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This episode is a release of the “Bitcoin in New Zealand” live panel talk in collaboration with Bitkiwi at their event at Dux Central in Christchurch, July 20, 2024. We had three awesome guests, James Viggiano, Brad Henderson, and Andrew Wells.There are some great Bitcoin projects happening in New Zealand and I’m excited for the future. A big thank you to everyone who attended the event, it was great to catchup in person and for me to get back home for a little bit. 

I talk with Nathan Seiuli, Outreach and Events Coordinator at the Free Speech Union in New Zealand. Over the past few years, it’s become evident that many New Zealanders are both unaware of how vital freedom of speech is, and how dangerous some of the moves are to exclude its protections. We talk about the work the Free Speech Union is doing in New Zealand, including campaigns to promote debate and critical thinking in schools, providing feedback and advice to government, and calling out actions that infringe upon freedom of speech. We also talk about how technology such as Bitcoin and Nostr can provide protection for Freedom of speech and freedom of expression.

I talk with Hanoz Bilia, the founder of The Altruist, a new Bitcoin education and community space based in the Auckland CBD. The Altruist is NZ's first dedicated Bitcoin space and is a great project helping connect Bitcoiners and people interested about Bitcoin in real life! We discuss Hanoz's motivation to start the space, the importance of providing resources for people to learn and

I talk with James Viggiano about recent comments made by the Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. Not soon after we spoke, James shared a clip that went viral of the governor talking frankly about the exorbitant privilege of money printing that the central banks and governments have. James and I talk about some of the game theory from the perspective of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand to defend the Kiwi Dollar and their attempts to talk down inflation, and shift the narrative even as the cost of living crisis continues. We also talk about the opportunity for what New Zealand could look like on a Bitcoin standard and how that could interface with the legacy financial system.

I talk with Dr. Simon Collins, founder of Stackr, a sustainable Bitcoin mining company based in New Zealand. We talk about NZ's unique renewable energy mix, the importance of miner collaboration, and future opportunities to integrate Bitcoin mining with industrial heat processes.