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Welcome to The Gwart Show! Today, Alex Gladstein, Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation, joins us to discuss how Bitcoin functions as essential “money dictators can’t stop” for human rights activists worldwide. With nearly 18 years at HRF, Alex shares fascinating stories of Bitcoin adoption in authoritarian regimes, his journey from skeptic to advocate, and why Bitcoin—not general “crypto”—provides the unique properties needed for financial freedom in oppressive environments. He explores privacy solutions, scaling challenges, and the future of complementary technologies like ecash and Nostr.
Follow Alex on Twitter: @gladstein
Notes:
– HRF quarterly Bitcoin grants
– The “currency of activists”
– Most global humanitarian funding stays in free countries
– Alex’s “Check Your Financial Privilege” book
– Bitcoin users in Malawi upgrading from saving with goats
– Stablecoins are primarily valuable when permissionless
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