Stephan Livera

When does Bitcoin stop being a personal belief and become a corporate strategy?

In this intimate fireside chat, podcaster Stephan Livera sits down with Eric Semler, founder of Semler Scientific and one of the top 10 public corporate holders of Bitcoin worldwide. Together, they explore the full journey. From early conviction in 2016, to convincing a hesitant board, to transforming a stagnant balance sheet into a Bitcoin-forward capital strategy.

Expect a raw, actionable conversation about:

How to spot companies ready for a Bitcoin strategy

Convincing executives, navigating board politics, and overcoming inertia

The underrated potential of “zombie companies” with cash and no direction

Using debt, equity, and smart capital structures to gain asymmetric exposure

Why Bitcoin, leveraged properly, can turn overlooked companies into outperformers

What comes next in the wave of institutional and corporate adoption

Whether you’re a company insider, an activist investor, or a Bitcoiner looking for leverage without compromise, this session delivers the blueprint.

The year 2025 marks a shift in the global Bitcoin sentiment. We may be crossing the chasm—from late adopters to early majority, and more critically, into the hands of institutions, sovereign wealth funds, and nation-states. ETFs, regulatory frameworks, and elite capital are reshaping the narrative.

But is this Bitcoin’s natural evolution—or a threat to its cypherpunk roots?

This debate gives voice to both sides of the aisle. The cypherpunk camp will defend the core values of privacy, censorship resistance, and grassroots scaling. Meanwhile, institutional advocates will argue that integration with the traditional financial system is inevitable—and even necessary for global adoption.

Who’s right? Will Bitcoin stay a tool for sovereign individuals, or become another layer of the legacy system? In 30 years, will we have real no-KYC self-custody—or will Bitcoin be ruled from within TradFi?

Is Bitcoin ruled by miners, users, or node runners—or is it something more emergent and social? As debates around miner centralization and proposed economic changes (like demurrage) gain traction, one question becomes unavoidable: who should hold the power in a decentralized system? This debate explores the delicate balance of incentives, the risks of changing core rules, and whether Bitcoin’s strength lies more in its code… or its community.