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S01E10 Stephen Pollock ‒ Bitcoin and American statecraft
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Stephen Pollock, SVP of Development at the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI), joins Shawn to explore Bitcoin’s growing role in U.S. policy and statecraft. This discussion covers BPI’s mission to educate policymakers, the challenges of Washington’s political landscape, and the push for Bitcoin as a tool for freedom and national interest, including the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
Background
Stephen Pollock, Senior Vice President of Development at the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank co-founded by Grant McCarty and David Zell, drives the organization’s operational and advocacy efforts. As BPI’s first hire, he’s been key in building its influence in Washington, DC. With over a decade in political campaigns, public affairs, and FinTech, Pollock has shaped legislation through grassroots strategies and built networks with political and business leaders. A passionate Bitcoiner from Nashville, he bridges Bitcoin’s decentralized ethos with policy, championing self-custody and financial freedom through events like the Bitcoin Policy Summit.
Highlights
Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man.
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Background
Stephen Pollock, Senior Vice President of Development at the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank co-founded by Grant McCarty and David Zell, drives the organization’s operational and advocacy efforts. As BPI’s first hire, he’s been key in building its influence in Washington, DC. With over a decade in political campaigns, public affairs, and FinTech, Pollock has shaped legislation through grassroots strategies and built networks with political and business leaders. A passionate Bitcoiner from Nashville, he bridges Bitcoin’s decentralized ethos with policy, championing self-custody and financial freedom through events like the Bitcoin Policy Summit.
Highlights
- BPI’s Mission: Founded to ensure policymakers take Bitcoin seriously, BPI builds credibility through white papers, 30+ expert fellows, and a new DC office, framing Bitcoin as freedom money, not a threat.
- Washington Challenges: Bitcoin faces an education gap and political football dynamics in DC. BPI counters with research and hires like Ken Egan (ex-CIA) and Axe Shapiro for advocacy.
- Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR): BPI’s advocacy led to an SBR via executive order, needing codification through Senator Lummis’ Bitcoin Act, though stablecoin bills currently compete for attention.
- Statecraft Shift: Bitcoin is seen as a statecraft tool, with the CIA’s Deputy Director speaking at BPI’s summit, signaling a subtle shift in perspective.
- Bitcoin Conference Milestone: The Vice President’s 2025 speech praised Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation and control, with JD Vance as a potential future champion.
- Five-Year Vision: BPI seeks to codify self-custody and regulatory clarity via the Bitcoin Act, build bipartisan support, and elevate Bitcoin to a nonpartisan asset like the internet, reducing risks like a 6102-style seizure.
- “There's no CEO of Bitcoin… that creates vacuums unless someone steps up.”
- “Memorize 12 words, take your life savings anywhere.”
- “The worst thing is Bitcoin reaching government with nobody knowing what it is.”
- “I don’t need an elected official to be a Bitcoiner, just to take it seriously.”
- “Bitcoin is one of the most powerful human rights tools we have.”
- Bitcoin Policy Summit: June 25, 2025, Washington, DC. Features CIA’s Michael Ellis, Hester Pierce, and lawmakers at btcpolicysummit.org.
- BPI Website: Explore research and advocacy at btcpolicy.org.
Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man.
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