Graham Krizek, CEO and founder of Voltage, shares his Bitcoin story and the journey of Voltage in revolutionizing payment infrastructure. He discusses his early fascination with Bitcoin's decentralized network and the potential it held for global peer-to-peer payments. Graham explains how Voltage was born out of the need for a user-friendly platform that simplifies Bitcoin and Lightning integration for businesses. He highlights the challenges faced in the early days and the decision to turn Voltage into a full-time business. Graham also explores the future of Bitcoin adoption and the role of Lightning in transforming every company into a fintech company. The conversation covers various topics related to Bitcoin and Lightning, including the need for improvements in the Lightning protocol, lowering barriers to entry for businesses and users, the importance of education in understanding Bitcoin, the potential transition to a Bitcoin standard, Bitcoin's impact on society, rewarding moments in the Bitcoin journey, streamlining Bitcoin adoption, opportunities for value creation, and advice for beginners on getting started with Bitcoin.

Episode Takeaways

Bitcoin's decentralized network and privacy tools fascinated Graham and sparked his interest in the technology.

Voltage was created to address the need for a user-friendly platform that simplifies Bitcoin and Lightning integration for businesses.

The future of Bitcoin adoption lies in every company becoming a Lightning company, leveraging the superior technology for global payments.

Hurdles to Bitcoin adoption include the integration of Bitcoin into existing financial systems and the need for standardization. Improvements are needed at the protocol level of Lightning to enhance security and reduce costs for users.

Lowering barriers to entry is crucial for businesses and users to easily adopt Bitcoin and Lightning.

Education plays a key role in helping people understand the true value and potential of Bitcoin.

Transitioning to a Bitcoin standard may take time, but it is inevitable as fiat currencies continue to lose value.

Bitcoin has the potential to change society by empowering individuals and giving them control over their money.

Rewarding moments in the Bitcoin journey include building a team passionate about Bitcoin and helping businesses onboard to Bitcoin and Lightning.

Streamlining Bitcoin adoption is essential for mass adoption, and companies like Voltage are making it easier for businesses to integrate Bitcoin payments.

There are numerous opportunities for value creation in the Bitcoin space, and more companies are needed to solve problems and drive adoption.

For beginners, it is important to get hands-on experience with Bitcoin by buying a small amount, learning how to send and receive transactions, and exploring both custodial and non-custodial options.

Custodial and non-custodial options have their own advantages and depend on the user's needs and comfort level with self-custody.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Graham and Voltage

01:29 Graham's Introduction to Bitcoin

09:09 Voltage's Launch and Growth

12:11 Voltage's Global Reach

14:00 Every Company Will Be a Lightning Company

22:35 Hurdles to Bitcoin Adoption and Voltage's Solutions

23:46 Improving Lightning Protocol

25:20 Lowering Barriers to Entry

27:22 The Importance of Education

28:46 Transitioning to a Bitcoin Standard

30:18 Bitcoin's Impact on Society

33:20 Rewarding Moments in the Bitcoin Journey

36:05 Streamlining Bitcoin Adoption

37:33 Opportunities for Value Creation

40:49 Advice for Beginners

44:09 Custodial vs Non-Custodial Options

Connect with Graham:
X: https://twitter.com/gkrizek / https://twitter.com/voltage_cloud
Website: https://voltage.cloud

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