To The Moon With The Luna's Podcast

Why Bitcoin Changes Everything With Halston Valencia

• Anthony Luna • Season 1 • Episode 16

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In this episode of To the Moon with the Lunas, we sit down with Halston Valencia, a rising voice in Bitcoin capital markets, to unpack her journey into the space and what drives her perspective today.

From discovering Bitcoin during her college years to stepping into her role at Bitcoin Well, Halston shares how understanding economics changed the way she sees money, opportunity, and the future.

We dive into the bigger picture why Bitcoin matters, how it challenges the traditional financial system, and what it means for the next generation. Halston also opens up about carving her own path early, navigating the industry, and why financial literacy is more important now than ever.

This episode is all about perspective, taking action, and rethinking what’s possible in a rapidly changing world. 

#Bitcoin #Money #Finance #Crypto #Podcast 

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who needs to understand Bitcoin Better.

SPEAKER_03

And so, yeah, the education system and fiat money have sold you a lie that like endless debt and inflation eroded savings and trading time for depreciating dollars is normal. It's not. Bitcoin is the only thing, only asset, in my opinion, that will actually preserve that. A financial advisor is gonna argue with me. Dave Ramsey was in my comments one time trying to argue and saying that like the SPIX is so much better and like Bitcoin's a scam, Bitcoin's a joke. I'm like, okay, so let's just look at the SPIX then. The SPIX is offering maybe seven to eight seven to eight percent of a return. And if inflation's seven percent, you're treading water. You're not making any money. And so yeah, you're you're you're you're plateauing here. And so I'm like, how is that helping anything? And so yeah, it got me got me got me going and passionate now. But it's like you just look at these charts and it's like, oh my gosh, how dumb do they think we are? They're just gonna keep telling us this lie, and it's like, no, like let's let's help everybody wake up. And I I think as Bitcoin educators, this is like something I'm super passionate about. And I think it's our job and responsibility to help people see this whole life, especially like you know, if you're if you went to business school, if you went to finance school, uh, you're you're being taught these lies.

SPEAKER_01

Like it's welcome back, everyone, to To the Moon with the Lunas podcast. Today's Bitcoin price is 66,600. And today we got a really exciting guest. Houston Valencia is the capital markets lead at Bitcoin Well, a publicly traded non-custodial Bitcoin company. She leads investor relations and capital market strategy for one of the few pure play Bitcoin companies on public markets, bringing a background in marketing that shapes how she communicates Bitcoin to investors and the public alike. She's also the co-founder of Bolt, a tools platform and newsletter covering Bitcoin capital markets, treasury instruments, and macro. She speaks regular regularly at industry events at and that Amphifly, the Bitcoin message. She believes Bitcoin is the most important financial story of our time, and she's built her career around telling it. Houston, we're so excited that you're here.

SPEAKER_07

Yes.

SPEAKER_01

I'm so excited to be here. Thanks for having me, guys.

SPEAKER_07

Dude, this is awesome. Also, want to add to that is uh congratulations again on being elected to the speak at the Bitcoin conference. That's amazing. Um great job on that.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, that's so cool.

SPEAKER_07

And uh I know you're gonna do great at that, and uh, we'll be tuning in as well. And so just to kind of kick things off here, Halston, um, how did you first get introduced to Bitcoin? And also, like, what was it about Bitcoin that really caught um your attention early on? Because you're young.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. Yeah. So I got into Bitcoin during my junior year of undergrad. I was in college, I was studying business economics, and I kind of got orange-pilled through the book Broken Money by Lynn Alden. I was studying business economics, I was taking lots of finance courses, and not once did I feel like the content of the book Broken Money was really something that was covered in school. I feel like we talked about inflation kind of almost as a good thing in college, especially in business school. You're kind of taught that 2.5% is the inflation target and this is just normal, and that central central banks were created to um stimulate the economy and and help in times of trouble. And I don't know, I just felt like the book Broken Money really opened my eyes to all of this and to how a lot of this, a lot of what we're taught in business school is is nonsense. And it's just a lot of propaganda to keep the system going and to keep uh creating compliant little employees that are gonna work in a uh cubicle for 40 years. And so I started reading about Austrian economics, and I didn't really get like fully, fully orange-pilled right away. I was more so focused on understanding the financial system and why it was broken, or rather created to be broken, and why the money was broken and why the dollar was um was losing immense purchasing power over the years. And so I did that for about maybe three or four months, and then I started listening to podcasts that Lynn Alden was on, and then I started listening to coin stories and just like went deep down the Bitcoin rabbit hole, and I was like, wow, this is actually like an incredible solution. And it's not gonna solve all of the world's problems, but it could solve a lot because the money is a big part of the world's problems. The reason why we keep funding wars is because the money is fake, we're just printing money. And so you think about something like that, and it's like, wow, this is actually such a phenomenal solution. So that's how I kind of got into it. I started just like really listening to podcasts, watching YouTube videos, watching the sailor talks, and then just looking at like the scarcity, looking at all of the different aspects of money and like what creates good money, what creates a good asset, and what creates a good investment. I was like really starting to learn about that. And Bitcoin just like checked every box at that point when I was in college. Um, I there is one class, I think it was um, I forget what the name of the class was, but it was like an investment class, and they gave us some money at the start of the semester to basically manage our own little stock portfolio. And so that's exactly what I did is I managed this little portfolio and I was learning about investments and traditional stocks, bonds, all of that. And at the same time, I was learning about Bitcoin. And I was like, wow, Bitcoin is actually so much better. I can't believe like nobody's talking about it, not even the ETF. Like, that was not even something that was mentioned in college, really, in this specific class. And it's like you look at Bitcoin, like at that point, that was late 2023, early 2024. If you were to look at a Bitcoin chart, the like Kager would be about 30%, if not a little bit more. And I was just like, wow, this is actually a really incredible asset. And it's also a bearer asset. And that's not something that was really taught in college either. Like the difference between assets and like what actually makes a good asset, and knowing that I could self-custody my Bitcoin, and it was almost like a freedom tool, too, is what really made it uh stick out compared to say like Ethereum or Solana or like all these other cryptocurrencies that don't really have a scarcity element, don't they're not capped, they have paid marketing teams. There's like the founders, and so I think just like looking at all of those things, Bitcoin just really stood out to me. Another thing is just like because I started with Lynn Alden and she's like primarily on Bitcoin only podcasts, that like really helped my education and just like hearing the narrative as to like why Bitcoin only is so important, really just kind of uh I think expedited my Bitcoin maxi journey, if you will.

SPEAKER_07

Yeah. No, that's great. Thanks for sharing. So it's so funny how like 2% is like, oh, let's shoot an aim for 2%. How about 0% and why 2%? Why 3%? Like why what like how about zero? And then it's I always like it's always mind blowing to me how we go to school and we'll go to these, you know, we'll go into these finance classes, learn these different financial instruments and these tools, and how it's just all like just leading us and steering us away to what's you know, what is the best way possible. And kudos to you for like reading broken money and then also still learning Bitcoin on the side, and you're just like, I think it's like a cheat code where Lynn Alden really helped like streamline your whole learning process where it was only Bitcoin only podcasts that you're listening to, right? Because a lot of people, when you when we chat with them on the podcast or in general, people really uh have to go through altcoins to go ahead and see, oh, it's only Bitcoin only, right? And I was like, Oh, let's get all these. The price is cheap, maybe we can catch something, right? On the on the way up. Once you do the digging and you study and you study it, you're just like, oh my gosh, you have to see past it, and then you're just like, okay, Bitcoin only. It makes the perfect sense on that.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and I'm curious, like with your conversations with your peers too, like in those classes, like were they seeing some of those things, or would you bring these conversations up to them? Like, were they like, oh yeah, I'll send like for sure.

SPEAKER_03

I think most people thought and still think I'm crazy. Still many of my peers think I'm absolutely insane. I've like been trying to grow my Instagram account, have like like such a tiny little following on Instagram, but I've been trying to grow and I've been making lots of Bitcoin content, and a lot of my like old college peers are like they think I'm ridiculous. But yeah, I those are conversations that I definitely brought up in my like my investment course, for example, and my economics course. I even like I feel like would get into not debates, but you know, informal debates with professors on why like Austrian economics was just so much better than Canadian thoughts in economics. And yeah, it was always so much pushback, but I think it's almost we're almost at a point where the curriculum and like the professors are so deep into like the PSYOP and like so deeply brainwashed that like sounds terrible, but I I do think that that's exactly what's happened. And yeah, they've been taught for what you know, my my PhDs were 70 years old, they've been taught this for their whole life, and you know, some you know, cryptocurrency comes around, and yeah, of course they're not gonna give into it. Yes. Um and it it's yeah, I I like what Jack Mallers always says is that going down the Bitcoin rabbit hole and like unlearning all that is very humbling. And it's either you swallow the pill or you don't. Um it's uh yeah, it's a humbling experience, especially for me. Like right after undergrad, I got a master's too. So like think about like after five years of education, I was like just on learning everything and just trying to absorb as much as I could and just like rewire my brain to think differently and like really question the incentives behind behind things. And yeah, it's an interesting journey, but one I always encourage people to go on.

SPEAKER_01

That's that's awesome because that's what I'm going through right now. It's unwiring my brain because I've been educated in a system of you know, traditional money system, like everyone else. And so when Anthony brought this up to us, you know, in a conversation, I'm like, yeah, sure. Like, I mean, whatever you think. I don't know. I was like just not in the space to really, I knew what he was doing was good. Like I knew it wasn't gonna be a negative thing. He wanted to build our family and like, you know, make sure we're in the right spot. But I was like, okay, and then he kept bringing it up. I'm like, okay, I should probably like learn, like talk to you about this, like what's going on, you know? Um, and so that's why we were kind of created this podcast too, is because we had we there were other people having my thoughts, you know, like of like, what are you talking about? Like, I don't understand, or you know, or wanting to hear from other people's perspective and wanting to understand that. So um I think that's you know, it is true. It's very helpful. And that's where I'm like rewiring my brain right now. And like I get to have conversations with people like you and other people that we've had on the podcast, and I get to re-listen to these podcasts myself because I'm like, gosh, that was so good. Like I now I understand a piece that maybe I missed, you know, or you know, pieces of the puzzle coming together. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_07

That's so good. It's like I just can't stop thinking about your professor when you like bring up Bitcoin to him.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, he's like he's like, Yeah, you can imagine.

SPEAKER_07

Like, I've been doing this class forever, and this girl just came in here and she's talking about some crypto.

SPEAKER_05

Yep, yep.

SPEAKER_07

I love it, I love it. Uh, when younger we're we're still young, but like when younger people still coming out of school, I think it's such like advantageous when you do find out that things are not what they seem to be at an early age, and like you get that head start, like because there's people way older than us, and you know, in our age and younger like your age, and they have like no clue what's going on. So it's like dude, your light years house in of everyone. Um, I wanted to ask you how did the opportunity come um with the Bitcoin wealth? How did how did this all come come about?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, so last year I was finishing up my master's program. I was in my third semester, third and final semester, and I was already kind of working full-time uh in a more traditional marketing role, traditional marketing slash like financial analysts. So I worked at a marketing agency in LA, and I was doing marketing like advising and consulting, but also doing like financial analysis for those clients that I had. And so during that experience, I got about seven months of like more corporate traditional marketing experience. And honestly, it was just really unfulfilling, and I just couldn't keep contributing to a role that felt meaningless, and it felt like I was just kind of pouring all of my potential into something that was only uh worsening the fiat system, uh, especially with all of the campaigns I was doing. It was like very like big conglomerates, and yeah, I just I didn't feel right doing it. And so right when I graduated, I decided one day to just like start looking for jobs in the Bitcoin space on Twitter. And within like three days, I came across a post from the CEO of the company that I now work for, Bitcoin Well. And he was like, hey, like looking for marketers, DM me if you're interested and have marketing experience. And I was like, okay, I just gotta be confident and like, yes, I might only have like seven months of like full-time job experience in marketing, but this is something I'm super passionate about. And so I'm just gonna shoot him a DM. So I shot him a DM, kept it super concise. I gave him like three bullet points about me and like why I thought I was a good fit. And he was like, excellent, let's hop on a call like the same day. Nice and so then hopped on a call. And that's the like amazing thing about the Bitcoin space, is they honestly, he didn't even know I had a master's degree or bachelor's degree until like months into the job. He was like, Oh, like, yeah, I didn't know anything about your education. And so um, that's what I love about the Bitcoin space is that as long as you're passionate and you like have proof of work, um, there are so many opportunities. So we do the call, and then he was like, Okay, awesome, let's do one more call. And in the next call, I basically took that hour and made like a pitch deck of like what I would do if I got the role. And so, kind of like a six-month projection, and like again, just like trying to show that I was really passionate about this and why I was passionate, like tying in my own story and what Bitcoin did for me. And he was like, awesome, like, and then he sent me an offer, and that's kind of how I got the job. Um, but super, super blessed. Like, I think that was definitely like I'm a Christian, like my faith is something that's very important to me, and like that was definitely God like opening that door. I couldn't have like come across like that tweet in a more perfect time and and way. That's so yeah, that's how that's how I got the job. That is that is so cool.

SPEAKER_07

And I'm like, I love like I love like his mindset of like, okay, cool, like you had a degree or a master's, like, because I think we're steering away from that, right? I think like that that that um I don't know, like that pitch or the way that every we're all taught that, you know, go to school, get a degree, get a good job, get a 401k, get married, buy a house. Like, dude, like that is done. Like that's thrown out the window. Like now it's like, dude, figure it out, right? Because anything that we're look like we learn from school, none of it is valuable in the real world, right? They don't teach us investing, they don't teach us even how to buy a house, right? And the goals for everyone to own a house. They don't teach you how to buy a house, they don't teach you how to start a business, they don't teach you how to like invest, they don't teach you what an asset, like nothing. Like, they don't teach you about money, like it's all that is so thrown out the window. And he's like, oh, cool. Like you have those attributes and those accomplishments, like, oh, nice, awesome. But it's because it is, it's like, dude.

SPEAKER_01

It's like a perk. Yeah, you know, it's like, oh, great, but like also, do you care about what I'm doing? You know, like I'd rather have someone who's super passionate about you know whatever they're doing than just have a piece of paper saying that they completed you know what I mean? Like we're we're we're both athletes too, and I think about like people who want to play sports or parents who put their kids in sports, these kids have no desire to play, right? But then they put them in, and then there's a kid who's like super passionate and like maybe isn't that great, you know. Yeah, but they're really excited and they end up being some of the best, the most coachable, cool, awesome athletes that you get to work with because they're they're they're they're passionate about it. They want to get better, you know, and grow in their space. So yeah, that is really that's a really cool story putting yourself out there and yeah, that's so awesome.

SPEAKER_07

I know that was me. I was like, oh, let me just hit a house and Valencia DM her and let me see if she says yes.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, no, I always love going on podcasts, I like especially Bitcoin podcasts, because they just they're so near and dear to my heart because it's how I got educated, and I'm very much like a visual learner, and like seeing people have conversations, it just like it did numbers on me. And so that's why like I I don't think I've ever turned down a podcast before, unless it was like there was one time a podcast that like does like lots of different cryptocurrencies asked me to come on. I was like, I just didn't feel like it aligned with like my values, and so I didn't call it, but like I rarely ever turned down a podcast, so I I do appreciate the invite and appreciate uh the educators that we have like you guys. So definitely keep it up.

SPEAKER_07

Thanks, House. Thanks, Houston. Um, I want to so for people who might not be familiar, uh, what exactly is Bitcoin Well and kind of what's the main mission behind that?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, so Bitcoin Well is a Canadian non-custodial Bitcoin company. However, we also operate in the United States. Um, so available in all of North America now. Um, we're publicly traded both in Canada and the states, and we make it super easy and safe for people to buy Bitcoin. Our main value prop that separates us from the rest of the Bitcoin platforms is that we're non-custodial, meaning we will never hold your Bitcoin on the exchange. Uh, it's technologically impossible with our infrastructure. That's not how the business was built. And the reason a lot of people will ask, like, oh, why does that matter? And it's like, okay, well, when I first started buying Bitcoin, I started at um strike. And when you buy Bitcoin at Strike, you can't exactly move it right away. You have to like wait for, I think it's like four or five days because of like their banking partner. And same thing with River. And to me, now working for Bitcoin Well and like studying this more in depthly, that kind of goes against the Bitcoin ethos. Because when I buy Bitcoin, I want my Bitcoin. The whole point of it for me is like freedom and sovereignty. Yes. And at Bitcoin Well, we literally can't hold your Bitcoin. So we sell it to you, it has to go to your wallet. We don't have like a place for it. And so that, you know, if you think about too, like, okay, what if I bought Bitcoin at Striker River and like I love them and I think they're doing such great things, so I don't want to bash on them. But let's just say you bought Bitcoin from them and they get hacked.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Your Bitcoin is sitting on that exchange. And so that puts you as the consumer at risk at Bitcoin. Well, if we got hacked, nobody's Bitcoin would ever be at risk because we don't ever hold it. It's it's instant. Like you buy it and it goes to your wallet. Um, and so that's the difference with us. We also started with ATMs. That's how our CEO started the business. He um was the first, I I think I'm pretty sure he created the first Bitcoin ATM in all of Canada and maybe even all of North America back in 2013, I think.

SPEAKER_05

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

2013, 2012. And so that's how the business started, but we've now expanded. So we have the ATMs, we have our Bitcoin portal, which is the platform where people um buy and sell Bitcoin. And then we have Bitcoin Well Infinite, which is our high net worth OTC desk. So it's our white glove service. If you're trying to make a Bitcoin purchase over$50,000, it's a a very just like luxurious experience. You get our amazing advisor, Riley, to like walk you through that process and kind of just um yeah, help with any questions you have, because a lot of people that are making such large purchases are doing so on behalf of their institution or on behalf of a client. Um, and so that's that's what Bitcoin Wall Infinite is. Um, but like our core mission is just to enable independence, which is why we never hold your coins. Um and yeah, I I love working for them.

SPEAKER_07

That's amazing. So because it's actually good practice, and that's what Bitcoin preaches too. It's like, you know, you need to self-custody everything. So that's a great way to like run the business because it's also good practice, right? For people who are getting in. Because it's so easy to, you know, you hear these stories in the past where people put that they buy their money on uh their Bitcoin on an exchange and you know uh FTX is one of them, you know, or then you get rug pulled or you can get hacked. Um so there's these different reasons why. Um and so just like hey, this is actually how it's supposed to be ran systematically if you're gonna be in the Bitcoin space. Yeah, yeah. No, that's really good. So it aligns with everything uh with Bitcoin.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07

So that's great. I didn't know that. And then also for um uh so then how do you guys do it as far as banking then or on the other side of that? Because usually, if you buy it, you know, you're gonna go ahead and, you know, like you said, we'll use like uh a river, or it'll be like three or four days, or two or three days where it's on there. So, how does that work for you guys? Do you guys just have a big pile of Bitcoin and you guys just go ahead and like, hey, you buy it now, boom, go it goes?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, so that's the difference, like just like foundationally, River and Strike are not selling like their own Bitcoin. We are selling our own Bitcoin. And so that's just how the the company was founded, and that's how our CEO plans to always run it. Um, because he doesn't ever want to like rely on a third party, and he just believes that Bitcoin is meant to uh enable independence and sovereignty. And so um, yeah, so it's just it's our Bitcoin, and yeah, we have uh uh quite the quite the the reserve. Nice awesome.

SPEAKER_07

Nice. So what kind of role do you play in your day to day at Bitcoin Well?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, so I started my role um directly doing marketing for the CEO, and then I kind of um expanded into doing marketing for him and Bitcoin Well, and like working on a couple different teams at the company. But now, as of late, as of like maybe just two weeks ago, I've transitioned into uh this capital markets lead role. And so before I was doing like, yeah, like all marketing, digital, social, all of that. And now I'm kind of transitioning into helping grow the stock. We are a penny stock, um, but we really see Bitcoin wealth stock as a massive opportunity for people who, people and investors who truly believe in the mission of not just Bitcoin, but also our company and enabling people to be sovereign individuals and not depend on any uh banks or even like companies like Coinbase. And so I'm kind of doing a more like investor relations role. My day-to-day is kind of it varies. We just did an earnings call yesterday, our 2025 year wrapped up, and all of our financial statements are now public. And we had an incredible year. It was an incredible year for growth. We hit 133 million in revenue with a 47% year over year growth. And so that's truly incredible for a Bitcoin company, uh, especially one that's non-custodial. And so my job is now just to educate our investors and potential future investors on why they should be, you know, if you want to support the mission, like why you should invest in our company over, say, like a company like Coinbase and all these other exchanges that don't truly align with what sovereign individuals believe in.

SPEAKER_01

That's so good. And you're so young too. So it's like they they are doing a great thing by having you on their team because not only not saying like, but I'm just saying you're you're so educated, you've had all this other background as well. Um, but you're able to speak to a younger generation too, of like, hey, we've been taught these things and it's not working, you know. And so hey, let's have these conversations and there's so many other avenues. I like you said, everyone has to go through their growing pains of Bitcoin and kind of, you know, but hopefully you're there to be like, hey, no, we don't have to go through that. You don't have to do the other altcoins and you know, all the other things that we we go through. So you're a great asset to their team too, to be able to do that, to be able to, you know, share your experience and be a younger set of eyes, you know, for for people to see. Cause like you said, a lot of this, a lot of like the Gen Z um our visual, we're visual learners. I mean, everything's been on our you know, social media and on the computer and you know, digitized. So it's it's it's a little easier for someone with a younger set of eyes to be able to like, hey, this is what's working, and this is how I learned, you know. And so this is what I want to bring to the table.

SPEAKER_07

So yeah, I think it's I think it's huge. Um, being in the Gen Z and you're just like heading um hitting it head on because there's that's a different audience, right? A lot of people in Gen Z, they're just trying to survive. They're like, hey, I'm just I need to get a job. I need to get I need to do maybe two jobs, right? That's what that's what we're headed to now. And so being able to like, no, like let's just pause and reset and like let's just assess this whole situation. Like, how do we like navigate this space uh so we have a brighter future? And so I have like this vision that I I honestly think that Gen Z is going to be the generation where they're really gonna flip the script on all monetary because I think that they're gonna you guys are you know it's we're all filling debasement, we're all filling in inflation. I think you guys are gonna get it hit the worst, and they're just gonna be like, we need to just stop and we just need to figure this out. And I on because I think like where we're at right now, like the average home buyer is like about 40 years old. Okay, and that's gonna be like for Gen Z, you're gonna be like, What? Gas prices, and we live in California, gas prices are at six plus six dollars plus. So, like this is unsustainable and right, and so I think the Gen Z is gonna be the generation where they're gonna be like, Hey, whatever they did in the future, we need to we need to scrap it and we need to go ahead and like push forward and like trailblaze a new way. I honestly think they will be the ones that are uh gonna set the tone for the future in digital because they grew up, you guys grew up in like the whole digital world, like strictly digital, everything's technology. So, like, why don't we have a what's a technology? What's the best vehicle, the best tool to like set ourselves up for success? Um, we still, you know, we I remember we grew up in a world where there was still no uh uh there was no technology, like there was like like a computer, like what's this?

SPEAKER_01

Or right in between.

SPEAKER_07

Yeah, we're we saw we saw both worlds.

SPEAKER_01

Like saw the transition, which is kind of funny. But but yeah, it it is really cool. So, I mean, being that you're younger, right out of college, like you know, what was that like, you know, me creating your own path after college and really figuring out like just jumping into that Bitcoin space? What was that like for you?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, it was definitely incredible. I mean, I like I said earlier, I feel very blessed. I don't think that I could have replicated this in another lifetime if I wanted to. I think like I was so fed up with only like, mind you, I had only been in the corporate world for like six or seven months, like not that long. I was already not surviving. And I was like, this is awful. I can't believe people did this for 40 years. Um, and so I had this like awakening, and I was like, you know what? I just want to be in a space where I feel like you know, I've just been in school for five years. I actually want to put this knowledge to work and these skills to work towards something more meaningful, like amplifying the message of Bitcoin. And so, yeah, carving my own path, if you will, was like equal parts like terrifying, but like also liberating. Yeah. Because I was able to, you know, kind of grow this like personal brand, if you will, and a lot of amazing opportunities came from that. Um yeah, I think I always encourage everyone, like, if you're passionate about Bitcoin and you really want to be in this space, like give it a shot. Just even if it's like maybe starting on like a project every day, an hour after your nine to five, your corporate world job, like just build towards something, whether it's a portfolio or I don't know, just some kind of maybe it's a an in-person community that you start building and kind of develop that proof of work. And because even though you're like contributing to say your fiat job, your normie job that you hate, and it's you're just miserable and it's soul sucking, you can be still be contributing to the the broader like Bitcoin community and like amplifying that message. Um and so yeah, it was definitely it's it's been such a journey and it's such an amazing journey, one that I feel so blessed to be on. Uh, a lot of people have just, you know, kind of been super inviting and welcoming. Natalie Brunel is someone that I would consider my mentor and someone I really look up to who kind of really helped uh kickstart a lot of my like Bitcoin um career after I was already working at Bitcoin well. But with her given her her um large platform, she really assisted in that. And so super grateful for her. And we like to chat at least once a month, and she's been just phenomenal. And um yeah, it's it's been just an incredible journey and so happy to be on it.

unknown

Cool.

SPEAKER_07

This is so cool, Alison. Like that's like you get the you shoot this DM, you hit the lottery, and then you got Natalie Brunell in your back pocket once a month. Yeah, you know, and shout out to Natalie too. Uh Bitcoin for Everyone is a great book. We just read that book, and so that's an amazing, like easy read too the way that she uh integrates it with and uh like as a for like a five-year-old too, right? Like a lot of people can easily get um wrapped up with Bitcoin, like, no way that's not for me.

SPEAKER_01

But relatable. Yeah, you know, that's it's like, oh, I she's not using these big terminologies where you're just calling talking about. You know, I needed I needed like Bitcoin for dummies, and like that was basically like the alternative for for that. Yes, yeah, she's she's awesome for sure. I listen to her uh podcast a lot too, and it her conversations are just really some of them can go over my head a little bit too because I'm still growing in that. Yeah, she's she's great. She's she's has so many amazing guests too that we've been able to learn from.

SPEAKER_03

And she's just she's truly like I I've met up with her probably three or four times now in person, and she is even more kind and just more genuine too, in person. Like, like genuinely, she is one of the most authentic like influencers I've ever met. Um, so definitely like I'm super supportive of everything she puts out, and glad you guys are as well. Bitcoin is for everyone, is is truly just a book that everyone should read. I gave it to my mom and she's fully orange-piled now, and she loved it, and like super easy for her to understand. So, shout out Natalie and shout out Bitcoin is for everyone. Yes, definitely read take the time to read that one.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. I mean, besides Natalie, too, would who else would be someone that like had a big influence on your Bitcoin Bitcoin journey? Hmm.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, Natalie Brunel, I would say Jack as well. I started tuning into his podcast um early into my Bitcoin journey, and like he didn't really have a lot of subscribers at that point. Now he's like definitely gotten pretty big. Um, but I think just the he was really able to quantify and like verbalize the sentiment I was experiencing and feeling. Um when I started reading Broken Money, I was in my third year of college, I was a junior, and I was working three jobs and I was raised by a single mom. And so I didn't really have like I got a lot of scholarships to go to college, but at the end of the day, I did go to private education for all five years, private and private institution. And so there was only so much that scholarships could cover, and so I was working my butt off to pay for school, and like yeah, my parents didn't couldn't really assist, and so I was like, you know, I was working three jobs, I was working technically two jobs and then one internship, but it was unpaid.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, that's a job.

SPEAKER_03

It's a job, and I was overworked. I was always in 21 units um of of yeah, of of of classes, and so that's another job. Yeah, it was insane. And like one of my jobs was being a nanny, and so that's like, you know, being a mom, like I'm not a mom, I don't have any kids, but like that felt like I was their mom. Like I was working full-time for this family, and so it was a lot, it was a lot, and I was like, oh my gosh, I'm working three jobs and I'm still struggling. Literally, what the heck am I doing wrong? And so all of these feelings that had been boiling up, I feel like Jack Mallers was really able to like just eloquently articulate, maybe not so eloquently, he does cuss a lot, but like he was just able to like express everything that I was feeling so well with like the charts and the numbers and all of like the monetary history, and like he just broke it down so simply for me. And so I think his podcast or live stream really impacted my journey as well as Luke Groman. I still follow Luke Groman. Um and yeah, I think Lynn Alden was like kind of the first one, I guess, because I read Broken Money, and yeah, I still love reading her reports and everything, but yeah, those are some of the most influential people I would say in my journey.

SPEAKER_07

Yeah, so uh I want to go uh kind of shift back into Gen Z. I think this is huge. Um, I want to get this message across uh to everyone uh because I think it is gonna make an impact in the future. Like, um, how can we better communicate the traditional savings isn't what it used to be for people? Um yeah, just if you could just kind of add on that.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I mean, I think listen, all it takes is looking at the inflation rate. Like, first of all, if if you're someone who's watching this and you have like a business background or econ or finance background, we all know these numbers are one, inflated, two, manipulated, and three, uh, irrelevant because they're always gonna make it just like fit the narrative that they're trying to drive and and hone in on. And so if you know that, and let's just say they they just came out, I think recently said inflation's like 2.8% or something like that. Okay, let's just pretend. Let's pretend it's 2.8%. We all know it's way more than that. Yeah. Personally, I use JP Morgan. Your JP Morgan savings account is offering like 0.1%. That's not even like it's not even close to keeping up with inflation.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

And so you can just look at that, compare the two things, and be like, wow, this is all a scam. This is one big joke. And so, yeah, the education system and fiat money have sold you a lie that like endless debt and inflation eroded savings and trading time for depreciating dollars is normal. It's not. Bitcoin is the only thing, only asset, in my opinion, that will actually preserve that. A financial advisor is gonna argue with me. Dave Ramsey was in my comments one time trying to argue and saying that like the SPIX is so much better and like Bitcoin's a scam, Bitcoin's a joke. I'm like, okay, so let's just look at the SPIX then. The SPIX is offering maybe seven to seven to eight percent of a return. And if inflation's seven percent, you're treading water, you're not making any money. And so you got you're you're you're you're plateauing here. And so I'm like, how is that helping anything? And so, yeah, you got me, got me, got me going and passionate now. But it's like you just look at these charts and it's like, oh my gosh, how dumb do they think we are? They're just gonna keep telling us this lie, and it's like, no, like let's let's help everybody wake up. And I I think as Bitcoin educators, this is like something I'm super passionate about. And I think it's our job and responsibility to help people see this because when you're taught something for your whole life, especially like, you know, if you're if you went to business school, if you went to finance school, uh, you're you're being taught these lies. Like it's it's engraved in your head. And so I think as Bitcoiners, we need to like have some compassion and empathy. And a lot of Bitcoiners don't. Like, I hate the phrase, have fun staying poor. I cannot stand it when people say that. It's so just distasteful and kind of just like, I don't know, it's just not what I think the message that we should be spreading as Bitcoiners. And so I try to always like just show people the charts. Like, I love numbers, I'm a numbers girly. I love just like pulling things up. It's like, okay, let's just look at this together. And like you tell me if you think that your dollar is preserving anything, your savings account. Uh, which is also why I've become very passionate about products like stretch, because there's, you know, you have HISAs at your high yield savings account is gonna offer you what maybe three to five percent if you're lucky, five percent being like super generous, and now you have a product like stretch offering 11 and a half percent and SATA offering 12.75. Like, yeah, I mean, that's just like yeah, it's it's it's unreal. And so, yeah, that's what I would say to Gen Z. Like, don't listen to these lies. Let just look at the numbers and and Yeah, that's so good too.

SPEAKER_07

Uh, because like when you say, like, oh, like have fun staying for it, that actually is like a fiat mindset type of deal, right? It's like when when you just think about it, it's like it's a because that's how like you know, fiat is just like defacement, it's inflation, it's everything, it's stealing away our time, our wealth. And that's such a like fiat mindset thing to say, yeah. When you really think about it, like because Bitcoin is the total opposite of like, hey, let's get the message out, let's try to spread the word, like, hey, there's a better way. Let's get free. Let's get free. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01

Like you can't have fun being poor. Like, and I and like it's like that saying, like, oh, the money, um, money's not everything, yeah, but money helps everything. Exactly. You know, money helps you survive, live, do all the things that you need to do, you know. Like, I I it really it irks me when I hear that. Like, you know, money, money is kind of part of everything, you know. Like, we need money to survive.

SPEAKER_07

Money isn't everything, but everything takes money, everything costs money. And so and it's so funny, the people that are saying that are the ones that have like never experienced money, too.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I know, yeah. I I totally like I oh James Lavish is someone else that was has been super influential in my life and definitely a mentor as well. And he talks about the cantalon effect all the time. And it's this like idea that the people closest to the money printer always win, and that's why the rest of us always lose. And so I think that, yeah, the people that are saying, like, oh, money isn't everything, yeah, it's because you're next to the printer. Um money, money is every it's how the world runs. And unfortunately, you know, Saylor said it pretty well at the Treasury's conference last year. He said that if we genuinely want to fix the world and fix the money, we need to be penetrating everything that money touches with Bitcoin. And that's why he's so passionate about digital credit and building on top of Bitcoin, building these financial products because we need Bitcoin to be penetrating these corrupt systems. And I think Satoshi called this out in the white paper, not verbatim, but like I think he did predict that people would be building on top of Bitcoin and building other financial products. And so, yeah, I totally agree with you, Danielle. Like, it irks me when people say, like, oh, money isn't everything. And it's like, no, but the world does run this way. And if you want to have the nice things, the American Dream, if you want to get married, have kids, that requires money. Money.

SPEAKER_01

And I'm like, come pay my come pay my grocery bill. Come on over. Exactly. Exactly. It's it's it's it takes money. I don't know what you're talking about, but it's taking money for us to pay that bill, you know? So it's it's it's when you idolize it, and we have a faith too, right? We don't idolize it, but it is a an area that we that I feel like God wanted us to, you know, ha live abundantly and live a life not full of scarcity and fear. Yeah. And I think that's where I have found a really cool, hopeful message in Bitcoin. It's showing every single person I've talked to on this podcast has been uplifting, joyful, hopeful, uh, kind, genuine, and from all different types of backgrounds, from growing up with like nothing to people having everything that they've needed in life. It's just been a cool thing to see. And that's why we we're really positive people. Like we are very um intentional with those people, right? And who's around us and who surrounds our family.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And so being in this space, like you said, that's exactly why like it was like a total God thing, right? That you got your job because everyone's just like oh, like this is hopeful, like this girl has a hopeful spirit. She wants to do well in this world, she wants to bring good, you know? And so I just think that's what I've seen. And then the fiat system is the totally opposite. Like, yeah, fear, sad, scared, war, war, like everything. I'm like, I don't know that energy up in here.

SPEAKER_03

Exactly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07

It's funny too, how like Bitcoin, like big Bitcoin has values. Like anybody that gets into Bitcoin too, it's like family, it's like faith, it's it, you know, it's like fitness, it's like eating healthy, it's like it's like getting in shape. It's there's all uh kids, all of these things like Bitcoin, like kind of just like slowly like uh integrates into your life, and you're just like, wow, like this is great, you know, because we're so figuring out life uh out there by ourselves and then like having fiat being in the corporate world, being in the cubicle, you know, people are just gossiping. People are just like, hey, did you hear about Janet? Like, no, I don't care about Janet, I don't want to know about Janet, you know, like yeah, you know, it's like no, like it you really it really helps you mind your own business, and that's our like one of our family models is like we just mind our own business, right? Control the controllables. And um, when you mind your own business, like you don't have time for anything, you're just too busy growing yourself. And so then what happens is cool, is like once you fill your cup up and you're learning and you're growing and you're like being in the best, I could be the best Anthony I can be, then that gets that spills over into my wife. That spills over into my kids, that spills over into my community, that spills over everywhere, right? My at work. And so that's a huge thing for us. And we're and then to be in the learn about Bitcoin and like it kind of already had those values that we already had. Yeah, it was like, man, this is this is like this has got 20 times better, you know?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, totally, yeah. I love that I love that um Bitcoin teaches a lot of these, like just how to have good morals, good values. Um, I always there's like the joke in the Bitcoin community, right? That like everyone that's in Bitcoin is just like an avid meat eater. And I think that's like it's so funny, but it's so true. Like, we're all just like trying to like go back to like first principles thinking. We're like, okay, let's like question the incentives. Like, why would somebody like the government try to push down this like fake like food pyramid chart down our throats? And it's like it like learning about Bitcoin really teaches you to like, like you said, become a better version of yourself and like just kind of opt out of everything that we've ever been taught, whether it's food or big pharma or money or history, whatever it is. And yeah, that's something an under underrated um part about Bitcoin is is just you kind of learn to become a better version of yourself.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, total rewire, you know, like for sure. The total rewire of how you grew up. And so no, I it's it's it's just so refreshing to be in spaces of people and talking to people like you, you know, like just it's it's refreshing because in this world you're gonna encounter people who are like Debbie Downers and you know, just super negative about doom and gloom, all that stuff. And so I have found it. That's why when Anthony was talking about Bitcoin, I wasn't really worried because like everything that I would see was positive. So I was like, cool, like I feel like you're doing push-ups right now. So like I'm not gonna be mad about that, you know, or like you know, or you're you guys are like positively talking about money and like changes and things and you're learning something new. He's like reading a ton. Like, I what would I never read before? I was like, what do I do on my wife would be like, oh my gosh, you need to stop doing that. You know what I mean? Yeah. I'm like, that's great, you know. I mean, don't do it uh like times where I need your help with the kids, but like, you know, I'm like you're reading a book instead of like I know some people are into video games, like that would be like a waste of time in my guys. You know what I mean? Like to each their own. Right. But I'm just saying totally. Um, it's just super important. Those values. And yeah, I we've had guests before that maybe didn't have those morals growing up. And so to see adults changing and becoming better versions of themselves, it's like so cool. It's just like uh it's like so hopeful. And it's endless. It's endless. It's always like changing their lives. I love it.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. And you think about it too, like you guys have young kids. Um, and and you know, my time as a nanny, what I learned is that kids are sponges and they are always watching and they're always absorbing everything and just like they'll start to adopt your habits. And if the more Bitcoiners that have kids, um, and and they're like seeing this example, like the better the next generation will become. And so, yeah, I think that's awesome. Love that for you guys.

SPEAKER_07

Do you hey uh speak uh going back to like kids and stuff and your generation and your friends, like, do you kind of what kind of conversations are having amongst you guys when it comes to like kids? You know, because a lot of people like you shared are work are working more jobs. Yeah, and the ones that I've I've chatted with, not on this podcast, just you know, out in the out in the wild, you know, they're talking about, you know, like oh man, that's too expensive, or like I don't have time for that, or I need to, you know, work multiple jobs, or I need to figure things out. What are you hearing around in your circles or maybe outside of your circles?

SPEAKER_03

I would say even in so outside of the Bitcoin space, I have I feel like a lot of my friends nowadays are just people in the Bitcoin space, but say the people I know outside of this space, they're especially girls, they're just saying, like, it's it's hopeless. Like, I'm just never gonna have kids. Um, and it's sad. There's like definitely financial nihilism is very prominent within my generation. And I feel honestly really bad for the men, especially because they have this responsibility that they're feeling to provide. And it's like they're barely able to provide for themselves, let alone provide for somebody else and for a wife and children. And, you know, I met a guy at church um not too long ago who was telling me, like, I don't feel deserving of marriage. I don't feel like I can because I don't feel like I make enough to like fully provide, like in totality, to the point like where my wife can just like raise our children. And I was like, that crushed me. Like I felt so sad for this young man who's, you know, freshly out of college and just trying to make it in life. And it's like, gosh, like, no wonder we have such high like depression rates and anxiety, because if you're struggling to make ends meet for yourself, and like I feel like as humanity, having like getting married and having children is such a fulfilling part of life. I think it's the way that we were designed. And if you don't feel like you can do that, what is life? That you start to like lose a lot of hope and like purpose. Um, you know, I didn't mention Bitcoin at that in that moment, but like I did mention a little, you know, we started talking about monetary history. I'm I'm hearing a lot of people say that they can't afford to get married, they can't afford to have kids, and they're just like, oh well, I'm just gonna have to work multiple jobs until until I can make it out of this rat race. And a lot of people are turning to like the prediction markets and just this like degenerate gambling because they're just like trying to give everything they can a chance to like get their their breakthrough moment. And so, yeah, most of my friends are saying like they're not gonna have kids. If they do, great, but if not, like it's just they've given up on that.

SPEAKER_01

Wow, that's like so disheartening to hear. I can imagine, and like it's not what God intended, you know? Like it's hard as like a I'm sure like just being a Christian person too, it's just like gosh, like that's this is not what's intended for us, you know. Like this isn't what God intended for us. So, like to for you to be able to, in your own way and your own time, be able to kind of share, you know, breadcrumbs of um monetary history and like then showing them like there could be another way, like we just have to get out of the system that's like not working, you know, and it's just yeah. Um I just hope and not to not to put the whole Gen Z on your shoulders, but like you have, you know, but one person at the end of the day. I just try my best. Yeah, exactly. Like if they hear this message on here, you know, just knowing like, hey, like there is an alternative way and there is hope, you know. We just it's not gonna happen overnight. And that's another thing, it's that delayed gratification mindset, you know, that that the Bitcoin space holds onto too. Yeah. Yeah. So if you could, you know, share any last messages with, you know, our viewers, um, you know, whether it regards to just having, I don't know, open mind or anything about Bitcoin or personal or anything like that, um, go ahead and share.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I mean, I always like to end the podcast with just an encouraging message, and that's to, you know, I I think my whole job and my my mission right now is to inspire curiosity. I'm not trying to shove the message of Bitcoin down people's throats. The same way I'm not trying to shove my faith down people's throats. But I do want people to go on those own, those personal journeys themselves. Um, and something that I always say is like Bitcoin solved all of my money issues, God solves all of my issues. And so yeah, I think, you know, without my faith, I don't know where I would be. And, you know, I turned to Christ when I was like 17, late high school, um almost 18, and uh like it completely changed my life. And I think that that's like my cornerstone and foundation. And I think everybody needs to have a cornerstone and foundation. And I meet a lot of Bitcoiners who are starting to get interested in religion and maybe not Christianity, maybe it's Catholicism or some other religion, but like having that spiritual element, something that guides them. And I think, you know, that's something I always encourage people to do is like go down that journey and like ask questions and um learn about different faiths. And and you know, for me, I I truly believe that uh like Christianity and just like following God and having that relationship is what everybody should do. But I I I want people to like, you know, ask their own questions, do the research. I don't want them to just like take it from me, you know, read the Bible. Um, I yeah, it's it's kind of what guides me and don't know where I would be without without God in my life. So yeah, I mean definitely uh read all the Bitcoin books, but don't don't forget to read the most important book, in my opinion. Um yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So good. Let's go. Yeah, that was amazing. And I hope that's an encouragement to everybody. It was encouraging to me for sure. Um it's a it's a uh the world that we live in, it's a rat race sometimes, and you kind of forget, you know, hey, where are my eyes right now? Like I need to go back to my faith, my morals, my values, you know. And if it doesn't align, it doesn't align. And so we have to adjust, and that's what we do a lot of makeup, well, how we make a lot of our decisions too as a family. So gosh, Halston, you're awesome. You're amazing. Um, I wish I was as mature as you were at your age. I know.

SPEAKER_07

Um so mature. I know.

SPEAKER_01

I'm like, I mean I appreciate it. I was on the right path, but and then we listen to Halston while everywhere on the right. Yeah. Yeah. So um Appreciate it, guys. But where can everyone connect with you?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I am very active on X, just at Halston Valencia, just by first and last name. I've been growing on LinkedIn too, posting on there a little bit. Feel free to follow me on there. But yeah, mostly on X. My DMs are open, so love connecting with people and like I've had lots of great, fruitful conversations with a lot of the the plebs, if you will, the people, the anons. And so yeah, always love chatting it up in there. Um yeah, X and LinkedIn primarily.

SPEAKER_01

Awesome. Well, thanks everyone for listening today. We are so excited for you to learn and glean from Halston. And we'll see you next time on the moon.

unknown

Bye.

SPEAKER_01

Thanks for having me. Bye.

SPEAKER_07

Bye, Halston.