What good is cheap electricity if you can’t rely on the people supplying it?

Timothy Allen catches up with Dušan Matuška, co-founder of AmityAge, for a conversation recorded in Próspera about Bitcoin education, mining and the practical work of building greater independence.

Dušan was one of the podcast’s earliest guests. Since that first conversation in San Salvador, he has taken his Bitcoin Educators Academy around the world and expanded AmityAge’s mining operations across continents. But cheap power has come with expensive lessons. He explains why the company left Paraguay, the difficulties it has faced in Ethiopia, and why its next chapter involves acquiring gas wells and power-generation infrastructure in Alberta, Canada.

The idea is to control more of the business themselves: produce the gas, generate the electricity and mine Bitcoin, with other options available as energy prices and demand change. Timothy gets rather enthusiastic about the engines, engineering and outdoor work involved. They also explore how the rush into AI data centres is changing the opportunities for Bitcoin miners.

Then the conversation returns to Próspera. Dušan describes what has worked well when running an international company there, alongside the difficulty of making the Bitcoin education centre financially sustainable. They discuss families, walkability, everyday amenities and the challenge of attracting small businesses before there are enough customers to support them.

There is also a revealing story about a basketball court the Bitcoin community helped renovate, and a wider discussion about local distrust, public perception and what it takes to turn a promising governance experiment into a thriving place to live.

In this conversation:

• Teaching people how to explain Bitcoin, listen and handle objections
• The Bitcoin Educators Academy and lessons from different cultures
• Why cheap electricity alone is not enough to sustain a mining business
• AmityAge’s experiences in Paraguay and Ethiopia
• Gas wells, engines and producing power for Bitcoin mining in Alberta
• The flexibility that comes with owning energy infrastructure
• How AI data centres are changing the mining landscape
• Running an international company through Próspera
• The future of the Bitcoin education centre on Roatán
• Why families, small businesses and everyday amenities matter when building a Free City
• Revenue-based rents and the challenge of reaching a critical mass of residents
• The renovated basketball court, local opposition and the importance of public trust

Enjoy the conversation.

Timestamps (audio version, includes Timothy’s episode introduction):

• 0:00:30 - Introduction: catching up with Dušan
• 0:03:20 - News: Próspera’s dispute and the Flock camera lawsuit
• 0:05:56 - Hardware wallets: Ledger, Coldcard and Trezor
• 0:12:43 - Value for value: listener support and messages
• 0:14:39 - Welcoming AmityAge as a new show sponsor
• 0:17:53 - Veritas Villages: September updates
• 0:19:42 - And finally: Sark’s sheep racing
• 0:21:05 - Start of conversation: revisiting Dušan’s first appearance
• 0:25:12 - The Bitcoin Educators Academy
• 0:30:06 - Handling objections to Bitcoin
• 0:36:04 - Bitcoin education in India and the Mining Academy
• 0:37:19 - The mining landscape: Paraguay, Ethiopia and unreliable power
• 0:40:00 - Becoming an energy company
• 0:42:10 - Why Alberta?
• 0:46:38 - Owning gas assets and keeping your options open
• 0:52:31 - How the AI boom is changing Bitcoin mining
• 0:54:43 - Bitcoin mining versus AI data centres
• 0:57:32 - Mining cycles, risk and financing infrastructure
• 1:00:28 - Choosing a jurisdiction for mining
• 1:02:02 - Roatán, electricity and the opportunity for competition
• 1:04:06 - Running a company in Próspera
• 1:05:13 - Making the Bitcoin education centre sustainable
• 1:09:36 - What Próspera needs to attract small businesses
• 1:12:17 - Families, density and reasons to stay
• 1:15:04 - Revenue-based rents and the business catch-22
• 1:19:46 - The founders’ vision and the demands of the free market
• 1:23:19 - What Roatán Brewery gets right
• 1:26:19 - Local distrust and the difficulty of changing perceptions
• 1:28:06 - The basketball court and the Bitcoin logo
• 1:34:32 - Public relations, journalism and building trust
• 1:42:06 - Closing thoughts
• 1:43:33 - Support the show and stay connected

Guest: Dušan Matuška on X | AmityAge | AmityAge on X

Links from Timothy’s introduction:

• Próspera and the Honduran government: an opening for dialogue — El Heraldo
• Colorado woman’s lawsuit involving Flock cameras — ABC News
• Research into the modified Ledger Nano X devices — Tibane Labs
• Coldcard’s current security status and guidance
• Trezor’s shipping-provider data breach
• Trezor’s email-provider security incident
• Sark’s sheep-racing fundraiser — Guernsey Press

The Free Cities Podcast is the official podcast of the Free Cities Foundation, hosted by Timothy Allen. New episodes every Friday. Long-form, in-person conversations with the builders, investors, residents and thinkers shaping the future of Free Cities, charter cities, special economic zones, network states, private cities and governance innovation worldwide.

Listen & subscribe: freecities.fm | All platforms | Fountain (bonus episodes & early access)

Community: Telegram | Free Cities Foundation newsletter | Free Cities Conference

Support the show: Donate via Stripe | BTC: bc1q5jun0nzxzqepch84rqk0jnv0rd8uvns28df7mg | V4V podcast apps

Lead show sponsor: Veritas Villages - Freedom-oriented communities in Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, with opportunities for greater independence in energy, food and everyday life. Bitcoin accepted for property purchases.

Show sponsor: AmityAge - Bitcoin education, mining and energy infrastructure. The team are looking for accredited investors to help build their next chapter in Alberta, Canada. Follow the link to find out more.

Follow: Free Cities Podcast on X | Timothy Allen on X | Timothy Allen on Nostr | Free Cities Foundation on X