Episode notes
In this special series, Max shares why we’re hosting and preserving the Unbounded archive at Ungovernable Misfits. In the third re-release of the series, Seth For Privacy — educator, builder and VP at Cake Wallet joins TBD.
Seth brings a candid, practical nuance to the state of Bitcoin and Monero, the realities of social media and education, and what “good enough privacy” means for everyday people versus targeted dissidents. Seth and TBD dig into saving in Bitcoin, spending in Monero, the impact of the Samourai Wallet case, why PayJoin V2 and silent payments matter, and how adoption—not tribalism—will determine the future of digital sovereignty.
Seth shares a pragmatic optimism: we’re winning in usability and tooling, but only if we keep building, learning and refusing false binaries. We explore the current crossroads for Bitcoin privacy, the legal chill from Tornado Cash/Samourai prosecutions, Nostr versus X for reach, and Monero’s resilience amid delistings.
Seth outlines practical advice for non-technical users, red lines for builders, and his long-view goal: tools that let individuals opt out of broken systems and into freedom—no permission required.
Stay resilient, and enjoy the series as we continue with Pavel and Colonial in the weeks ahead.
TWITTER: https://x.com/TheUNBOUNDEDPod
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@TheUnboundedPodcast
(00:00:00) Thank You TBD
(00:01:41) INTRO
(00:02:30) The Educator Journey
(00:12:29) No Desire For Privacy
(00:17:16) Freedom Tech Maximalist
(00:21:36) Fork in the Road
(00:25:05) Winning or Losing?
(00:30:53) Good-Enough Privacy & Threat Models
(00:39:55) Real-world Use, On/Off Ramps and Merchant Adoption
(00:47:40) Saving Bitcoin, Spending Monero
(00:53:03) PayJoin v2, Silent Payments & Product Adoption
(01:00:28) Red Lines, Legal Risks & Developer Concerns
(01:10:22) Monero's Resilience
(01:17:33) What Will the World Look Like?
