My guest today is Francis Pouliot, long-time Bitcoin advocate, cypherpunk entrepreneur, and CEO of Bull Bitcoin, Canada’s leading Bitcoin-only exchange. Known for his uncompromising stance on self-custody, privacy, and resistance to state overreach, Francis has been a vocal defender of Bitcoin’s founding ethos for over a decade. He is also a key figure in Bitcoin Jungle, a circular economy in Costa Rica where hundreds of merchants transact daily in Bitcoin. In this episode, Francis shares how his background in Austrian economics and libertarian politics, combined with the wake-up call of COVID, led him to relocate from Canada to Costa Rica. We explore the creation and growth of Bitcoin Jungle, why farmers markets are fertile ground for adoption, and how his “scale versus compromise” framework guides strategic decisions in building Bitcoin infrastructure. Francis opens up about the tension of running a regulated exchange while opposing KYC, his mission to make self-custody as seamless as custodial services, and why Bitcoin’s payments layer is as critical as its store-of-value function. He dismantles the “Bitcoin is hijacked” myth spread by Roger Ver & others, addresses skepticism from the red-pilled community, and explains why barter and cash cannot scale for true financial freedom.
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-- LINKS –
Francis’ Twitter: https://x.com/francispouliot_
Bull Bitcoin Website: https://www.bullbitcoin.com/
Francis’ Nostr: francis@nostrplebs.com
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-- CHAPTERS –
00:00 - Coming Up…
01:18 - Intro to Francis & His Covid Wakeup Call
05:38 - Costa Rica During Covid
06:38 - Francis Interest in Austrian Economics & Libertarianism
09:08 - Francis Journey Into Bitcoin & Bull Bitcoin
13:08 - Private Property & Self-Custody
17:18 - Efrat’s Revelation of the Fiat Scam
20:58 - The Birth of Bitcoin Jungle Circular Economy
30:38 - Custodial vs. Non-Custodial Bitcoin Solutions
35:18 - The New Revolution: Build Tech That Creates New Reality
40:48 - The Circular Community in Costa Rica & Globally
45:48 - Bull Bitcoin: Freedom vs. Compliance & Regulation
53:38 - Struggle Between Scale & Compromise - Cypherpunk Values
1:00:38 - Understanding Bitcoin: Overcoming Skepticism & Claims Against It
1:04:08 - Shortcomings of Cash, Barter, Gold
1:07:48 - Roger Ver Attempt To Hijack Bitcoin and Damage to Bitcoin & Freedom Community
1:18:08 - Can Bitcoin Be Coopted By Those Who Hold The Most Bitcoin?
1:21:08 - Resist By Minimize Interface With Fiat/Matrix/Institutions