About this episode
In this episode of Proof of Pain, Tony sits down with James (@ourgoodlifeuk), a UK podcaster and Bitcoin adoption advocate. He shares his path from early mining days, to ignoring Bitcoin for years, to going deep in 2024 and then diving into Bitcoin treasury companies, especially Smarter Web (SWC).We talk SWC from IPO vibes to drawdowns, the Bitcoin treasury flywheel under stress, what James would change looking back, and whether smaller treasury companies become acquisition targets or fade into irrelevance. We also touch on UK adoption and the media narrative around Bitcoin.What we cover• Early Bitcoin mining, the altcoin phase, and the long pause• The 2024 deep dive that made Bitcoin click• First steps into Bitcoin treasury companies and pension exposure• Smarter Web (SWC): highlights, drawdowns, and community building• The treasury flywheel: what breaks, what adapts, what changes next cycle• M&A: do smaller BTCTCs get acquired or die off• Bitcoin adoption in the UK and the public narrativeChapters0:00 Intro0:40 First hearing about Bitcoin (2011)7:53 The 2024 deep dive that made it click14:49 First steps into treasury companies17:17 Discovering Smarter Web (SWC)24:34 SWC from IPO era to now29:29 BTC volatility and thesis stress test34:54 Flywheel, prefs, and next cycle changes46:11 M&A and small BTCTCs as targets56:32 Bitcoin in the UK narrative1:05:02 Where to find JamesRESOURCES MENTIONED (May contain affiliate links):“What’s The Problem?” (Joe Bryan): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtFOxNbmD38Sats vs Fiat site: https://www.satsvsfiat.com/The Big Print by Lawrence Lepard (Amazon): https://amzn.to/3MIafdGFollow@ourgoodlifeuk on XSWC and BTC on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKTZTAhIL0SvuEuKl41DCow@tonycarrera
