Coin Stories with Natalie Brunell

Alex Leishman: Institutions Are Buying What Retail Sells — Plus How to Keep Your Bitcoin Safe

Natalie Brunell sits down with Alex Leishman, Founder, CEO & CTO of River. Alex shares what River's own client data reveals about who is buying and selling Bitcoin right now — and why big institutions are quietly accumulating during this downturn while everyday investors sell. In this episode: Is Bitcoin still Bitcoin if Wall Street owns a growing share of it? Why most people never move their Bitcoin off an exchange How scammers actually steal Bitcoin, and the simple habits that stop them Whether quantum computing is a real threat to your Bitcoin, and how River is preparing Why Alex has no plans to take River public, even as competitors go the other way What Alex tells people when everyone around them has turned bearish Follow Alex Leishman on X: https://x.com/Leishman  and sign up for River at https://www.river.com/natalie  ---- Order Natalie's new book "Bitcoin is For Everyone," a simple introduction to Bitcoin and what's broken in our current financial system: https://amzn.to/3WzFzfU  ---- Borrow against your Bitcoin without selling it. Ledn offers Bitcoin-backed loans built for serious holders, with rates that get lower as your loan size increases. With Ledn's custodied loan product, your Bitcoin is held in custody and not lent out. Ledn has operated through multiple market cycles without a loss of client assets and publishes Proof of Reserves so you can verify what they hold. Get 0.25% off your first loan at ledn.io/natalie. Terms apply — see the site for details. ---- Bitdeer Technologies Group (NASDAQ: BTDR) powers AI and Bitcoin mining infrastructure with 3 GW of secured global energy — and owns the entire stack, from equipment manufacturing to data centers to proprietary orchestration software. Learn more at https://www.bitdeer.com. ---- Abundant Mines is a fully-managed Bitcoin mining in the U.S. You own the miners. You keep 100% of the Bitcoin. Voted #1 mining company by peers. Get 1 month of free hosting: AbundantMines.com/Natalie ---- Natalie's Bitcoin Product Partners & Sponsors: Speed is my go-to Bitcoin Lightning wallet! Send, receive, or swap stablecoins and digital gold into Bitcoin in one app. Run a business? Speed powers Bitcoin payments for Steak 'n Shake, and it can do the same for you. Download at https://speed.app/natalie  and use code COINSTORIES10 for 5,000 free sats after your first transaction. Download Bitkey Today and use my promo code STORIES to get 10% off the new Bitkey. This episode has been sponsored by Bitkey: https://bitkey.world/STORIES Master Bitcoin self-custody and gain peace of mind with 1-on-1 training: https://www.thebitcoinway.com/natalie?utm_source=partner-natalie&utm_medium=podcast With BitcoinIRA, you can invest in bitcoin 24/7 inside a tax-advantaged IRA. Choose a Traditional IRA to defer taxes, or a Roth IRA for tax-free withdrawals later. Take control of your future with BitcoinIRA: https://www.bitcoinira.com/natalie  Kalshi is the largest prediction market in the world. Use code HODL and get $25 when you trade $25: http://kalshi.com/r/HODL   Natalie's Upcoming Events: The best time to plan for Bitcoin 2027 is right now. Early bird tickets are live — grab the lowest pricing available and use code HODL for 10% off: https://tickets.b.tc/event/bitcoin-2027?promoCodeTask=apply&promoCodeInput=HODL  Extra Services to Consider: One of the best decisions I made for both my heath and my bank account was joining CrowdHealth years ago. I never spend more than $200 on health coverage through my CrowdHealth plan and all my health events have been crowd-funded. Get started with a discounted plan at my link. : www.joincrowdhealth.com/natalie  ---- Disclaimer: The News Block and Coin Stories are for educational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. Natalie Brunell is not a financial advisor. Some content may include sponsorships or paid partnerships, which are disclosed. Always do your own research and consult a licensed professional before making financial decisions. Bitcoin and digital assets are volatile — never invest more than you can afford to lose.  

News Block: Bitcoin Price Surges on Surprise Treasury Move, Washington's Big Crypto Week, and Tether's First-Ever Audit

In this week's episode of the Coin Stories News Block powered exclusively by Ledn, we cover these major headlines related to Bitcoin, macroeconomics, and global finance: Bitcoin jumps to nearly $70K after a surprise move by the U.S. Treasury Trump hosts crypto CEOs at the White House as a make-or-break vote looms Japan's biggest Bitcoin company is coming to America Tether finally got audited after a decade of doubters. Here's what they found Hackers leaked the names and home addresses of thousands of Bitcoin holders Bitcoin volatility has almost never been this quiet. Fidelity says that won't last. ---- Borrow against your Bitcoin without selling it. Ledn offers Bitcoin-backed loans built for serious holders, with rates that get lower as your loan size increases. With Ledn's custodied loan product, your Bitcoin is held in custody and not lent out. Ledn has operated through multiple market cycles without a loss of client assets and publishes Proof of Reserves so you can verify what they hold. Get 0.25% off your first loan at ledn.io/natalie. Terms apply — see the site for details. ---- Order my approachable introduction to Bitcoin book "Bitcoin is for Everyone: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1804091138?linkCode=ssc&tag=onamzameri07b-20&creativeASIN=1804091138&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.3Q6CKLCXBKGSV&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ons_mixed_d_asin  Limited signed copies are available for purchase at shop.talkingbitcoin.com powered by Speed Wallet.  ---- Read every story in the News Block with visuals and charts! Join our mailing list and subscribe to our free Bitcoin newsletter: https://thenewsblock.substack.com ---- Upcoming Events: The best time to plan for Bitcoin 2027 is right now. Early bird tickets are live — grab the lowest pricing available and use code HODL for 10% off: https://tickets.b.tc/event/bitcoin-2027?promoCodeTask=apply&promoCodeInput=HODL  ---- Disclaimer: The News Block and Coin Stories are for educational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. Natalie Brunell is not a financial advisor. Some content may include sponsorships or paid partnerships, which are disclosed. Always do your own research and consult a licensed professional before making financial decisions. Bitcoin and digital assets are volatile — never invest more than you can afford to lose.

Michael Saylor & Phong Le: MSTR Dilution Fears, Buybacks and Strategy as the "J.P. Morgan of Digital Assets"

Michael Saylor and Phong Le sat down with Natalie Brunell to take questions directly from Strategy investors — including some pointed concerns about MSTR's sharp drawdown, dilution and whether common shareholders are still the company's top priority. One investor said he put $73,000 into MSTR for each of his three children, only to see each investment fall to roughly $20,000. He asked Saylor and Le directly: have common shareholders become Strategy's lowest priority? In this episode: Michael and Phong address dilution fears around $MSTR common stock Are $MSTR buybacks are on the table, and under what conditions? What they say they learned from the $STRC drawdown Whether the $1 million and $10 million per Bitcoin scenarios still hold Why Strategy wants to become the "J.P. Morgan of digital assets" and what that really means ---- Order Natalie's new book "Bitcoin is For Everyone," a simple introduction to Bitcoin and what's broken in our current financial system: https://amzn.to/3WzFzfU ---- Borrow against your Bitcoin without selling it. Ledn offers Bitcoin-backed loans built for serious holders, with rates that get lower as your loan size increases. With Ledn's custodied loan product, your Bitcoin is held in custody and not lent out. Ledn has operated through multiple market cycles without a loss of client assets and publishes Proof of Reserves so you can verify what they hold. Get 0.25% off your first loan at ledn.io/natalie. Terms apply — see the site for details. ---- Bitdeer Technologies Group (NASDAQ: BTDR) powers AI and Bitcoin mining infrastructure with 3 GW of secured global energy — and owns the entire stack, from equipment manufacturing to data centers to proprietary orchestration software. Learn more at https://www.bitdeer.com. ---- Kalshi is the largest prediction market in the world. Get $25 when you trade $25. http://kalshi.com/r/HODL ---- Natalie's Bitcoin Product Partners: Speed is my go-to Bitcoin Lightning wallet! Send, receive, or swap stablecoins and digital gold into Bitcoin in one app. Run a business? Speed powers Bitcoin payments for Steak 'n Shake, and it can do the same for you. Download at https://speed.app/natalie and use code COINSTORIES10 for 5,000 free sats after your first transaction. Download Bitkey Today and use my promo code STORIES to get 10% off the new Bitkey. This episode has been sponsored by Bitkey: https://bitkey.world/STORIES Master Bitcoin self-custody and gain peace of mind with 1-on-1 training: https://www.thebitcoinway.com/natalie?utm_source=partner-natalie&utm_medium=podcast With BitcoinIRA, you can invest in bitcoin 24/7 inside a tax-advantaged IRA. Choose a Traditional IRA to defer taxes, or a Roth IRA for tax-free withdrawals later. Take control of your future with BitcoinIRA: https://www.bitcoinira.com/natalie Natalie's Upcoming Events: The best time to plan for Bitcoin 2027 is right now. Early bird tickets are live — grab the lowest pricing available and use code HODL for 10% off: https://tickets.b.tc/event/bitcoin-2027?promoCodeTask=apply&promoCodeInput=HODL Extra Services to Consider: One of the best decisions I made for both my heath and my bank account was joining CrowdHealth years ago. I never spend more than $200 on health coverage through my CrowdHealth plan and all my health events have been crowd-funded. Get started with a discounted plan at my link. : www.joincrowdhealth.com/natalie ---- Disclaimer: The News Block and Coin Stories are for educational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. Natalie Brunell is not a financial advisor. Some content may include sponsorships or paid partnerships, which are disclosed. Always do your own research and consult a licensed professional before making financial decisions. Bitcoin and digital assets are volatile — never invest more than you can afford to lose.

Mark Moss: "Retire Off Bitcoin" Strategy and How to Build Wealth in Any Market

Can you really retire off Bitcoin — even if the price drops 50%? Mark Moss returns to Coin Stories to explain why he believes you can, what most people misunderstand about volatility, and why becoming a forced seller can be more dangerous than a falling market. He also opens up about what happened inside Satsuma, the Bitcoin treasury company that ultimately unraveled. In this episode: How to retire off Bitcoin without selling it What really happened inside Satsuma Whether the Coldcard exploit changes self-custody Why Mark doesn't expect another 2008-style crash soon What could finally bring money back into Bitcoin Follow Mark at https://x.com/1MarkMoss  ---- Order Natalie's new book "Bitcoin is For Everyone," a simple introduction to Bitcoin and what's broken in our current financial system: https://amzn.to/3WzFzfU  ---- Borrow against your Bitcoin without selling it. Ledn offers Bitcoin-backed loans built for serious holders, with rates that get lower as your loan size increases. With Ledn's custodied loan product, your Bitcoin is held in custody and not lent out. Ledn has operated through multiple market cycles without a loss of client assets and publishes Proof of Reserves so you can verify what they hold. Get 0.25% off your first loan at ledn.io/natalie. Terms apply — see the site for details. ---- Bitdeer Technologies Group (NASDAQ: BTDR) powers AI and Bitcoin mining infrastructure with 3 GW of secured global energy — and owns the entire stack, from equipment manufacturing to data centers to proprietary orchestration software. Learn more at https://www.bitdeer.com. ---- Abundant Mines is a fully-managed Bitcoin mining in the U.S. You own the miners. You keep 100% of the Bitcoin. Voted #1 mining company by peers. Get 1 month of free hosting: AbundantMines.com/Natalie ---- Natalie's Bitcoin Product Partners: Speed is my go-to Bitcoin Lightning wallet! Send, receive, or swap stablecoins and digital gold into Bitcoin in one app. Run a business? Speed powers Bitcoin payments for Steak 'n Shake, and it can do the same for you. Download at https://speed.app/natalie  and use code COINSTORIES10 for 5,000 free sats after your first transaction. Download Bitkey Today and use my promo code STORIES to get 10% off the new Bitkey. This episode has been sponsored by Bitkey: https://bitkey.world/STORIES Master Bitcoin self-custody and gain peace of mind with 1-on-1 training: https://www.thebitcoinway.com/natalie?utm_source=partner-natalie&utm_medium=podcast With BitcoinIRA, you can invest in bitcoin 24/7 inside a tax-advantaged IRA. Choose a Traditional IRA to defer taxes, or a Roth IRA for tax-free withdrawals later. Take control of your future with BitcoinIRA: https://www.bitcoinira.com/natalie  Natalie's Upcoming Events: The best time to plan for Bitcoin 2027 is right now. Early bird tickets are live — grab the lowest pricing available and use code HODL for 10% off: https://tickets.b.tc/event/bitcoin-2027?promoCodeTask=apply&promoCodeInput=HODL  Extra Services to Consider: One of the best decisions I made for both my heath and my bank account was joining CrowdHealth years ago. I never spend more than $200 on health coverage through my CrowdHealth plan and all my health events have been crowd-funded. Get started with a discounted plan at my link. : www.joincrowdhealth.com/natalie  ---- Disclaimer: The News Block and Coin Stories are for educational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. Natalie Brunell is not a financial advisor. Some content may include sponsorships or paid partnerships, which are disclosed. Always do your own research and consult a licensed professional before making financial decisions. Bitcoin and digital assets are volatile — never invest more than you can afford to lose.

Alex Thorn: Tracking the Stolen Bitcoin and the "Red Team" Racing to Find More Bug

More than 1,700 bitcoins have been drained from Coldcard wallets belonging to people who did everything right when it comes to self-custody.   Alex Thorn, Head of Firmwide Research at Galaxy Digital, has been tracing those coins on-chain since the second day of the attack, working directly with victims. He joins me with the fullest accounting of the hack that exists anywhere: how much was actually taken, where that Bitcoin is sitting right now, and what the people who took it have and haven't done with it since.   In this episode: • Where the stolen Bitcoin is sitting right now and how many waves of attacks there have been • What Alex expects the hackers who took it to do next • How could this seed generation flaw stay hidden for five years? • The volunteer "Red Team" effort that formed overnight, and what it's turned up so far • The one thing every victim should do today, whether or not they ever see their coins again • His read on the failed BIP 110 fork, and what he'd say to the people who backed it   Follow Alex Thorn on X https://x.com/intangiblecoins - his DMs are open to help victims    ----   Order Natalie's new book "Bitcoin is For Everyone," a simple introduction to Bitcoin and what's broken in our current financial system: https://amzn.to/3WzFzfU    ----   Borrow against your Bitcoin without selling it. Ledn offers Bitcoin-backed loans built for serious holders, with rates that get lower as your loan size increases. With Ledn's custodied loan product, your Bitcoin is held in custody and not lent out. Ledn has operated through multiple market cycles without a loss of client assets and publishes Proof of Reserves so you can verify what they hold. Get 0.25% off your first loan at ledn.io/natalie. Terms apply — see the site for details.   ----   Bitdeer Technologies Group (NASDAQ: BTDR) powers AI and Bitcoin mining infrastructure with 3 GW of secured global energy — and owns the entire stack, from equipment manufacturing to data centers to proprietary orchestration software. Learn more at https://www.bitdeer.com.   ----   Abundant Mines is a fully-managed Bitcoin mining in the U.S. You own the miners. You keep 100% of the Bitcoin. Voted #1 mining company by peers. Get 1 month of free hosting: AbundantMines.com/Natalie   ----   Natalie's Bitcoin Product Partners:   • Speed is my go-to Bitcoin Lightning wallet! Send, receive, or swap stablecoins and digital gold into Bitcoin in one app. Run a business? Speed powers Bitcoin payments for Steak 'n Shake, and it can do the same for you. Download at https://speed.app/natalie  and use code COINSTORIES10 for 5,000 free sats after your first transaction. • Download Bitkey Today and use my promo code STORIES to get 10% off the new Bitkey. This episode has been sponsored by Bitkey: https://bitkey.world/STORIES • Master Bitcoin self-custody and gain peace of mind with 1-on-1 training: https://www.thebitcoinway.com/natalie?utm_source=partner-natalie&utm_medium=podcast • With BitcoinIRA, you can invest in bitcoin 24/7 inside a tax-advantaged IRA. Choose a Traditional IRA to defer taxes, or a Roth IRA for tax-free withdrawals later. Take control of your future with BitcoinIRA: https://www.bitcoinira.com/natalie    ----   Natalie's Upcoming Events: • The best time to plan for Bitcoin 2027 is right now. Early bird tickets are live — grab the lowest pricing available and use code HODL for 10% off: https://tickets.b.tc/event/bitcoin-2027?promoCodeTask=apply&promoCodeInput=HODL    ----   Extra Services to Consider: • One of the best decisions I made for both my heath and my bank account was joining CrowdHealth years ago. I never spend more than $200 on health coverage through my CrowdHealth plan and all my health events have been crowd-funded. Get started with a discounted plan at my link. : www.joincrowdhealth.com/natalie    ----   Disclaimer: The News Block and Coin Stories are for educational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. Nothing discussed in this episode is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold Bitcoin or any other asset. Natalie Brunell is not a financial advisor. Some content may include sponsorships or paid partnerships, which are disclosed. Always do your own research and consult a licensed professional before making financial decisions. Bitcoin and digital assets are volatile — never invest more than you can afford to lose.