A Block with Mir

Chat Control Is Coming: Why Privacy Must Be Defended Every Day - A block with Lyudmyla Kozlovska

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 15:00:28 GMT

In this block, I sit down with Lyudmyla Kozlovska, President of the Open Dialogue Foundation, to talk about privacy, human rights, Bitcoin, digital authoritarianism, and why defending freedom in the digital world is no longer optional.

Lyudmyla has spent years working on human rights campaigns, political prisoners, abuse of legal systems, financial surveillance, and the weaponization of data by authoritarian regimes. In this conversation, she explains why privacy is not just a technical topic or a personal preference: it is the foundation of human rights.

We talk about how governments and institutions can legally collect data, and how that same data can later be weaponized against individuals, families, companies, activists, entrepreneurs, journalists, and political opponents.

Her message is clear:

Privacy is not a given. You have to defend it every day.

We also discuss how difficult it is for NGOs and civil society organizations to choose where to focus when there are so many emergencies, and why strategy, limited resources, health, discipline, follow-up, and strong networks are essential for activism.

Lyudmyla shares why private communication and private payments were essential for her own survival and work, and why Bitcoin matters deeply in the fight for freedom. Without privacy in communication and transactions, many people would not be able to defend themselves, organize, or support others.

We also explore the situation in Europe, where privacy advocacy is often more isolated than in the United States, and why places like Lugano and the Plan ₿ community are rare and important.

This conversation is a reminder that privacy is not something abstract.

It is your ability to think freely, speak freely, transact freely, travel freely, organize freely, and live without fear that your life can be turned against you.

Privacy is like brushing your teeth.

You do not defend it once.

You defend it every day.

Who Funds Bitcoin Builders? Abubakar on Core Devs, Grants & Proof of Work

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 13:00:28 GMT

In this block, I sit down with Abubakar in Lugano during the Plan ₿ Summer School.

We start with football Roma, Argentina, and a special FC Lugano jersey with “Satoshi” and the number 21 on the back, but quickly move into Bitcoin, philosophy, development, grants, and what it really means to build in this space.

Abubakar is a Bitcoin Core contributor, board member at BitTrust, and someone deeply involved in supporting Bitcoin developers and companies. In this conversation, we talk about how Bitcoin Core contributions actually work, from day-to-day pull request reviews to focusing on specific areas of the codebase.

We also discuss what it means to wear many hats in Bitcoin: developer, CEO, board member, investor, and teacher. Abubakar shares how discipline, time management, structure, and priorities are essential when you are contributing to different parts of the ecosystem at the same time.

A big part of the conversation is about funding Bitcoin developers.

Through BitTrust, Abubakar helps support people and projects that are already showing real proof of work. The goal is not to dictate what people should build, but to enable contributors who already have the grit, hunger, and commitment to work on Bitcoin. We talk about grants, open applications, starter funding, long-term contributions, and why supporting developers is one of the most important things we can do for the future of Bitcoin.

Finally, we compare the Bitcoin ecosystems of Nigeria and Lugano. Abubakar reflects on what Nigerians can learn from Lugano, slowing down, taking life at a steadier pace, and what Lugano can learn from Nigeria: hunger, hustle, and the drive to keep building.

We cover:

football, jerseys, and the number 21

Bitcoin Core contributions

PR reviews and open-source work

wearing many hats in Bitcoin

discipline, structure, and time management

BitTrust and developer grants

proof of work as a selection principle

funding Bitcoin contributors

Bitcoin companies and capital allocation

building for real users

Nigeria and Lugano as different Bitcoin ecosystems

hustle, focus, and staying grounded

Bitcoin is built by people who show proof of work before anyone gives them permission.

This conversation is about supporting those people, funding real builders, and creating the conditions for Bitcoin to keep growing.

A Block with Knut Svanholm: Bitcoin, Purpose, Praxeology and Rock’n’Roll

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 15:00:28 GMT

In this block, I sit down with Knut Svanholm in Lugano during the Summer School week.

Knut is a writer, educator, musician, rockstar, and one of the most recognizable voices in Bitcoin. In this conversation, we talk about what his life looked like before Bitcoin, how he moved from traditional “fiat jobs” into a Bitcoin-focused life, and what changed along the way.

Before Bitcoin, Knut worked at sea, first on a tall ship sailing around the Atlantic, and later in the offshore industry, taking technicians to wind turbines in the North Sea and Baltic Sea. Eventually, he moved into an office role as an HR manager, responsible for hundreds of employees.

That was the moment when stress, lack of flexibility, and the inability to switch off pushed him toward writing. With spare time, limited internet, and a growing interest in Bitcoin, he started writing articles… and the rest is history.

We talk about:

life before Bitcoin

leaving the 9-to-5 to work 24/7 in Bitcoin

why Bitcoin gives people purpose

building your own rhythm as a Bitcoiner

creativity, writing, and deep work

morning routines and avoiding interruptions

Plan ₿ Summer School

music, rock bands, and Satoshi Rockamoto

Knut also gives a preview of his Plan ₿ Summer School lecture: a deep dive into praxeology, ethics, natural law, and first-principles thinking. His main point is that Bitcoin is not only about technology or money. It is also about human action, incentives, morality, and the refusal to aggress or steal.

Bitcoin is a way to rethink how we live and work.

A Block with Mir & Walter Maffione (Cypher Tank winner with Kaleidoswap)

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 14:00:28 GMT

In this block, I sit down with Walter Maffione, who leads the Kaleidoswap team, winner of the Cypher Tank

Walter is building Kaleidoswap, a Bitcoin product focused on swaps across Bitcoin layers. We talk about how the project started from a real need, how the team came together through a hackathon, and why interoperability may become one of the most important challenges for the next generation of Bitcoin products.

We also discuss RGB, Lightning, Bitcoin layer 2s, Turin’s growing Bitcoin scene, BitPolito, Satoshi Spritz, Bitcoin Torino, Italy’s first BitDevs, and what it means to actually build and ship in Bitcoin.

In this episode:

⚡ The story behind Kaleidoswap

💡 Starting from a real need, not just an idea

🔁 Building a Bitcoin DEX across layers

👥 Finding the right team through a hackathon

🏆 Winning Cypher Tank

🔗 Interoperability across Bitcoin layers

⚡ Lightning as a common language

📍 BitPolito, Satoshi Spritz, Bitcoin Torino

🧑‍💻 Italy’s first BitDevs

🎧 The soundtrack of a startup journey

A block about building, Bitcoin layers, community, and shipping.

Subscribe to the channel for more conversations with Bitcoiners redefining life, value, and success.

A Block with Mir & Giacomo Zucco (yes, we're married and we do a podcast together)

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 13:00:28 GMT

In this very special block, I sit down with Giacomo Zucco… Bitcoin educator, entrepreneur, Cypher Tank judge, and, yes, my husband.

This conversation is personal, funny, chaotic, and deeply connected to Bitcoin history.

We start by looking back at some of the most meaningful “blocks” we have shared together since 2001, both in our personal life and in Bitcoin. Giacomo recalls one of the most important moments: the 2016 meeting in Milan that brought together several Lightning Network startups and implementations. That meeting helped lead to the BOLT specifications, also known at the time as the Milan Protocol, a key moment in the history of Lightning Network interoperability.

We also talk about one of our latest adventures together: Cypher Tank. We discuss the origin & the future of Cypher Tank

We also reflect on Lugano and the next four years of the Plan ₿ initiative. Giacomo explains what it feels like to be part of a city where Bitcoin is openly supported, where institutions are willing to listen, and where the community has grown from a handful of people to hundreds gathering around Bitcoin culture, education, and entrepreneurship.

Finally, the conversation gets more personal and random… As always, of course.

This episode is about Bitcoin history, building things before they are perfect, working with your partner, creating formats from scratch, and being part of something much bigger than yourself.

A Block with Mir & Preston Pysh

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:00:28 GMT

In this episode, I sit down with Preston Pysh, another incredible Bitcoiner who needs no introduction.

Funny enough, we recorded this podcast while I was on a very long sabbatical from my own podcast. Now I’m back, and Preston is the one taking a break from his.

It’s a beautiful conversation about:

how people react when you go all-in on Bitcoin
conviction and career change
Bitcoin jobs
Ego Death Capital
Bitcoin education
funding Bitcoin founders
Bitcoin treasury companies
humility in the Bitcoin space
open-source thinking
and, of course, Lugano!

Enjoy! :)

A Block with Mir & Blake Kaufman (Blitz Wallet)

Wed, 27 May 2026 13:00:28 GMT

In this episode, we sit down with Blake, the founder of Blitz Wallet and one of the standout builders from Cypher Tank.

After placing third out of 149 applicants, Blake became one of the most talked-about participants of the format, not only because of the product, but because of the vision behind it: making Bitcoin easier to use without compromising what makes it powerful.

We talk about his journey into Bitcoin, the family values that shaped his mindset, and the surreal moment when Brad Mills personally offered to invest in Blitz Wallet (followed shortly after by Willy Woo).

Blake also shares how Blitz Wallet has evolved since Cypher Tank, including new features like Bitcoin gifts, designed to make onboarding smoother, and payment pools, which help groups collect and track funds directly inside the wallet.

This is a conversation about Bitcoin, entrepreneurship, user experience, word of mouth, product-led marketing, and building tools that people actually want to use… and of course Italian randomness brought to you by me :)

and don't forget:

“Simplicity does not mean featureless"

A Block with Mir & Efrat Fenigson

Wed, 20 May 2026 14:12:23 GMT

Are you ready for another block? Or maybe even 2 or 3? :) The amazing @efenigson and I had so many topics to discuss! She is a constant personal inspiration to me as a podcaster and a marketing pro I deeply admire.

One fil rouge that emerged from our conversation was the importance of professional proof of work. In the Bitcoin world, titles and credentials matter less than your ability to demonstrate value through action, integrity, communication, and authenticity. In Bitcoin, your real résumé is your proof of work.

So let’s check it out. You’re not going to regret spending a few blocks joining this conversation.

A Block with Mir & Jack Mallers

Fri, 15 May 2026 12:56:43 GMT

A Block with Mir is back!!!

With one of my favourite people in the space and he doesn't need any intro: JACK MALLERS!

Not a new podcast… a comeback, actually.

I started this in 2016.

10 years, 3 businesses, 2 kids, and 1 new country later, I promised myself I’d bring it back.

10-minute episodes, on average.

Just like a Bitcoin block.

Raw interviews. Personal stories. Randomness. Italian accent included.

The common thread?

My passion for Bitcoiners.

Every guest has redefined life, value, and success in their own unique way. Every conversation has been so inspiring.

Subscribe to my podcast and come join us, 24 more episodes are already lined up