Samourai developer Keonne Rodriguez’s sentence includes 60 months in prison, three years of supervision, and a $250k fine. Here’s an overview of what else was said in the courtroom today. https://v.nostr.build/rt0WjkvTORqE899R.mov

It was a distinct honor and privilege to talk about bitcoin as money with the White House Press Secretary today.

I’m here for today’s press briefing at 1:00 PM EST. Planning to ask about the CBDC language in GENIUS as well as de minimis tax exemptions for Bitcoin transactions. Be sure to tune in!

I used to work at an independent record label. At the label, I wore many hats. I handled publicity, marketing, distribution, and graphic design (this was back toward the tail end of CDs being a thing). My boss basically allowed me to do my job the way I saw fit. He did offer one guiding rule, though: Find the champions for these bands out there. What he meant was just keep reaching out to people until you find those who want to support the bands on the label in some capacity and then build with them. It was simple, yet profound advice that I’ve applied to nearly everything I’ve worked on during the past 20 years. You don’t need to construct some grand plan or craft some soulless pitch or marketing angle. You just need to find others on the same wavelength as you and build with them in a way that’s mutually beneficial.

There’s a part of me that doesn’t care how big #Nostr gets. I’m just glad it exists.

Here’s what NPR didn’t share from the interviews I did with them (four in total) for the most recent episode of Planet Money: •That while it’s awkward for most Bitcoin enthusiasts to have the political class here now, it’s better that they are here so that we can have conversations about Bitcoin out in the open with them, instead of conversations on the topic happening behind closed doors. •That it’s a good thing that the U.S. government is no longer antagonistic toward Bitcoin, because there are activists and others living under authoritarian regimes globally who rely on bitcoin as a money of last resort, and if the U.S. is openly hostile to it, it gives more leverage to the leaders of those authoritarian regimes. •That Bitcoin is the separation of money and state, but that doesn’t mean the state won’t have something to say about it. And that, again, it’s better that Bitcoin enthusiasts and industry leaders are at the table to have those conversations with politicians. •(I believe I also told the reporter about the work Gridless is doing in Africa, which is incentivizing the growth of renewable energy, and that Bitcoin shouldn’t be a bipartisan issue and that some Democrats like Ro Khanna see the benefits of it, but I’m not totally sure of that.) In total, I spoke with the reporter who interviewed me for somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes and they clipped two lines from what I said so to fit them into the narrative they wanted to craft. While I get that this is how journalism works - that all reporters have a bias - I wanted to weigh in to let you all know that what I shared was manipulated to fit an agenda. I used to defend NPR’s public funding, as I thought the organization served a public good, but I no longer feel that way. If they refuse to tell the whole Bitcoin story, they no longer have my support.

Tonight, I got to meet a true hero - nostr:nprofile1qqszrx6getwup84zrycttvd78qcvf55prr2a5suaayczawhepvnk57cpz4mhxue69uhkummnw3ezu6twvamkjefwd4jszynhwden5te0wp6hyurvv4cxzeewv4escujywt. Despite having been persecuted, imprisoned, and maligned, he continues his work as an opposition leader for #Venezuela 🇻🇪 And after conducting an interview with him for an hour or so at nostr:nprofile1qqstvj22wngc5t0687qvak06mt34spm3dl8pqu0ymcv7946xkmv8vpspzdmhxue69uhhqatjwpkx2urpvuhx2ue0qythwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnwdaehgu3wvfskuep0cu4g09 this evening, I’m convinced that nothing can defeat this man’s spirit, and I believe that with people like him fighting for Venezuela, the country will one day be free again. #VenezuelaLibre

My father was a brilliant architect and entrepreneur. He passed away over a decade ago, but I still remember the conversations we had about his work in the last years of his life. He talked about how he always tried to do his best as an architect, despite budget and time constraints. He said the closest he got to designing something almost 100% the way he wanted was when designed the United Artists theater (now a Regal theater) one block south of Union Square in Manhattan. These conversations remain a reminder to me that, while conditions often aren’t perfect, we should always strive to do our best. I keep this in mind as a writer and a creator, as I often feel there’s room for improvement in my work. The fact that my father didn’t feel he’d done his best work until almost two decades into his career reminds me that the process doesn’t need to be rushed, though, and that we should simply aim to do the best we can in our creative efforts, while offering ourselves some grace, especially when circumstances aren’t ideal. Because of what he taught me, I believe that, if you keep at it, you’ll create your masterpiece in due time, and this keeps me going. I’m immensely grateful for this lesson I learned from him today, on Father’s Day, and always. I love you, Dad.