Episodes

  • IMPORTANT ColdCard SECURITY UPDATE
    Aug 2 2026

    Important security update for anyone using a COLDCARD.

    There has been a serious vulnerability disclosed involving the randomness used by some COLDCARD devices when generating Bitcoin seeds.

    If you use a COLDCARD, I recommend moving your bitcoin to a completely new seed generated somewhere else. If you use another wallet today but you generated the seeds on a coldcard, you should also move your bitcoin.

    First, an important reassurance: if you followed best practices and generated your own seed using at least 50 fair, independent, private dice rolls, you are not considered at risk from this specific randomness vulnerability. Similarly, if you used a strong passphrase, that provides additional protection. And there are several COLDCARD devices and seeds that fall outside the specific affected firmware ranges.

    But my recommendation is simpler than trying to determine exactly which model you have, which firmware was installed years ago when you generated your seed, how many dice rolls you used, whether you remember every detail correctly, and whether further vulnerabilities may be discovered.

    With something as important as your bitcoin, I would rather eliminate the uncertainty than take a risk we don't need to take. If you rolled your own dice more than 50 times and have a strong passphrase, you probably have more time. If you relied on the device to produce the randomness, you need to act immediately.

    Either way, act decisively and with high focus. Take your time and use whichever migration option you are most comfortable and competent with. Rushing a Bitcoin transaction or improvising a security setup you don't understand can create its own risks.

    If you decide to migrate to another hardware wallet or an airgapped computer you understand well, here's the process:

    First, generate a completely new seed on an unaffected device you know is safe from bugs and is not connected to the internet.

    Second, carefully record and verify the new seed backup.

    Third, verify the wallet fingerprint and receiving address on the hardware wallet itself or the airgapped computer. Do not simply trust what your online computer or phone shows you.

    Fourth, send a small test transaction.

    Fifth, confirm that everything works and that you can access and spend from the new wallet before moving the remaining funds.

    And keep your old seed backup until you have fully verified that the migration is complete.

    If you're not comfortable setting up another self-custody wallet immediately, another option is to temporarily move the bitcoin to a reputable exchange or custodian that you already trust while you take the time to establish a new self-custody setup properly.

    Again, the point is not to rush. Choose the option you understand best. But do move.

    If you used a strong, unique BIP-39 passphrase, that provides an additional independent security barrier. If you used sufficient private dice entropy, that also protects you from this particular randomness problem. But personally, given what has been disclosed, I would still rather create a fresh seed somewhere else and remove the uncertainty entirely.

    One final warning: scammers will absolutely try to exploit this situation.

    Never give your seed words or passphrase to anyone. Never enter them into a website, chatbot, unsolicited recovery tool, or a link somebody sends you. Nobody helping you migrate needs your seed words.

    Don't panic. Don't ignore it either. Take your time, verify every step, and move your funds in whatever safe way you are most comfortable with.

    Be sure to hold on to all your devices and seeds, as they may be useful in demonstrating ownership of the coins if the hacker is caught.

    Also be sure to follow the latest disclosures from Coinkite to understand if your device is affected, and to follow all the latest updates on the issue. I recommend Twitter for staying up to date.

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    5 mins
  • 336. Rothbard at 100 Conference: Talks by Ammous, Hoppe, Kinsella & de Mombynes
    Jul 28 2026

    Description: Four talks from Rothbard's centenary celebration last month in Porto:

    Ammous: Rothbard on Palestine

    Hoppe: Hurdles, Obstacles, and Surprises on the Road to Rothbardianism

    Kinsella: Rothbard's Greatest Hits

    De Mombynes: Rothbard & Bitcoin

    The accompanying book, Rothbard at 100, is available from TheSaifHouse.com

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    1 hr and 55 mins
  • 335. Bitcoin & the Surveillance State with Cory Klippsten
    Jul 21 2026

    Cory Klippsten, founder and CEO of Swan, joins us to discuss the accelerating surveillance state, why bitcoin is the alternative to the left and right, and why stablecoins, gold, and CBDCs don't threaten Bitcoin.


    Swan - Your Partner for Generational Wealth - https://swan.com/saif

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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • 334. Principles of Economics Lecture 18: Civilization
    Jul 14 2026

    The final lecture of Principles of Economics makes the case for civilization, how it emerges when reason restrains instinct & lowers time preference, enabling capital accumulation & division of labor, increasing peace & prosperity over generations, & how it can collapse.

    Get all course notes and slides on https://saifedean.com/poecourse


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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • 333. The Fiat Trap with Nicolas Cary
    Jul 7 2026

    Saifedean joins Nick Carey to discuss money as a civilizational force: why mainstream economics has an inflation blind spot, how banks "mine" fiat through credit creation, why the rich hold negative fiat balances to acquire hard assets, and how inflation funds war, corrodes morality, and raises time preference.

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    54 mins
  • 332. Principles of Economics Lecture 17: Defense
    Jun 30 2026

    Lecture 17 of Principles of Economics explores the economics of defense as a market good rather than a uniquely governmental function, how law and order emerge through voluntary provision, the failure modes inherent of the state's monopoly over defense & law, and what a free market in defense would look like.

    Get all course notes and slides on https://saifedean.com/poecourse

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    1 hr and 38 mins
  • 331. Palestine, Israel & Property Rights - Interview with Mario Nawfal
    Jun 23 2026

    In this interview with Mario Nawfal, Saifedean presents the Misesian case against Israel, and argues the only way to understand the Palestinian/Israeli conflict is that it is the result of the denial of property rights for Palestinians based purely on their not belonging to the ruling ethnoreligious group.

    Join Crowdhealth: https://www.joincrowdhealth.com/


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    35 mins
  • 330. Rothbard At 100 - A Tribute And Assessment
    Jun 16 2026

    Hans-Hermann Hoppe and Stephan Kinsella read the preface, introduction, and first chapter of Rothbard at 100: A Tribute and Assessment, published by The Saif House, July 2026. Preorder your copy now, and join us for the Rothbard At 100 conference in Porto on June 27. Details are on rothbard100.pt

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    1 hr and 40 mins