Earn Your Leisure: "Who Really Understands Bitcoin? Trump, CZ, and the Power Behind Crypto"

Hosts: Rashad Bilal & Troy Millings
Date: November 9, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings dig deep into the world of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, questioning who truly understands these assets—especially when it comes to high-profile individuals like Donald Trump and Binance's CZ. The conversation explores the intersection of politics, influence, and financial literacy, challenging the perceived competence of powerful decision-makers in crypto. With the usual EYL energy, the hosts reflect on power dynamics, trust in advisors, and the broader implications for regular investors.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Does Trump Really Understand Bitcoin? [02:31–06:34]

• Trump vs. Kanye: The Information Bubble

  • The hosts compare Trump's relationship with knowledge to that of Kanye West—both rely heavily on information from people around them rather than first-hand expertise.
    • "Trump is actually a lot...he has a lot of similarities to Kanye also...they were saying like, Kanye doesn’t really read a lot. He receives his information from people around him...Trump is the same way." – Host 2 [02:43]
  • Trump’s ability to spin questions and deflect is called out as a political survival skill, rather than genuine understanding.
    • "He’s getting fed a lot of information in very short sound bites...he has no idea what he’s talking about." – Host 2 [03:10]

• Handling the Bitcoin Question

  • Trump’s recent statements on Bitcoin—doubling and even tripling down on “not knowing”—are scrutinized.
  • The hosts suggest this is possibly a legal protection strategy or plausible deniability, especially when vast sums are at play.
    • "That was the first thing I thought: If I deny that I know anything about this...I’m on record. I don’t know, we’re making 8 billion but I’m not really sure what’s happening over there." – Host 1 [05:47]

2. Power, Advisors, and Accountability [05:51–06:34, 11:24–13:47]

• Protection by Proximity to Power

  • Trump’s insulation from repercussions is discussed in a context broader than crypto.
    • "He’s the same guy that said, I can go to Times Square and shoot somebody in the face and get away...There’s no consequences. Who’s gonna hold him in trouble? Nobody." – Host 2 [05:51]

• The Limits of Expertise

  • Many powerful people—including athletes, billionaires, and politicians—don’t genuinely understand the financial systems they're invested in.
    • "Most wealthy people are not fully educated on money at all. That’s why they trust their advisors...owners of sports teams, these are billionaires. They didn’t ask enough questions because they’re trusting [others]." – Host 2 [11:53]
  • The dynamic between understanding, trust, and the leveraging of expert advisors often leads to blind spots or even manipulation.

• Policy Creation Without Understanding

  • The creation of crypto policy positions by individuals who admit ignorance, yet benefit massively, raises concerns.
    • "But there’s also the part where you’re actually creating positions, changing policy, changing legislation to make sure this asset thrives." – Host 1 [12:58]

3. Who Really Knows Bitcoin? [10:18–11:24]

• Superficial Knowledge is Common—even Among Experts

  • The hosts doubt most investors, including decision-makers, could pass a "Bitcoin quiz." Lack of understanding is pervasive, even at the top.
    • "Most people invested in bitcoin would fail a bitcoin quiz. Most people don’t really know what bitcoin [is]. That’s the scary part about it. We don’t even know the founder." – Host 2 [10:42]

• Being "So Smart You're Dumb"

  • A recurring EYL theme: knowledge alone doesn’t equal winning. Sometimes the deployment of capital and trust in others outweighs technical mastery.
    • "There’s something about being...so smart that you’re dumb, right? You’re investing in the asset...the real answer to the quiz is to deploy capital..." – Host 1 [11:24]

4. The Dangers and Truth of Trusted Advisors [13:10–14:13]

• The Money Motive

  • The hosts highlight how wealth networks work: trust, established relationships, and shared wins are sometimes enough to bypass rigorous scrutiny.
    • "I gotta run a sports team, I gotta do this...you can’t be an expert in everything simultaneously." – Host 2 [11:53]

• Policy, Influence, and Personal Interests

  • Advisors shaping decisions based on their own interests is flagged as a moral hazard.
    • "The problem is that the people that he has around him are giving him advice based off of their own personal interest." – Host 2 [12:43]

• Lessons from History

  • Reference is made to past political misjudgments (e.g., George W. Bush, Iraq War) as a parallel to how high-stakes decisions can be made with limited information.

5. Pop Culture Parallels & Personal Reflections [Throughout]

• Personal Experience as Financial Advisors
  • EYL's hosts leverage their own backgrounds to illustrate just how rare true financial understanding is—even in high-net-worth circles.
• Speculative Insight
  • The episode ends on reflective musings about who’s really behind decisions at huge crypto operations like Binance or FTX—and whether those at the top ever really know what's happening at the technical level.

Notable Quotes

• "Trump is actually a lot...he has a lot of similarities to Kanye also...he receives his information from people around him...Trump is the same way." – Host 2 [02:43]
• "He’s getting fed a lot of information in very short sound bites...he has no idea what he’s talking about." – Host 2 [03:10]
• "If I deny that I know anything about this...I’m on record. I don’t know, we're making 8 billion but I’m not really sure what’s happening over there." – Host 1 [05:47]
• "He’s the same guy that said, I can go to Times Square and shoot somebody in the face and get away...There’s no consequences." – Host 2 [05:51]
• "Most people invested in bitcoin would fill a bitcoin quiz. Most people don’t really know what bitcoin. That’s the scary part about it. We don’t even know the founder." – Host 2 [10:42]
• "Most wealthy people are not fully educated on money at all. That’s why they trust their advisors." – Host 2 [11:53]
• "The problem is that the people that he has around him are giving him advice based off of their own personal interest." – Host 2 [12:43]

Highlights by Timestamp

• [02:43] Trump compared to Kanye for their reliance on others for information.
• [03:10] Trump’s ability to repeat only high-level talking points.
• [05:47] Denial as a protective legal strategy.
• [10:42] Most investors and even experts lack real Bitcoin knowledge.
• [11:24] Performance doesn’t always correlate to depth of understanding.
• [11:53] Wealthy entrust financial advisors, often creating blind spots.
• [12:43] The risk when advisors are motivated by self-interest.

Final Takeaways

• Very few, if any, truly "understand" Bitcoin—power and profits often trump technical knowledge.
• Policy and investment decisions at the highest level are frequently made through a prism of trust, self-protection, and influence — not expertise.
• The Earn Your Leisure hosts urge listeners to be skeptical of the experts and the motivations of those around power, both in crypto and beyond.