James Lavish: Navigating Wall Street and Journey to Bitcoin
In this episode of the Bitcoin Journeys podcast, I sit with James Lavish, a hedge fund veteran and Bitcoin advocate. James shares his gripping story: from Yale hockey stardom and a career-ending injury, to the wild trading floors of the NYSE in the '90s, navigating crises like 1998's LTCM bailout, the 2008 GFC, and 2020's market madness. Discover how these experiences exposed the flaws in our fiat system and led James to Bitcoin—initially dismissed as "magic internet money," but embraced after insights from Michael Saylor and Jeff Booth.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Welcome and James's Hockey Background
04:25 - Career-Ending Injury and Transition to Finance
10:59 - First Job on NYSE Floor and Trading Experiences
17:18 - Baptism by Fire and Questioning the System
22:00 - Financial Crises: LTCM, Tech Bubble, and 2008 GFC
28:14 - Playing the Game and Early Bitcoin Exposure
34:30 - Dismissing Bitcoin and 2020 Lockdown Insights
40:31 - Eureka Moment with Jeff Booth and Tech vs. Fiat Clash
46:05 - Bitcoin Adoption Globally and in the US
49:45 - Impact of Bitcoin ETFs on Institutions
55:26 - Advice for New Bitcoiners and Closing Remarks
Connect with James Lavish:
X (Twitter): https://x.com/_jameslavish
Newsletter: The Informationist at https://jameslavish.com
Bitcoin Opportunity Fund: https://bitcoinopportunity.fund
Follow Me:
X: @stephan_zimm
Instagram: @bitcoinadvisory
