How Bitcoin Powers Freedom: From Afghanistan to Africa with Alex Gladstein

True Alternatives by Stone Ridge

In this deeply personal and thought-provoking episode of True Alternatives, Marc sits down with Alex Gladstein, Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), to explore how bitcoin is revolutionizing human rights work.

From smuggling films into Cuba to financing women's education in Afghanistan and powering entire communities in Africa, Alex shares gripping frontline stories that reveal bitcoin as an essential tool in the fight against authoritarianism. Together, they unpack how bitcoin is empowering freedom activists worldwide and how bitcoin mining is transforming stranded energy into economic opportunity.

Whether you're a bitcoin enthusiast, human rights advocate, or impact-driven investor, this is an unforgettable conversation that redefines what it means to change the world through code.

Highlights & Timestamps

[00:00:00] Introduction: Alex’s journey into human rights work and founding days at HRF

[00:01:59] Cuba, contraband cinema, and underground libraries: grassroots activism in authoritarian states

[00:07:10] First encounters with bitcoin: from skepticism to mission

[00:21:42] Roya Mahboob’s Afghanistan story: bitcoin as a lifeline for women and education

[00:32:24] How Ross Stevens inspired Gladstein’s bitcoin mining epiphany

[00:45:20] Bitcoin mining in Africa: Malawi, Congo, and Kenya’s hydro and geothermal revolutions

[00:54:23] Bitcoin as a tool for the 5.7B living under authoritarian regimes

[01:00:56] What you can do: using, teaching, donating, and building with bitcoin

About Alex Gladstein

Alex Gladstein is the Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), where he has worked since 2007 to support civil liberties globally. He founded the Oslo Freedom Forum, a premier global event series for dissidents and reformers. A prominent advocate for financial and digital freedom, Gladstein is also the author of “Check Your Financial Privilege” and other essays on Bitcoin’s potential to disrupt tyranny. His work has been featured in Time, The Atlantic, and The New York Times.

Follow Alex:

- X (Twitter): https://x.com/gladstein/

- Nostr profile: https://hrf.org/btc/

- Financial Freedom Report: https://hrf.org/program/financial-freedom/financial-freedom-reports/

Relevant Links

• Human Rights Foundation: https://hrf.org/
• “Check Your Financial Privilege” book: Amazon
• Freedom Forum: https://oslofreedomforum.com/
• Financial Freedom Report: https://financialfreedomreport.org
• NYDIG: https://nydig.com
• Stone Ridge 2020 Investor Letter: https://www.nydig.com/research/stone-ridge-2020-investor-letter