THE Bitcoin Podcast — "DO NOT MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY | BITCOIN AFTER DARK EP. 2 (BAD002)"

Date: January 13, 2026
Host: Walker America
Guests: Nathan (BTC Mentor, BTC Sessions contributor)

Episode Overview

This "Bitcoin After Dark" episode responds to recent high volatility in the Bitcoin market. Walker America and Nathan discuss the implications of Bitcoin's sharp drop (from a peak of $126k down to the $90k range), unpack macro trends, reflect on historical bear markets, and reaffirm why conviction and long-term thinking are crucial for bitcoiners. The conversation ranges from practical advice for stacking sats, to deeper philosophical questions around money, cycles, conviction, and the mental challenges of being early in a paradigm shift.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Market Sentiment and Embracing the Bitcoin Price Crash

• Emotional Responses: Both hosts discuss their personal (and collective) reactions to sharp drops; common themes include shock, resilience, and seeing the price decline as an opportunity (00:00–01:30).
  • “If you are here and you're listening to this...wow, you've been gifted a great opportunity. You didn't have to buy sats at 126k per Bitcoin. You can buy them at 90k. That's a great deal right there, in my opinion.” — Walker (A), (00:00)
• Comparison to COVID Crash: The episode draws parallels to 2020's drop to $3,000 and the regret many felt not buying then (00:37, 33:34).
  • “Those moments will come again. This is like a mini version of that right here as well too. It's the exact time when you should be stacking.” — Nathan (B), (00:37; 33:34)

2. Historical Perspective, Cycles, and Market Psychology

• Nominal vs. Percentage Drops: Nathan points out that a currently "normal" bitcoin correction is, in nominal terms, tens of thousands of dollars—enough to psychologically sting even seasoned bitcoiners (01:30–02:33).
• Perspective on Old and New Highs: Prior all-time highs become "rounding errors" in new cycles, reminding listeners that volatility is inherent to Bitcoin’s path (02:33–04:35).
• Institutional and Nation-State Accumulation: Despite negative sentiment, major players like MicroStrategy and El Salvador are buying significant quantities, signaling ongoing bullish fundamentals (04:35–06:31).
  • “El Salvador had just bought an additional thousand bitcoin ... their total stack is like less than sailor's buy today. But ... they're a nation state who is doing their best...” — Walker (04:46)

3. Macro Trends and Bitcoin’s Place in the Financial System

• Global Liquidity & Macro Cycles: Discussion centers on whether Bitcoin’s price cycles are driven more by its pre-programmed halvings or by broader liquidity cycles. Both agree: the answer is probably a messy mix of both, compounded by Bitcoin’s youth and unprecedented nature (07:25–10:45).
  • “Maybe we just have no fucking clue what's going on because we've never had anything like bitcoin before. And all your models are fucking broken…” — Walker (07:25)
• Wall Street Adoption: As Bitcoin is embraced by mainstream finance, it becomes more linked to global liquidity—subject to broader monetary crises outside “Bitcoin world” (07:25–08:00).

4. Accumulation Mindset & Personal Conviction

• Stay the Course: Emphasis is placed on viewing price drops as healthy opportunities for long-term stacking. Both hosts recount their own experiences of FOMO and relief when stacking during dips (12:09–13:50).
  • “Relax... It's the best thing that could have happened to you if you're one of these psychopaths listening to us right now, because that means that you get it.” — Nathan (12:09)
• Don’t Compare Stacks: It's psychologically damaging for newcomers to compare themselves to old OGs; instead, focus on improving your personal situation and stacking for your future/family (19:29–22:49).
  • “It's really easy to start hanging out with bitcoiners ... and be like, holy shit, I am. I'm like, I'm so poor ... it doesn't matter … What matters is how well are you doing at saving for your future, your family's future…” — Walker (19:29)

5. The "You Are Still Early" Theme

• Defining an OG: Any bitcoiner stacking now, self-custodying, and acting with conviction is (or will be) an OG relative to the general population (22:49–25:45).
  • “If you're the only one in your group who's figured this out, who’s stacking sats right now, you are going to be an OG...” — Nathan (25:16)
• Opportunities Are Fleeting: Timing the market is nearly impossible. The best approach is consistent DCA (Dollar Cost Averaging) and being “in” the market for those rare, explosive upside moves (25:45–27:44).
  • “If you're not in the market...that's when bitcoin rips your face off. And if you're not there, you miss out on that.” — Walker (25:45)

6. Conviction in the Face of Uncertainty

• Not Trying to Time the Market: Both cite stories of friends and co-hosts trying to “buy the dip” and missing out, reinforcing DCA as the safest path (29:06–32:13).
• Conviction through Education: Understanding what you really hold—self-custody, sound money, true scarcity—gives the psychological edge to stand against volatility and peer pressure. Most people selling simply don’t understand what they have (29:06–32:13).
  • “The reason that we're seeing the price reflected right now is basically a reflection that nobody understands what they hold.” — Nathan (29:06)

7. Philosophy: Bitcoin as a Paradigm Shift

• Binary Outcomes: Bitcoin’s future is seen as binary: either going to zero or repricing the entire world; there is no middle ground (34:17–39:23).
  • “If you do not think bitcoin is going to zero, you necessarily must believe that bitcoin will just keep going up into the right forever. Now, when it hits certain milestones that we've decided to put on it ... But like, you know, if you've been measuring it in Turkish lira, like you've got a completely different set of... The point being, if you do not think bitcoin is going to go to zero ... then there's not even any question about what you do.” — Walker (34:17)
• Fiat Mindset vs. Bitcoin Mindset: Our perceptions are warped by fiat thinking—we have to unlearn measuring with a “broken ruler,” stop thinking in fiat profits, and start thinking of bitcoin as “the money” (34:17–39:23; 39:23–42:55).
• Active Participation: Stackers can “tip the odds” of bitcoin success by not just holding, but also by educating, building, and contributing to the bitcoin ecosystem (42:28–42:55).
  • “We're the ones behind it. We're the ones using the tool. And so if you're here and you want Bitcoin to reprice everything, well, then you can contribute. The smallest thing you can do is just hold it and use it but there's a lot more that you can do too.” — Nathan (42:28)

8. Facing Resistance and Mental Obstacles

• Changing Worldviews is Hard: Many people (especially older generations) cannot make the leap to new paradigms, as it means admitting their prior beliefs/actions may have been wrong (58:57–62:33).
  • “it would destroy their ego to actually change their mind and revert ... is really hard to look back and say not only that I was wrong, but I may have done wrong.” — Nathan (60:24)
• Respect to Gold Bugs and Mind-Changers: Admitting you were wrong takes courage; bitcoiners commend those willing to change, e.g., gold bugs who become bitcoiners (65:06).
• COVID, Information, and Social Narrative: Both critique how groupthink, inertia, and social pressures enforce conformity—even after evidence proves early dissenters right (67:25–69:06).

9. Politics, Tribalism & the Parallel System

• US Politics & Democracy: Critique of the US’s two-party system (the “Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola democracy”), and frustration that party supporters rarely criticize their own camp (77:48–81:45).
  • “It's always this back to the cycle idea ... things don't get better. Nothing meaningfully changes unless you actually start speaking up and speaking the truth. And that means calling out your own quote side when you see them doing dumb stuff. That's the only way that things get better.” — Walker (79:00)
• Bitcoin as Parallel Construction: Ultimate answer is in building and moving energy to parallel, open-source money and networks (81:00).
  • “Maybe nothing even changes when you do that because nothing can be changed from within this system. You can't change something from within the system you need to be building outside, moving your economic energy to the parallel system built around open source technology.” — Walker (81:00)

10. Personal Signal, Family, and Real-World Anchors

• Family as Anchor: Having loved ones (especially a supporting spouse) allows resilience in the face of social pressure or uncertainty (90:12–91:20).
  • “If you have the love for me of my wife, then I can tell everybody to fuck off ... if you don't have that ... I recommend prioritizing it because it does make you fucking invincible against the mob.” — Nathan (90:12)

11. Closing Thoughts: You Are Early, You Will Be Grateful

• Historic Context: Five or ten years from now, this period will look like a spectacular buying opportunity (45:31–46:34, 58:03–58:44).
  • “How do you think you'll be feeling about this moment? ... I can pretty much guarantee that five years from now ... you are not going to be looking back at today right now and saying, Boy, I'm sure glad I didn't buy, you know, stack more sats.” — Walker (45:31)
• Final Encouragement: No one has a crystal ball—just keep stacking, stay humble, and play the long game for yourself and your family. (95:34–96:08)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "If you don't think bitcoin is going to zero, you necessarily must believe that bitcoin will just keep going up into the right forever." — Walker (34:17)
• “We're the ones behind it. We're the ones using the tool ... You can tip the odds in your favor by participating in the bitcoin network in whatever way possible.” — Nathan (42:28)
• “When you look back ... at this remonetization period ... it's going to look just so obvious. It's going to look like, well, of course you should have bought at any point in 2025 or 2026.” — Walker (34:17)
• “If you're not in the market during like 10 days of the year, that's when bitcoin does all of its moving.” — Walker (25:45)
• “If you have a bitcoin or friend, you're extremely lucky. But if you're the only person in your group ... you will be an OG.” — Nathan (25:16)

Key Timestamps

• [00:00–01:30] Opening: Price crash, emotional responses, opportunity mindset
• [04:35] MicroStrategy and El Salvador’s large bitcoin purchases
• [07:25] Macro cycles vs. halving; why models and narratives all break down
• [19:29–22:49] On comparing stacks, OG envy, and family wealth
• [25:45–27:44] DCA, why “timing the market” is impossible
• [34:17–39:23] If Bitcoin doesn’t go to zero, it will reprice everything
• [42:28–42:55] You can actively influence Bitcoin’s success
• [58:03–62:33] Why some people will never come around, and generational barriers
• [67:25–69:06] Covid, never expecting an apology, groupthink & social narratives
• [77:48–81:45] US political system, the futility of waiting for political solutions
• [90:12–91:20] Family & enduring signal through conviction
• [95:34–96:08] Final encouragement: Stay humble, stack sats, no one knows the future

Episode Tone & Style

• Language is candid, direct, occasionally profane—matching the “Late Night” candid confessional format.
• There’s camaraderie, playful ribbing, and self-deprecation—acknowledgment they are not “OG whales” but regular stackers.
• The mood swings between optimism and gallows humor. Both hosts express bullish conviction, but are openly critical of tribalism and fiat incentives.

Concluding Message

The episode closes with a reiteration: No matter where the price is today, being a bitcoiner now puts you years ahead on the adoption curve and closer to true financial sovereignty. Stack sats, think independently, focus on your circle of influence, and embrace the wild ride—because in a decade, you’ll wish you’d stacked harder during every dip.

For more:

• Find Nathan on BTC Sessions/BTC Mentor podcast
• Future collaborations teased for 2026!
• Next episode: Interviews with Alex Leishman (River) and Max Hillebrand, among others.
• Follow Walker America and "THE Bitcoin Podcast" on Noster, X, YouTube, and visit bitcoinpodcast.net