why 1% Bitcoin Changes Everything37:30 Regulatory Capture and FUD Wars45:00 Gold vs Bitcoin: Same Store of Value, Different Timeline55:00 World Reserve Currencies1:03:00 AI Agents, Proof of Work, and the Future of Digital Money1:16:00 Hyper-Bitcoinization, Bear Market Outlook, and Final Thoughts#Bitcoin #MarkYusko #MorganCreek #BitcoinCycle #BitcoinMagazine #BitcoinPodcast #BTC #BitcoinHalving #MetcalfesLaw #GoldVsBitcoin #BitcoinFutures #CME #HyperBitcoinization #ProofOfWork #AIAgents #BitcoinValue #BitcoinBearMarket #MichaelSaylor #FiatCurrency #SoundMoney #BitcoinInvesting #BitcoinStrategy #DigitalGold #ReserveCurrency #BitcoinAdoption #BitcoinNetwork #StorOfValue #MoneyHistory #BitcoinWinter #BitcoinMagazinePodcastDISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BTC Inc., Bitcoin Magazine, or any affiliated entities. This content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice. Nothing contained in this show constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer to buy or sell any securities or financial instruments. Viewers should consult their own advisors before making financial or business decisions.

Are we in a repeat of the post-FTX "forging in the fire" era? Tyler Evans and Pierre Rochard provide a candid look at the current 50% drawdown and why Market-to-NAV compression is a rite of passage for the new class of Bitcoin Treasuries. They break down why Nakamoto ($NAKA) is doubling down on "Information-to-Capital" flywheels while the marginal equity investor is tapped out, and how yield-bearing preferred shares are becoming the go-to instrument for the next wave of institutional adoption.Chapters: 00:53 - Tyler’s origins in Bitcoin03:40 - Vision of BTC Media13:04 - Acquisition of BTC Media & UTXO by Nakamoto16:56 - Bear Bitcoin Market24:39 - Scalability of Financing for Bitcoin Treasury Companies30:30 - New Products from Nakamoto34:16 - Bitcoin’s Motivating Factor for Countries38:27 - Potential Strategic Bitcoin Reserve?46:16 - One last fun question…46:45 - The Critical Necessities for a Bitcoin Treasury CompanyDISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BTC Inc., Bitcoin Magazine, or any affiliated entities. This content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice. Nothing contained in this show constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer to buy or sell any securities or financial instruments. Viewers should consult their own advisors before making financial or business decisions.

Your right to self-custody is being quietly negotiated away. Bipartisan deal-making on the stablecoin bill could gut the BRCA provisions that protect Bitcoin developers and your right to hold your own keys. Meanwhile, the Basel framework's 1,250% risk weight makes it so expensive for banks to hold Bitcoin that none of them will and that may be by design. They also dig into Trini Research's viral 2028 Global Intelligence Crisis report and why mass AI disruption could actually be hyper-bullish for Bitcoin.🔶 Connect with Zack Shapiro on X: https://x.com/zackbshapiro🔶 Connect with Zack Cohen on X: https://x.com/zackcohen_🔶 Connect with Ken Egan on X: https://x.com/Bayman11771🔶 Learn more about the Bitcoin Policy Institute: https://www.btcpolicy.org/Chapters: 3:00 Stablecoin Bill & BRCA Self-Custody Provisions Under Threat8:21 First Amendment, Software Developers & Money Transmitter Law12:08 What BPI Is Doing on Capitol Hill & How You Can Help17:41 Basel's 1,250% Risk Weight Mistake Explained25:34 Supreme Court Strikes Down IEEPA Tariffs32:19 Marco Rubio on the Declining Dollar & Stablecoin Urgency35:13 Trini Research's 2028 Global Intelligence Crisis Report43:09 AI Disruption, UBI, and Why Bitcoin Is the Hedge50:55 Centaur Maxing, AI Native Skills & Career Advice for Graduates#Bitcoin #BitcoinPolicy #BRCA #SelfCustody #StablecoinBill #SupremeCourt #Tariffs #IEEPA #BaselFramework #BankOfInternationalSettlements #BitcoinRegulation #AIDisruption #2028Crisis #TriniResearch #BitcoinPolicyInstitute #MoneyTransmitter #FirstAmendment #BitcoinAndAI #MarcoRubio #DollarDecline #UBI #SoundMoney #BitcoinBanking #DigitalAssets #BitcoinDevelopers #AgentCommerce #Deflation #BitcoinHedge #CongressBitcoin #BitcoinNewsDISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BTC Inc., Bitcoin Magazine, or any affiliated entities. This content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice. Nothing contained in this show constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer to buy or sell any securities or financial instruments. Viewers should consult their own advisors before making financial or business decisions.

The global credit market is worth $300 trillion and Michael Saylor believes digital credit will capture a massive share of it. In this keynote from Strategy World 2026, Saylor walks through the complete theory of digital credit from first principles: what Bitcoin is, why variable preferred equity is the longest-duration capital structure short of equity, and how STRC delivers double-digit yields with deferred tax treatment and principal protection. He also lays out the programmable future of digital money and digital yield, with ETFs, on-chain tokens, and bank accounts all being built on top of STRC as a foundation.🔶 Michael Saylor - Founder & Executive Chairman, StrategyChapters: 0:00 - How to Make Money Digitally1:00 - What Is Bitcoin? Defining Digital Capital2:40 - What Is Digital Credit and How STRC Was Created4:00 - Converting Capital Into Credit: The Core Breakthrough5:26 - From Exchange Leverage to Variable Preferred8:14 - Why Senior Debt, Convertible Notes & Covenants Fall Short11:30 - Solving the Investor Dilemma: Equity Returns + Credit Safety13:05 - BTC Rating, BTC Risk & How to Price Digital Credit15:31 - STRC Performance: Holding Value Through a 45% Bitcoin Drawdown21:26 - Tax Yield, Generational Wealth & Corporate Treasury Strategy27:51 - Programmable Digital Credit: ETFs, Tokens, Bank Accounts & Layer 337:47 - The Reflexive Flywheel: How Credit, Bitcoin & Equity Drive Each Other44:12 - The $50 Trillion Opportunity & Call to Action#DigitalCredit #BitcoinTreasury #PreferredEquity #BitcoinConference #Strive #Metaplanet #Strategy #MicroStrategy #BitcoinInvesting #FixedIncome #BitcoinCapitalMarkets #DylanLeClair #MattCole #BenWerkman #AndrewKang #BitcoinYield #InstitutionalBitcoin #BitcoinFinance #CapitalStructure #BitcoinETF #BitcoinBondMarket #reflexivity DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BTC Inc., Bitcoin Magazine, or any affiliated entities. This content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice. Nothing contained in this show constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer to buy or sell any securities or financial instruments. Viewers should consult their own advisors before making financial or business decisions.

We're living in the "centaur era" of AI and if you're not combining human judgment with AI tools, you're already falling behind. In this episode, Zack Cohen and the Bitcoin Policy Hour team break down the BCG study proving that AI-augmented workers crush both pure humans and blind AI users, then pivot to Secretary Rubio's landmark Munich Security Conference speech signaling the end of the postwar order with Europe. Plus, the hosts analyze Bitcoin ETF flows, whale selling pressure, and why a federal judge just ruled your AI chat logs aren't privileged.🔶 Connect with Zack Shapiro on X: https://x.com/zackbshapiro🔶 Connect with Zack Cohen on X: https://x.com/zackcohen_🔶 Connect with Ken Egan on X: https://x.com/Bayman11771🔶 Learn more about the Bitcoin Policy Institute: https://www.btcpolicy.org/Chapters: 2:21 Open AI, Open Cloud and The AI Landscape3:32 Self-Hosting AI Infrastructure and Privacy Concerns8:50 Federal Court Rules AI Chat Logs Are Not Privileged13:15 Anthropic's Legal Tools and the SaaS Apocalypse14:47 The Centaur Era: Human-AI Collaboration Strategy20:16 Ken's Reaction: AI Adoption Is Inevitable23:10 Chess, Poker and the Limits of the AI Metaphor28:01 Secretary Rubio's Munich Security Conference Speech37:38 U.S.-Europe Strategy: Good Cop After Bad Cop?44:12 Civilizational Values, Immigration and European Decline52:21 Bitcoin Market Analysis: ETFs, Jane Street and Whale Selling#Bitcoin #BitcoinPolicy #BitcoinPolicyHour #BPI #AIStrategy #CentaurMaxing #HumanAI #ArtificialIntelligence #SecretaryRubio #MunichSecurityConference #USForeignPolicy #NATO #Geopolitics #BitcoinETF #IBIT #Blackrock #JaneStreet #AIPrivacy #SelfHostedAI #AttorneyClientPrivilege #BitcoinMarket #AIWorkforce #JaggedFrontier #DigitalAssets #MonetaryPolicy #EuropeanPolitics #WesternValues #BitcoinAnalysis #AIProductivity #TechPolicyDISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BTC Inc., Bitcoin Magazine, or any affiliated entities. This content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice. Nothing contained in this show constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer to buy or sell any securities or financial instruments. Viewers should consult their own advisors before making financial or business decisions.

Is Strategy actually doing nothing or is digital credit the product? This episode analyzes Strategy’s Q4 2025 earnings call and explains why its perpetual preferred equity avoided margin calls, liquidations, and maturity risk. Pierre Rochard and Spencer Nichols break down why digital credit products like Stretch held near par while bitcoin drew down sharply. From credit ratings and cash buffers to Bitcoin-backed lending and quantum risk, this episode reframes what a Bitcoin treasury company really is.🔶 Connect with Pierre Rochard on X: https://x.com/BitcoinPierre🔶 Connect with Spencer Nichols on X: https://x.com/DeSpencer_🔶 Follow Bitcoin For Corporations X:https://x.com/BitcoinForCorps🔶 Learn more about Bitcoin For Corporations - the executive network for corporate bitcoin adoption: https://b.tc/corporationsChapters: 00:00 – Why Strategy’s Digital Credit Is the Real Product 05:00 – Bear-Market Stress Testing Without Margin Calls 10:00 – Bank Credit vs Non-Bank Credit Explained 15:00 – Bitcoin-Backed Lending and Institutional Demand 20:00 – STRC vs bitcoin: Volatility and Yield 25:00 – Who These Products Are Actually For 30:00 – Ideology vs Adoption in Bitcoin Finance 35:00 – Strategy’s Plan to Increase Bitcoin Per Share 40:00 – Rates, Liquidity, and the AI Macro Backdrop 45:00 – Quantum Risk, Consensus, and “Don’t Panic” 50:00 – Security, Governance, and Bitcoin’s Upgrade Path 55:00 – What This Means for Bitcoin’s Financial Future#Bitcoin #MichaelSaylor #BitcoinTreasury #BitcoinForCorporations #Strategy #DigitalCredit #BitcoinFinance #CorporateBitcoin #BitcoinAdoption #BitcoinCapitalMarkets #BitcoinYield #BitcoinCredit #BitcoinConference #BitcoinMagazine #InstitutionalBitcoinDISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BTC Inc., Bitcoin Magazine, or any affiliated entities. This content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice. Nothing contained in this show constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer to buy or sell any securities or financial instruments. Viewers should consult their own advisors before making financial or business decisions.