Digital Social Hour: Derrick Broze on Bitcoin, Hidden Agendas, and the Pyramid of Power

Episode: DSH #1442
Published: July 11, 2025
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Derrick Broze

Episode Overview

In this thought-provoking episode, independent journalist, author, and activist Derrick Broze joins Sean Kelly to critically examine the evolution of Bitcoin and broader issues regarding control, sovereignty, and the hidden forces that shape society. Broze reflects on a decade-plus in crypto, the shift of Bitcoin’s ethos, the role of secret societies in historical and present-day power structures, and his investigative documentary project "Pyramid of Power." The conversation traverses personal experience, skepticism, activism, and solutions for individuals seeking more autonomy in a shifting digital world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bitcoin: From Radical Tool to Mainstream Asset

[01:15 - 02:43]

• Derrick attended the latest Bitcoin conference, reflecting on its changed atmosphere—where challenging questions are unwelcome, and politicians are “let off the hook” if they say the right things:

  • "If a politician shows up and says the right things, then they kind of ignore a lot of other things going on." (Derrick, 01:15)

• Early Bitcoin culture was about personal sovereignty, avoiding banks and taxes, and offering a true alternative to government-backed currency. The original excitement centered on anti-bank, decentralized principles.

  • "To me, the original purpose of bitcoin and crypto is like to try to avoid banks, to avoid taxes... an anti-state or non-state currency is really what inspired me." (Derrick, 01:52)

• Bitcoin’s shift: Now, the major players are increasingly focused on regulation, mainstream adoption, and treating bitcoin more like a stock than a revolutionary tool.

  • "The space has kind of shifted...towards the thought leaders...focused on regulation, mainstream acceptance, et cetera, and treating bitcoin like a stock as opposed to like actually something that... could compete with the dollar." (Derrick, 02:24)

• Cultural commodification: Broze critiques the proliferation of crypto projects with celebrity backing for quick profit—diluting original ideals.

  • Pump-and-dump projects named (e.g., Trump Coin, Melania Coin).
  • "People capitalizing on the fact that they have an audience and like, hey, I'm gonna... launch a crypto, launch an NFT... has no real value." (Derrick, 02:50)

2. The Reality of “Opting Out” and Technological Skepticism

[07:45 - 09:46]

• Derrick’s personal practice: Since 2008 he has made efforts to extricate himself from traditional banking, using tactics like local credit unions, digital “neo-banks,” even living without a cellphone or driver’s license for years.

  • "I've already gone at that point, five years without a bank. Maybe I don't really need a bank. Maybe I don't need a credit card. Maybe I can just find a way to exist outside of that." (Derrick, 09:49)
  • Recounts logistical challenges, necessary compromises for business operations.

• Skepticism toward “sovereign citizen” movements: Derrick distances himself from dubious exit strategies sold online, advocating instead for practical incremental steps (“exit and build”).

  • "I don't think there's any... super secret way out of the Matrix, so to speak. ... at the end of the day... the people in power have so much power that if... that is true, they've done everything they can to... make it impossible to use that." (Derrick, 14:00)

3. Questioning Foundational Systems: Birth, Identity, and Education

[17:14 - 19:58]

• Challenging defaults: Broze highlights friends who don’t register their children with birth certificates, questioning the “automatic” enrollment into systems.

  • "The idea of giving your child a number at birth and putting them on a birth certificate, it just kind of seems like a normal thing to do. ... but maybe some of us, you get older. And you start to question that, the very foundations of those systems." (Derrick, 17:14)

• Role of extremes: He contends that having people challenging authority on the “extreme end” helps others reconsider mainstream practices. Even if one doesn’t go that far, it seeds questioning.

4. The “Pyramid of Power” Project: Exposing Interlocking Systems

[19:58 - 38:59]

• Documentary genesis: Broze’s multi-year, 17-part series traces the interrelated systems—big tech, banking, secret societies—shaping our world.

  • Originated from his “Liberate Your Mind Tour,” morphed into a bingeable, highly referenced docu-series (most episodes under 30 minutes).

• Standards & methodology: Broze calls out the alternative media’s lack of correction culture and vows transparency.

  • "Some people don't care how loose they are with the truth... there is a sect of the podcasting world, the online research world that will say something one week and it's completely false. And never issue a correction." (Derrick, 21:50)

• Structure: Each episode builds in depth, always ending with potential solutions—designed as an accessible gateway for skeptics or the curious. All transcripts and references are public.

  • "The goal is imagine you want to get a family member or somebody you care about to start asking questions about the world. They're probably not going to watch a six hour conspiracy documentary... So I wanted it to be like—30 minutes or less." (Derrick, 22:39)

• Notable impact: Homeschoolers use the series as curriculum. Young people have reached out to Broze, crediting it for “shifting their paradigm.”

  • "The best ones I think I've heard are parents telling me that they use it to homeschool their kids." (Derrick, 27:20)

5. Secret Societies: Influence Past and Present

[39:55 - 57:25]

• Examining real and alleged power: Broze discusses the Freemasons, Jesuits, Illuminati, Zionists, and more. He emphasizes that "secret society" is too broad: groups ebb and flow in influence, and their stated values sometimes align with liberty.

  • Historic examples like the Freemasons’ role in the American and French Revolutions, and evidence of their plotting in Hawaii’s annexation.
  • "Absolutely secret groups have influenced these revolutions I mentioned... Like the one that I include in the Pyramid of Power that I haven't seen anywhere else is the annexation of Hawaii..." (Derrick, 45:35)

• Modern-day influence: Institutions like Bohemian Grove, Bilderberg, and others persist—American presidents, Supreme Court justices, and elites attend.

  • "Bohemian Club. They still meet every year in the Redwoods in California.... Supreme Court justice is going hanging out in Bohemian Grove." (Derrick, 48:01)

• On the limiting power of such groups: Much of the so-called "conspiracy" is overt, in think-tank whitepapers and memoirs—ordinary people simply aren't paying attention.

  • "Sometimes it's not even in behind our back. Sometimes it's right in front of our faces..." (Derrick, 55:58)

• Cautions on simplification: Dismisses reductionist claims that any single group is "at the top" (e.g. "it's all the Jews" or "it's the Freemasons"), instead arguing for complexity and nuance.

  • "Now of course, everybody hearing this who has a pet favorite theory... will call me a shill for not saying it's their specific [group]... I think they're a little bit simplistic..." (Derrick, 34:08)

• Occult & symbolism: Explores religious bias in conspiracy research, notes how different practices (e.g. Druidic rituals) are often labeled “evil” by default by those from strict religious backgrounds.

6. Solutions & Resources for Autonomy

[57:25 - 58:27]

• Broze's toolkit:

  • “How to Opt Out of the Technocratic State” is available as a free audiobook and PDF (also in multiple languages).
    • "It's got all my ideas that I've lived and practiced myself. I think if people take them and take what works, not saying it'll all apply for everybody, but I think it gives people some ideas of how we can face this pyramid of power." (Derrick, 57:30)
  • Stresses individual strategies for maintaining agency in an era of real ID, facial recognition, and growing digital control.

• All his documentaries, transcripts, and reference PDFs are available free. USBs and DVDs will be available for those who want hard copies with extra content.

Notable Quotes

• On Bitcoin’s changing spirit:
  "If this is going to be something that can compete with the mainstream system, it's a cool idea. But if people can't use it anywhere, then they're like, okay, what am I supposed to do with this funny Internet money?" (Derrick, 05:24)

• On “exit and build”:
  "I kind of see this in terms of steps of moving away from these systems that aren't aligned with our values..." (Derrick, 11:22)

• On the danger of unchecked alternative media:
  "Some people don't care how loose they are with the truth... and that I think is dangerous." (Derrick, 21:50)

• On the pervasiveness of conspiracy theory thinking in history:
  "People don't realize that conspiracy theories are really the foundation of the US. Ever since the beginning... people have had conspiracy theories, and I think some of them are true." (Derrick, 33:11)

• On the value of pushing boundaries:
  "I always think you do need people on the extremes... but maybe it leads to people just questioning, you know, the foundational systems. And that's important too." (Derrick, 19:09)

Highlighted Moments & Timestamps

• Bitcoin Conference Critiques: [01:15 - 02:43]
• Sovereignty and Opting Out: [09:49 - 12:58]
• Skepticism Toward Sovereign Citizen Methods: [13:38 - 17:09]
• Parenting and System Alternatives: [17:14 - 19:58]
• Pyramid of Power Series Explored: [20:03 - 38:59]
• Discussion on Secret Societies: [39:55 - 57:25]
• Final Advice and Resources: [57:25 - 58:27]

Episode Takeaway

Derrick Broze offers a rare combination of lived experience, rigorous research, and critical skepticism—questioning both mainstream and alternative narratives. He advocates for incremental, practical ways to reduce reliance on centralized systems, pushes for accountability in “truth-seeking” media, and invites listeners to question foundational social structures without succumbing to simplistic answers. The “Pyramid of Power” series embodies these values, serving as both a resource and an invitation to critical, solution-oriented inquiry.

Links Mentioned:

• Derrick Broze’s website: theconsciousresistance.com
• Pyramid of Power documentary: thepyramidofpower.net