Matyas Kuchar is a Czech Bitcoin OG and co-founder of BTC Prague, Europe's largest Bitcoin-only conference. Born into a country shaped by communist-era currency controls and a deep-rooted distrust of central authority, Matyas sits at the intersection of Bitcoin, monetary sovereignty, and the fast-shifting political landscape of the European Union. He helped spearhead a landmark Bitcoin-friendly legislation package that passed unanimously through the Czech parliament, eliminating capital gains tax on long-held Bitcoin and securing banking rights for crypto companies. In this conversation, he breaks down why the Czech Republic may be the El Salvador of Europe, and why the fight for financial and digital privacy is now a hill worth dying on.* Note to clarify what Matyas meant about MiCA regulation: While MiCA does not directly regulate merchants, its travel rule requirements effectively forced third-party Bitcoin payment processors — e.g. Confirmo & Qerko — to treat fiat conversion as a financial service, requiring them to KYC every customer. Since they aren’t complying, these processors stopped supporting merchant Bitcoin payments, and since most merchants relied on them rather than managing self-custody, they stop accepting Bitcoin altogether.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​→ Please like, comment, share & follow — to help me beat the suppressing algo's. Thank you!– SPONSORS –→ Access liquidity without selling your Bitcoin with Ledn — learn more at https://ledn.io/Efrat    → Get your TREZOR wallet & accessories, with a 5% discount, using my code at checkout (get my discount code from the episode - yep, you’ll have to watch it): https://affil.trezor.io/SHUn→ Have you tried mining bitcoin? Stack sats directly to your wallet while saving on taxes with Abundant Mines: https://AbundantMines.com/Efrat - Claim your free month of hosting via this link– AFFILIATES –→ Check out BTC Prague: http://btcprg.me/EFRAT (code EFRAT = 10% off)→ Join me in these upcoming events & use code EFRAT for discounted tickets: https://www.efrat.blog/p/upcoming-events→ Get 10% off on Augmented NAC to detox Spike protein, with the code YCXKQDK2 via this link: https://store.augmentednac.com/?via=efrat (Note, this is not medical advice, please consult your MD)→ Join me at Europe’s largest bitcoin conference - BTC Prague, June 11-13, 2026. Code EFRAT for 10% off: http://btcprg.me/EFRAT→ Be good to your eyes & health, and get the Daylight tablet - a healthier, more human-friendly computer, zero blue light & flicker. Use code EFRAT for $25 off: https://bit.ly/Efrat_daylight → Get a second citizenship and a plan B to relocate to another country with Expat Money, leave your details for a follow up: https://expatmoney.com/efrat→ Watch “New Totalitarian Order” conference with Prof. Mattias Desmet & Efrat - code EFRAT for 10% off: https://efenigson.gumroad.com/l/desmet_efrat– LINKS –Matyas on X: https://x.com/Matyas44Cook Check out BTC Prague: http://btcprg.me/EFRAT (code EFRAT = 10% off) Efrat’s X: https://twitter.com/efenigsonEfrat’s Channels: https://linktr.ee/efenigsonWatch on all platforms: https://linktr.ee/yourethevoiceSupport Efrat’s work: ⁠https://bit.ly/zap_efrat– CHAPTERS – 00:00 - Coming Up...01:29 - Introduction: Matyas Kuchar03:16 - The EU’s Fragility and Bitcoiners as the Future07:05 - Czech Relationship with the EU & the Euro07:37 - Ad Break: Ledn & Trezor15:34 - How Czech Bitcoiners Won Landmark Legislation Against All Odds18:36 - Czech Republic as Europe’s El Salvador22:47 - EU’s MiCA Laws Forcing Thousands of Czech Businesses to KYC Bitcoin25:36 - The Czech National Bank Bitcoin Experiment27:11 - The Risks of The Digital Euro CBDC30:58 - Blackrock’s Redemption Limitations & the Coming Financial Unwind35:19 - Ad Break: Abundant Mines & New Totalitarian Order37:40 - Bitcoin, Privacy, and the Cypherpunk Fight45:09 - What Makes BTC Prague the Best in the World?51:41 - Closing: Stay Hopeful, Use Your Voice