ENCORE: Bitcoin is Changing the Fight for Freedom

ENCORE: Bitcoin is Changing the Fight for Freedom

July 8, 2026 · 52 min · Season 2 · Episode 593

About this episode

The episode discusses the role of Bitcoin in protecting human rights and combating authoritarianism, featuring insights from Alex Gladstein of the Human Rights Foundation.

Host Ron Steslow welcomes Alex Gladstein (Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation) to discuss the significant and often misunderstood role of Bitcoin in protecting human rights and fighting against authoritarians around the world. Segments to look forward to: (02:07) Alex’s background in human rights work and why he became interested in Bitcoin  (16:18) Bitcoin vs other cryptocurrencies (26:04) Financial privilege (38:35) Bitcoin in action  (45:50) Bitcoin creating financial independence for women in Afghanistan  (56:25)How a human rights activist uses Bitcoin to free hostages  (59:10) Bitcoin as a tool against monetary colonialism in west Africa  (1:00:10) The importance  of peer-to-peer transactions  (1:07:50) How Bitcoin mining can bring electricity to remote areas and support sustainable energy projects  (1:19:40) Why Bitcoin matters for everyone Follow Ron and Alex on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/gladstein Email your questions to podcast@politicology.com or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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