Nik Bhatia: Bitcoin, the Fed, and Why Most People Misunderstand Money

In this episode of the Bitcoin Journeys podcast, I am joined by brings Nik Bhatia, one of Bitcoin’s most articulate and credentialed voices. Nik is the author of “Layered Money” and “The Bitcoin Age,” founder of The Bitcoin Layer, and a former Treasury trader who operated at the highest levels of fixed income markets.

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction and defining the start of a Bitcoin journey

02:13 - The QE rabbit hole and Zero Hedge’s early influence

05:50 - Learning about the 2008 crisis and understanding “trillions”

08:54 - The shocking scale of Citibank’s $800B bailout and Maiden Lane

11:50 - Life as a Treasury trader in the fixed income markets

16:37 - What working “inside the matrix” of Wall Street really means

17:43 - Fixed income explained: preservation of capital vs. investing

24:41 - How Nik discovered Bitcoin in 2016

26:17 - What made Bitcoin stand out as legitimate

29:38 - The “Mastering Bitcoin” moment: understanding proof-of-work

31:22 - First experiences actually using Bitcoin

34:58 - Bitcoin adoption: investment vs. technological understanding

38:48 - How Bitcoin and fiat systems coexist and evolve

41:58 - Overview of “The Bitcoin Age” and its unique perspective

45:26 - Final advice: Bitcoin vs. crypto—stay focused

Follow Nik:

Twitter/X: @timevalueofbtc

Website: thebitcoinlayer.com

Books: Available on Amazon and major retailers

Follow Me:

X: @stephan_zimm

Instagram: @bitcoinadvisory

This content is for educational and/or entertainment purposes only.

The views expressed by Stephan Zimmermann and his guests are their own and do not constitute financial advice.

Nothing in the title, thumbnail, description, or video/audio is to be interpreted as investment, tax, or legal advice.

I am not a financial advisor and do not provide financial services as defined by MiCA or other financial regulations.