Sam Lyman on the Digital Payments Race Between the US and China
About this episode
Sam Lyman discusses the competition in digital payments between the US and China, the importance of a strategic Bitcoin reserve, and various related topics.
Sam Lyman is the head of research at the Bitcoin Policy Institute and formerly was a senior advisor and speechwriter for Treasury Secretary Bessent. In Sam's first appearance on the show, he discusses Secretary Bessent's secret skill, the competition in the digital payments space between the US and China, why the strategic Bitcoin reserve is important, what the future of Bitcoin holds, where things stand with the CLARITY Act, the Q Day conundrum, whether Satoshi Yakamoto is alive or dead, where Sam thinks the anti-AI sentiment is coming from, and much more. Watch the full length video on our new YouTube Channel! Check out the transcript for this week's episode, now with links. Recorded on May 21st, 2026 Subscribe to David's Substack: Macroeconomic Policy Nexus Follow David on X: @DavidBeckworth Follow Sam on X: @SamLyman33 Follow the show on X: @Macro_Musings Check out our Macro Musings merch! Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:49 - Sam's Career 00:05:37 - Nation-States and Digital Payments 00:14:40 - Strategic Bitcoin Reserve 00:18:29 - Future of Bitcoin 00:24:27 - Bitcoin vs. Dollar-Based Stablecoins 00:38:32 - Update on the CLARITY Act 00:44:48 - Quantum Computing 00:49:34…
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