"We need Bitcoiners to fight for Bitcoin. If no one fights for Bitcoin, Bitcoin will very soon be dead." Hodlonaut is a Bitcoin citizen journalist, the founder of the Citadel21 zine, the man behind the 2019 Lightning Torch, and the person who told the simple truth about Craig Wright and then stood in the fire for five years over it. Most recently he is the author of the Capture series, a deep investigation into how informal power over Bitcoin Core was assembled, exercised, and defended. We recorded this on August 2, 2026, in the middle of the ColdCard fallout, and the grief of that moment runs underneath the whole conversation. From there we go all the way back: how he found Bitcoin in 2013, the Pirate Bay ethos, Citadel21, and the birth of Hodlonaut and the Space Cat. We get into the Lightning Torch as a three-month experiment in trust, the Craig Wright war and how stoicism carried him through it, and then the heart of it: the Capture series, the "priesthood" narrative around Core, the OP_RETURN uncap, the DEI and "extractive" playbook used to shut down criticism, why every line of code must serve monetary sovereignty, and his return to fully supporting BIP-110. This is a conversation about the human layer of Bitcoin, and why we have to fight for it. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. 🎙️ GUEST Hodlonaut — Bitcoin citizen journalist. Founder and editor of the Citadel21 zine. Originator of the Lightning Torch. Author of the Capture series (Articles 1-3 out, Article 4 forthcoming). Based in Norway. Hodlonaut on X → x.com/hodlonaut Citadel21 → https://www.citadel21.com/The Capture series → https://www.citadel21.com/the-network 💰 SPONSORS & DISCOUNTS 🐟 Firefish — Don't sell your Bitcoin. Live off it. Non-custodial Bitcoin-backed loans. Your keys stay in 3-of-3 multisig. Rehypothecation is cryptographically impossible. $160M+ facilitated. 27,000+ users across 70 countries. 30% OFF the fees on your first loan → firefish.io/?ref=MATRIX | code MATRIX 🔑 Stamp Seed — After this week, back up your seed somewhere a bug can't reach. Hammer your seed words into solid titanium, fire-resistant to 3,000°F, and pair it with multisig to remove single points of failure. 21% OFF → stampseed.com | code MATRIX ₿ Bitcoin Well — Concierge OTC for serious Bitcoin buys. $50k+ handled one-on-one, from first call to settlement. Global, by application. infinite.bitcoinwell.com/get-qualified/bitcoinmatrix🔐 Unchained — 90,000+ BTC secured in collaborative multisig since 2016. Bitcoin-only. Never lent out a sat. IRAs, loans, inheritance planning. 10% OFF → unchained.com/matrix | code MATRIX10 💎 River — Buy Bitcoin the right way. Up to $100 FREE Bitcoin. river.com/matrix🏥 CrowdHealth — Ditch your fiat health insurance like my family did. Join us at CrowdHealth. joincrowdhealth.com | code MATRIX 🛡️ Meanwhile — The world's first Bitcoin life insurance policy. Premiums and payouts in Bitcoin. meanwhile.bm | code YTPFYD ⛏️ Sazmining — You took the red pill on money. Now own the machine that makes it. Mine your own Bitcoin: own the hardware, 100% renewable, non-custodial, coins straight from the network to your wallet. No intermediary ever holds them. $100 OFF any rig → deals.sazmining.com/bitcoinmatrix | code BTCMATRIX 🙏 SUPPORT THE SHOW ⚡ Strike → BitcoinMatrix@strike.me💵 PayPal → paypal.biz/BitcoinMatrix💚 Cash App → cash.app/$BitcoinMatrix 💜 Venmo → venmo.com/u/bitcoinmatrix📬 PO Box → The Bitcoin Matrix, P.O. Box 18056, Sarasota, FL 34231 📱 FOLLOW 🌐 Website → TheBitcoinMatrix.com🐦 Cedric on X → x.com/cedyoungelman🐦 Show on X → x.com/_bitcoinmatrix🟣 Nostr → npub12tq9jxmt707gd5vnce3tqllpm67ktr0mqskcvy58qqa4d074pz9s4ukdcs ⚠️ DISCLAIMER For entertainment and educational purposes only. Not financial, legal, or investment advice. Always do your own research.