21 in 21
Haley Berkoe asks some of the biggest names in bitcoin and Silicon Valley 21 questions in 21 minutes, from the personalities you know and love to tech’s unsung heroes. A new episode drops when someone stops by Presidio Bitcoin. Reach out if you are or will be in the area and are interested in being on the show. presidiobitcoin.substack.com
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21 in 21: David Gumberg on the Chaincode ₿OSS Challenge and Becoming a Bitcoin Core Contributor
<p>Haley Berkoe sits down with David Gumberg, a Bitcoin Core contributor at Localhost, a bitcoin-focused research center in the Bay Area. David shares how he got into bitcoin, what pushed him from curiosity to contribution, and how completing the Chaincode ₿OSS Challenge in 2024 helped him make the leap to contributing to Bitcoin Core full time.</p> <p>They also dig into what he’s focused on now in Core: Compact Block Relay, block propagation times, and why improving network latency can make mining more fair for smaller miners.</p> <p>bosschallenge.xyz (applications due Dec 31) </p> <p>github.com/davi...
21 in 21: Rod Roudi
<p>In this episode of 21 in 21, Haley sits down with Rod Roudi, co-founder of Bitcoin Park in Nashville and Austin. Rod breaks down how Bitcoin Park began, why in-person energy fuels strong communities, and how Nashville grew into a hub for bitcoiners, policymakers, founders, developers, and bitcoin-curious locals. He also shares what he’s learned about bitcoin payments from the business side, why reducing merchant friction is essential, and what he’s looking forward to in 2026.</p> <p>Episode Chapters </p> <p>00:00 Welcome Rod</p> <p>01:44 Bitcoin Park Description </p> <p>03:39 Origin Story </p> <p>07:08 Engaging Policymakers and Local Community</p> <...
21 in 21: Joe Carlo on How Bitcoin Changed Pink Owl Coffee Forever
<p>Haley Berkoe sits down with Joe Carlo, co-owner of Pink Owl Coffee, a café that began in San Rafael, California, and has since expanded to three locations across the Bay Area. Pink Owl is one of the earliest Square merchants to integrate bitcoin into its business model. For several years, Joe and his partner Saandra have been converting a percentage of sales into bitcoin as part of their long-term savings strategy, and they recently joined Square’s beta program to begin accepting bitcoin payments directly, ahead of the public launch on November 10th. </p> <p>Joe shares how he fir...
21 in 21: Kyle Olney
<p>Kyle Olney joins Haley Berkoe to talk about defending bitcoin’s foundational freedoms. A longtime Silicon Valley product leader turned bitcoin advocate, Kyle helped launch Save Our Wallets, a coalition fighting for Section 109 of the Clarity Act, and the Satoshi Needs You campaign, a national call to action to protect open-source developers and the right to self-custody.</p> <p>Kyle shares his journey from seizing banks for the U.S. government during the 2008 financial crisis to championing bitcoin’s political and legislative future. He explains the legislative nuances of the Clarity Act, how the wrong version of this bill coul...
21 in 21: Nick Slaney
<p>In this episode of 21 in 21, Nick Slaney joins Haley Berkoe during Presidio Bitcoin Design Week. Nick is the founder of Money Dev Kit, a new startup building tools that make it easy for developers to add bitcoin and Lightning payments to their applications. Previously, he was at Block, where he helped build Bitkey and c=, whose LDK node became one of the Lightning Network’s largest and most active. He shares why he’s betting on bitcoin over stablecoins, how Lightning service providers (LSPs) improve Lightning usability, and what gives him hope for bitcoin’s future.</p> <p>FOLLOW: </p> <p>...
21 in 21: Erik Cativo
<p>During Bitcoin Design Week at Presidio Bitcoin, product designer and HRF grantee Erik Cativo joined the show to talk about designing the future of money. We get into his experiments with ecash and bitchat, the magic of bump-to-pay interactions, and how thoughtful UX can make bitcoin feel intuitive, private, and fun.</p> <p>Erik also shares lessons from living in a nearly cashless society, ideas for building “throw-cash” experiences inside apps like Cash App, and why anyone can help design better bitcoin products simply by giving feedback.</p> <p>FOLLOW: </p> <p>Erik Cativo: https://x.com/uxerik_, https://www...
21 in 21: Kyle Fletcher
<p>Haley Berkoe is joined by Kyle Fletcher, Principal Design Director at Block, to explore the intersection of bitcoin, design, and culture. They discuss why artists and designers play a critical role in shaping bitcoin’s future, the sats vs. bitcoin denomination debate, and how thoughtful design can help bring bitcoin to the masses. Kyle also shares personal influences, dream projects, and why onboarding artists, local merchants, and creative communities is key to bitcoin adoption.</p> <p>CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS:</p> <p>00:00 Intro & Kyle’s background at Block</p> <p>01:01 State of Bitcoin brand creative</p> <p>02:59 Designing future money: local and...
21 in 21: Christoph Ono
<p>In this episode of 21 in 21, Haley is joined by Christoph Ono, co-founder of the Bitcoin Design Foundation and longtime contributor to the Bitcoin Design Community. They talk about Bitcoin Design Week in San Francisco, the effort to redesign the Bitcoin Core wallet, and why design plays such a critical role in shaping the future of money. Christoph also shares how newcomers can get involved in the Bitcoin Design Community and why making bitcoin feel magical matters.</p> <p>Chapter Timestamps:</p> <p>00:00 Intro & Christoph’s background</p> <p>01:05 Bitcoin Design Week in San Francisco</p> <p>02:51 Designing future money</p>...
21 in 21: Conor Okus
<p>In this episode, Haley Berkoe interviews Conor Okus, a Product Manager at Spiral. Conor shares his journey from playing football to becoming a grantee at Spiral and now managing the grant program. He addresses common misconceptions about bitcoin contributors, emphasizes the importance of user experience in promoting adoption, and discusses the emergence of user-friendly (easy) bitcoin addresses.</p> <p>Conor also shares his thoughts on the intersection of AI and bitcoin, the ongoing debate about using "₿ " instead of "sats" to display bitcoin denominations, and offers valuable advice for newcomers to the bitcoin space.</p> <p>EPISODE TIMESTAMPS: </p> <p>00:00 Co...
21 in 21: Mogashni Naidoo
<p>Haley Berkoe sits down with Mogashni “Mo” Naidoo — UX researcher, designer, and co-founder of the Bitcoin Design Foundation. Mo shares her path into bitcoin design, why developers and designers need each other, and how the foundation supports designers across the ecosystem. She also talks about her UX Research Toolkit, the role of AI in product design, and previews Bitcoin Design Week in San Francisco in September.</p> <p>CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS</p> <p>00:00 Introduction</p> <p>01:35 The Bitcoin Design Foundation and Bitcoin Design Community, and how both support builders</p> <p>03:23 Mo’s Journey into UX and bitcoin</p> <p>05:26 Why Deve...
