S1 E5: Matt B on Bitcoin in Ireland and New Zealand, Satoshi Nakamoto Conspiracies, and More

Bitcoin journalist Matt B talks about his experience with BTC in Ireland and New Zealand, expresses his views on the Satoshi Nakamoto conspiracies, comments on the importance of running your own node, and offers insights about his interactions with decentralized exchanges.

In terms of writing, Matt B was about one year ahead of me: in 2018, he was writing for Bitcoin Magazine and I ripped off one of his articles (basically reworded his piece to convey the same meaning) when I was still a rookie writer at Crypto Globe. However, I paid my due by inviting Matt to get on his first podcast interview ever. Sometimes this freshness becomes evident — Matt was shy and soft spoken, but still managed to say interesting stuff.

What makes this episode a must-listen: As an Irishman living in New Zealand, Matt B has a broader view on bitcoin adoption. He speaks about both countries from a comparative perspective, which is always useful when trying to understand how different territories approach financial innovation.

The element of surprise: Matt and I end up talking about Satoshi Nakamoto conspiracies – a very hot topic in 2019, when lots of claims from different people were emerging. If anything, our discussion was an attempt to rationalize a contest of claiming merits without any kind of proof.