In this podcast conversation, Jacob Shapiro, Strategic Partner and Geopolitical Advisor at Bespoke Group, speaks with Alex Gladstein, author of Why Bitcoin Is Freedom Money, about why the world needs “freedom money.” Gladstein argues the problem has two layers: money is broken for most people, and it is increasingly being used as a tool of control. While Americans experience relative financial privilege through strong currency rails and broad access to markets, billions experience rapid currency devaluation, restricted capital mobility, and limited access to banking, where debanking and deplatforming are routine instruments of repression.
Gladstein positions Bitcoin as an exit ramp: a non-sovereign monetary network designed to resist censorship and currency debasement. Bitcoin’s resilience comes from globally dispersed Proof-of-Work (PoW) mining and its censorship resistance, setting it apart from the broader digital asset landscape, where monetary rules and governance can often be changed by relatively small groups of insiders. Bitcoin’s fixed supply and durable consensus rules make it uniquely suited to function as a long-duration monetary asset.
At Bespoke, we believe that Bitcoin is the only digital asset that functions as a durable, non-sovereign store of value. Many other tokens are technology platforms with flexible governance and evolving monetary policies. They may be useful, investable, or innovative, but they are not monetary goods. Bitcoin stands alone because its monetary rules cannot be changed, its security model rewards ongoing competition rather than entrenched wealth, and its network has achieved escape velocity. As a long-term digital store of value, Bitcoin stands alone.
To learn more about Bespoke’s view on Bitcoin, read our article Bitcoin & Everything Else.
Watch the full conversation between Jacob Shapiro and Alex Gladstein on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEzFC00Uxh0
To learn more about Alex Gladstein and his article Why Bitcoin Is Freedom Money, check out this link: https://hrf.org/latest/why-bitcoin-is-freedom-money-hrf-in-the-journal-of-democracy/
This information is intended for general educational purposes only and should not be construed as legal or investment advice.
