S3 E1: Shaitan Ioton on Bitcoin Philosophy & Influencers

If one was to describe Shaitan Ioton in one sentence, he’d probably be an admirer of everything unconventional and out of the ordinary. When he first sent me a message to sign up for the season 3 invitational, he described himself as a Bitcoin philosopher who likes talking about politics and life. He first discovered Satoshi Nakamoto’s invention back in 2009 thanks to his geeky friends, and has been a close observer of the phenomenon ever since.

The two-hour conversation which resulted from this brief introduction ended up becoming the most spontaneous of them all: we didn’t know each other, we had no idea about the other’s prior work, but 15 minutes later we were simply talking about Bitcoin as the common denominator and intellectual compass which always points to the north.

This season debut had late night radio talk show vibes, with some random philosophical rambling and spontaneous moments when our thoughts converged. You will find mentions of historical moments in Bitcoin, you will find gossip about people like Roger Ver and Erik Voorhees, and you will get a snapshot of major events from the life of Satoshi’s invention.

The episode helps spearhead the podcast into a more story-driven direction, where regular bitcoiners get to sit down and talk without worrying about defending a reputation, promoting a product, or pleasing a certain audience of demographic. Everything is raw, real, spontaneous, and uncensored – just like Bitcoin’s takeover is expected to be.

Donate to the show and help the Free Ross campaign!

Starting this season, 25% of all donations will go to the Free Ross campaign, to help Ross Ulbricht get a second chance. The draconian sentence that he received should concern every bitcoiner around the world, as the government which poses as a champion of liberty gives a double life sentence for indirect and non-violent crimes involving Bitcoin.

It’s a slippery slope that should concern us all, regardless of the jurisdiction under which we find ourselves. The case of Ross Ulbricht has set a dangerous precedent all around the world, as lesser democratic countries can simply prosecute bitcoiners under similar charges and with outcomes that are just as harsh. If Ross was to receive clemency or at least a second trial with another judge by taking into account the new evidence, the decision would get noticed by judges and politicians worldwide. Whether we like it or not, the USA is an example for the rest of the world and we can actually try to make a difference in a positive sense.

As usual, 50% of BTC earnings will be sent to the guest. In this situation, Shaitan will be rewarded for his time, effort, and knowledge.

You can donate on the main chain at the address below, via Lightning on Tippin.me, and you can send $1 of your dirty and criminal fiat on Patreon.

Bitcoin Takeover Podcast is also available on iTunes and Spotify.

Google Podcasts has also stolen the RSS feed to add the show to their platform, but due to the lack of consent I discourage anyone from using their service.