My guest today is Susie Violet Ward, CEO and co-founder of Bitcoin Policy UK, a financial analyst and journalist (Forbes) focused on Bitcoin and the environment. In this episode, Susie unpacks the regulatory hostility toward Bitcoin in the UK, from the FCA’s refusal to distinguish it from crypto, to the media’s relentless misinformation, especially by the BBC. We discuss her personal journey from accountant to developer to Bitcoiner, and the uphill battle of educating regulators, advocating for mining, and defending financial sovereignty. Susie shares her efforts to expose flawed climate narratives, resist CBDCs, and challenge the FATF Travel Rule’s surveillance overreach. We also explore the risks of mining centralization, media capture, and why misunderstanding at the top is often worse than malice. Above all, this is a conversation about standing up for truth, pushing back against state overreach, and building a decentralized future, one policy at a time.
► This episode is part of the "Bitcoin Vegas 2025 Special" in collaboration with Ben Samocha, Founder of Israel’s CryptoJungle and Crypto Talks podcast.
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-- LINKS –
Susie’s Twitter: https://x.com/DecentraSuze
Bitcoin Policy UK Twitter: https://x.com/BitcoinPolicyUK
Susie’s Forbes Column: https://www.forbes.com/sites/susievioletward/
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-- CHAPTERS –
00:00 Coming Up…
01:10 Introducing Susie & Bitcoin Policy UK
06:30 Current Bitcoin Policy & public adoption in the UK
11:10 The State of Mainstream Media and Bitcoin Sentiment
12:45 Bankers & Politicians Understanding of Bitcoin
14:30 Susie’s FOI with The BBC
19:00 UK Legislation & Regulation Concerns
20:00 Dangers of KYC & the FATF Travel Rule, and MiCA
26:00 Belief in the System, Leading To Mass Surveillance & CBDC
29:50 Taxation and Privacy in the Digital Age
35:00 Centralization Risks of Bitcoin Mining - clip 37
38:00 The Digital Pound / CBDC Developments
41:40 “Climate Change” Policies
44:30 The Importance of Studying Bitcoin
46:15 Susie’s Message of Hope