THE Bitcoin Podcast – Infinite Dollars, 21M BTC: How to Live on a Bitcoin Standard

Host: Walker America
Guest: BTC Sessions
Date: October 1, 2025
Series: Saving in Bitcoin, Ep. 6

Overview

In the final episode of the "Saving in Bitcoin" limited series, host Walker America is joined by BTC Sessions, a leading Bitcoin educator, to break down the practicalities and profound implications of living on a Bitcoin standard. The discussion explores Bitcoin’s role as a savings technology, why money is broken, how to navigate life outside fiat currency, and why it’s not too late to join the Bitcoin revolution. With personal stories, global examples, and actionable advice, this episode is a comprehensive blueprint for achieving financial freedom via Bitcoin.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Even Is Bitcoin? (03:32–05:08)

• BTC Sessions’ Perspective:
  • Bitcoin is an “escape from feeling stuck,” an opt-out of a system riddled with broken promises.
  • The current economic environment, especially for younger generations, is plagued by diminishing opportunities:

    “I thought I had a good job, I thought I had a good wage and... now I can't put food on the table or... I'm never going to retire, I'm never going to own a home.” (03:37 – BTC Sessions)

  • Bitcoin is “FU money” that allows individuals to “say F your money to the existing system.”
  • It's about regaining control and rejecting a "crappy hand we've been dealt."

2. What's Broken in Our Financial System? (05:08–09:36)

• Devaluation of Labor:
  • Hard work is no longer rewarded with increased purchasing power due to relentless monetary inflation.
  • As more money is printed and not enough value is created, assets get more expensive, and the working class finds it harder to get ahead.
  • Quote:

    “Creating money doesn’t create wealth. Creating stuff creates wealth.” (09:12 – BTC Sessions)

• Blame Misplaced:
  • People blame grocers for expensive goods or the rich for inequality, rather than understanding monetary inflation's true impact.

3. Living on a Bitcoin Standard – What Does It Actually Mean? (11:25–15:27)

• BTC Sessions’ Approach Since 2020:
  • 90–95% of income paid directly in Bitcoin, self-custodied.
  • Bills paid via Canadian services (Bull Bitcoin, Bitcoin Well) that accept Bitcoin and pay fiat to merchants.
  • Everyday purchases managed through gift card platforms (Bitrefill, Coin Cards, The Bitcoin Company).
• Building Circular Economies:
  • Emphasis on developing real-life Bitcoin networks where goods and services are exchanged directly for sats.
  • Quote:

    "If I know the guy I’m getting my eggs from and I want to pay him in sats, good luck stopping that." (14:45 – BTC Sessions)

  • Calgary’s "SAD Market" as an example of a successful local Bitcoin economy.

4. Is It Too Late? The “Missed the Boat” Syndrome (17:02–22:32)

• Common Entry Narrative:
  • Everyone believes they’re too late, regardless of price; even BTC Sessions thought so at $10, $100, $1,200.
• Finite Bitcoin, Infinite Fiat:
  • Bitcoin’s 21 million supply is a “measuring stick”; dollars are infinite and always losing value.
  • Notable Quote:

    "If you're looking at the dollar price of bitcoin, you're using the wrong measuring stick. Bitcoin is the measuring stick because it is constant." (18:29 – BTC Sessions)

• Perspective Shift:
  • Global assets ~$1,000 trillion; Bitcoin is only ~$2 trillion (0.2%), highlighting how early it still is.

5. Bitcoin: Savings, Not Speculation (22:32–26:28)

• Return to True Savings:
  • Modern society has lost the ability to simply work, save, and get ahead. Bitcoin is restoring this dynamic.
  • BTC Sessions:

    “That’s what Bitcoin is: reattaining [that] for the average person. That used to be all you needed to do... But the fiat world has changed that dynamic.” (23:44)

• Hope and Simplicity:
  • Bitcoin allows individuals to pursue skills, save, and enjoy life—without needing to trade or gamble.

6. Personal Transformation Through a Bitcoin Standard (26:28–29:21)

• Impact on BTC Sessions’ Life:
  • Transition from living paycheck-to-paycheck to “having a cushion,” genuine savings, retirement prospects, and ability to help family.
  • Quote:

    “You start looking out to the future, you start saying, okay, well, I’m good now. What do I want to spend my time doing?” (28:08)

7. Practical Tips for Getting Started (29:21–39:21)

• Avoid Distractions:
  • Focus on Bitcoin, not altcoins—years of experience led BTC Sessions to this conclusion.
• Three Simple Steps:
  1. Obtain Bitcoin (buy locally, find reputable sources).
  2. Use a simple hot wallet (BTC Sessions recommends Blue Wallet, Aqua, Phoenix, etc.).
  3. Graduate to a hardware wallet for savings.
• Empowering Take on Self-Custody:
  • “Leaving your bitcoin with somebody else is just about the worst thing that you can do… But if you can learn a few basic concepts and skills, you can very effectively secure your money.” (31:29)
• It’s Easier Than It Looks:
  • “If you know how to download an app and write down 12 words and keep them safe, you're qualified.” (35:56)

8. Why Bitcoin Matters: Censorship Resistance (39:21–47:56)

• Canadian Trucker Protests as Case Study (2022):
  • Bank accounts and traditional fundraising methods quickly frozen; only Bitcoin reached recipients.
  • “It was the only digital payment mechanism that was successful.” (44:07)
• Global Human Rights Angle:
  • BTC Sessions now educates activists and political dissidents worldwide through Human Rights Foundation webinars.
  • “...four or five other people in the room stand up to say that they’ve toppled a dictator… they’re using Bitcoin as a tool in their tool belt, which is incredible.” (47:38)

9. Bitcoin Is for Everyone, Not a Political Party (47:56–51:40)

• Non-Partisan Nature:
  • Bitcoin responds to the need for censorship-resistance, wherever it's needed—right, left, authoritarian, or democracy.
  • “It's not a right or left issue. It's who is being censored. They're going to use censorship resistant money.” (49:58)

10. How to Start Your Bitcoin Journey—Actionable Advice (51:40–56:29)

• Learn by Doing:
  • Don’t wait to master everything; start with a small amount, make mistakes, learn by trial.
• Top Resource:
  • BTC Sessions’ curated learning page: btcsessions.ca/learn – “Beginner, intermediate and advanced” levels to fit any starting point.
• Final Encouragement:
  • “I believe in you. You can do it. Honestly, everything new is going to seem foreign until you’ve done it a few times. As soon as you finish this podcast, go download a bitcoin wallet for the first time ever.” (56:03)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Bitcoin is the measuring stick because it is constant.”
  (18:29 – BTC Sessions)
• “Creating money doesn’t create wealth. Creating stuff creates wealth.”
  (09:12 – BTC Sessions)
• “If I know the guy I’m getting my eggs from and I want to pay him in sats, good luck stopping that.”
  (14:45 – BTC Sessions)
• “Leaving your bitcoin with somebody else is just about the worst thing that you can do.”
  (31:29 – BTC Sessions)
• “It was the only digital payment mechanism that was successful.”
  (44:07 – BTC Sessions)
• “It's not a right or left issue. It's who is being censored. They're going to use censorship resistant money.”
  (49:58 – BTC Sessions)
• “I believe in you. You can do it.”
  (56:03 – BTC Sessions)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:32 – What is Bitcoin?
• 05:08 – What’s Broken in the Money System?
• 11:25 – Living on a Bitcoin Standard: Practical Steps
• 17:02 – The “Missed the Boat” Mentality
• 22:32 – Savings, Gambling, & the Return to Simplicity
• 26:28 – Personal Impact of the Bitcoin Standard
• 29:21 – Common Pitfalls and Practical Advice
• 39:21 – Censorship Resistance: The Canadian Truckers
• 46:22 – Bitcoin & Global Human Rights
• 47:56 – Bitcoin is Not Partisan
• 51:40 – Getting Started & Learning by Doing
• 56:03 – Final Encouragement

Tone & Takeaways

• Tone: Encouraging, practical, and grounded in real-world experiences—BTC Sessions addresses both the philosophical and tangible aspects of Bitcoin living.
• End Message:
  Bitcoin is radically accessible, still early, and can offer hope, savings, and freedom from both monetary debasement and censorship. Start simply, take responsibility, and join the growing Bitcoin community.

For further learning:

• BTC Sessions’ step-by-step tutorials: btcsessions.ca/learn
• Follow BTC Sessions: YouTube, X, Nostr (@BTCsessions)