Bitcoin Rails | Isabel Foxen Duke – Details, episodes & analysis

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Bitcoin Rails | Isabel Foxen Duke

Isabel Foxen Duke

Technology

Frequency: 1 episode/9d. Total Eps: 68

Deep dives into Bitcoin-native technologies, protocol development, cryptography and more.

FYI: I’m sending out new pods and Bitcoin technical updates via email going forward — sign up to get on the list: isabelfoxenduke.com

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🇫🇷 France - technology
16/07/2026
#99
🇫🇷 France - technology
15/07/2026
#50

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The Future of Bitcoin Banking | ALEX LEISHMAN

Tuesday, July 28, 2026 • Duration 01:30:52

I first came across River during the 2020 bull market. At the time, it felt like one of the quieter players in the space—not as visible as Coinbase or Kraken, and less talked about than its Bitcoin-only competitor, Swan, which was dominating Bitcoin Twitter and investing heavily in KOL marketing at the time.

My impression was that River had made a different bet: prioritizing product and security over rapid customer acquisition. In hindsight, that strategy paid off. As exchange and custody failures shook the industry during the 2022 bear market, River emerged as one of the most trusted names in Bitcoin.

River CEO Alex Leishman joins me to discuss the technical, operational, and commercial decisions that have differentiated the company—and why many of those decisions have influenced the way the industry thinks about Bitcoin custody today.

In more detail, we discuss:

Why River chose to remain Bitcoin-only despite the short-term revenue tradeoffs
The philosophical differences between Bitcoin banks and trader-driven crypto exchanges
Why River manages its own custody stack—and what actually matters when choosing a Bitcoin custodian
A recap of the industry's biggest custody failures: what went wrong and how to avoid repeating those mistakes
How Bitcoin custody has evolved over the past decade—and how it may need to evolve again in a post-quantum world

This episode of Bitcoin Rails is brought to you by:

LayerTwo Labs — developing research, software, and technologies for scaling Bitcoin via the integration of Drivechains (BIP 300/301)

Hashi on Sui Network — a primitive for executing Bitcoin DeFi transactions, without having to trust a federated bridge or other centralized entity

BitBox — an open-source Bitcoin-only hardware wallet, with smooth UX and no compromises on security. Check out Bitbox [dot] swiss and use code BITCOINRAILS to get a discount

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Zero-Knowledge Proofs For Post-Quantum Bitcoin | BENEDIKT BÜNZ

Tuesday, July 14, 2026 • Duration 01:43:41

While many Bitcoiners remain hopeful the network will embrace zero-knowledge proofs for protocol-level use cases, practical adoption has remained limited outside of BitVM and a handful of experimental proposals.

Most of the world’s ZKP research has circled around Ethereum and other ecosystems, where significant resources have been dedicated to advancing these systems, particularly for scaling and privacy applications.

One of the most notable contributors to this research is Benedikt Bünz — professor of cryptography at NYU and collaborator of Dan Boneh, who together inarguably form one of the strongest blockchain-applied cryptography teams in the world.

The pair recently announced they’ll be leading the new post-quantum cryptography unit localhost research — the first dedicated PQ research effort within a major Bitcoin development organization.

With Benedikt leading the charge on the use of zero-knowledge proofs for post-quantum mitigation, the question emerges: will the post-quantum transition be the catalyst to finally bring zero-knowledge proofs to Bitcoin's core protocol?

In more details, Benedikt and I discuss:

Why ZKPs haven’t been widely adopted by the Bitcoin technical community — and why the threat of quantum computers may change that posture going forward
How ZKPs could be used for signature batching to address larger post-quantum signatures in Bitcoin’s post-quantum era
Why Bitcoiners will likely prioritize hash-based signatures as an initial post-quantum scheme — rather than more efficient but less proven alternatives (e.g. lattice-based)
How ZKPs have evolved over the last decade and may finally be ready for Bitcoin’s strict requirements around trust assumptions
Why Benedikt and Dan are teaming up with localhost research to create the first post-quantum cryptography unit within a major Bitcoin development organization + what they hope to accomplish

This episode of Bitcoin Rails is brought to you by:

LayerTwo Labs — developing research, software, and technologies for scaling Bitcoin via the integration of Drivechains (BIP 300/301)

Post-Quantum Bitcoin Signatures (+ their tradeoffs) | ETHAN HEILMAN & JONAS NICK

Tuesday, May 5, 2026 • Duration 01:18:05

According to BIP 360 co-author, Ethan Heilman, Bitcoin needs a minimum of two soft forks to become quantum resistant: P2MR (or an output type that can safely execute PQ signatures) + a post-quantum checksig (signature scheme).

Ethan and the BIP 360 team (including myself and Hunter Beast) introduced the P2MR part via a BIP 360 update late last year—but the question remains, what’s the most appropriate PQ signature scheme for Bitcoin?

They all have substantive tradeoffs, but hash-based signatures seem to be leading technical discourse—likely due to recent optimizations by Jonas Nick and the broader Blockstream⁩ research team.

It was an honor to sit down with both of these men - arguably the two most influential and productive cryptographers in Bitcoin quantum mitigation right now - for an in-depth review of the leading PQ signature schemes and a temperature check on Bitcoin’s post-quantum planning process.

TBH, if you want to skip the noise and jump straight to the signal on quantum, this is the interview to watch.

In this episode, we discuss:

What needs to happen at the soft fork, infra and mitigation levels to fully quantum-harden Bitcoin
Recent updates to BIP 360 + breakdown of the leading hash-based signatures schemes for Bitcoin (SHRINCS + SHRIMPS)
Why we may actually get consensus around a stateful scheme for Bitcoin
Comparisons of hash-based signatures vs Lattice and Isogeny-based schemes
Assessing the risks of both waiting too long, and acting too fast (and why quantum is a better threat to be facing than a potential classical attack)

This episode of Bitcoin Rails is brought to you by my NEW sponsors:

LayerTwo Labs — developing research, software and technologies for scaling Bitcoin via the integration of Drivechains (BIP 300/301)
Hashi on Sui Network — a primitive for executing Bitcoin Defi transactions, with having to trust a federated bridge or other centralized entity
BitBox — an open-source Bitcoin-only hardware wallet, with smooth UX and no compromises on security. Check out Bitbox [dot] swiss and use code BITCOINRAILS to get a discount.

DRIVECHAINS AUTHOR TO HARDFORK BITCOIN I with PAUL SZTORC

Friday, April 24, 2026 • Duration 01:27:53

Paul Sztorc is one of the most controversial figures in Bitcoin—and he’s about to pull off one of his most controversial moves of all: a full-blown Bitcoin hardfork.

Actuating his vision of “e-cash,” as the new protocol is called, Paul is pushing forward a new Drivechains-enabled Bitcoin experience—citing governance challenges and a “broken soft fork process” as reasons for the move.

“If BIP300/301 was activated in Bitcoin, we would stop,” says Paul Sztorc—adding, “it’s an irony that the soft fork was invented because the hard fork was too difficult.”

In this interview, I asked Paul all the difficult questions you can imagine—and ultimately found myself sympathizing with much of his defense.

Regardless of one’s personal politics, this interview sheds light on the challenges we face in Bitcoin governance as a whole—and may be worth reviewing to better understand the political statement (ne—political artwork?) that Paul’s work represents.

In this episode, Paul shares:

Why he’s making the bold move to hard fork — and the various levels of risk he’s assuming in the process.
His frustration with the Bitcoin soft fork process and why, regardless of the risks, it “may be time to reconsider the hard fork.”
Why the Drivechains vision (BIP300/301) is one worth fighting for, and why the payments use-case must be actuated to fulfill Satoshi’s vision
The problem with Bitcoin’s “decel” culture, and why the lack of competition may be the root of the problem.

This episode of Bitcoin Rails is brought to you by my NEW sponsors:

LayerTwo Labs — developing research, software and technologies for scaling Bitcoin via the integration of Drivechains (BIP 300/301)
Hashi on — a primitive for executing Bitcoin Defi transactions, with having to trust a federated bridge or other centralized entity
BitBox — an open-source Bitcoin-only hardware wallet, with smooth UX and no compromises on security. Check out Bitbox [dot] swiss and use code BITCOINRAILS to get a discount.

Bitcoin Mining's Heatpunk Revolution | TYLER STEVENS

Tuesday, April 14, 2026 • Duration 01:11:50

Tyler Stevens—author of Bitcoin Mining Heat Reuse and a leading voice in the space—joins the show to unpack the growing “heatpunk” movement in Bitcoin mining.

Traditionally viewed as a drawback, excess heat from mining is being reframed by heatpunks as a valuable feature, e.g. to generate useful heat—like home heating or hot water. Use for these heat byproducts can effectively subsidize the cost of Bitcoin mining—making operations significantly more profitable, or even free, while contributing to higher hashrate and a more decentralized network.

As Stevens puts it, “Heat reuse solves the security budget problem.” With block subsidies declining over time, mining incentives must evolve to remain sustainable. If Bitcoin mining can serve a dual purpose—securing the network while also fulfilling real-world energy needs—it has a path to long-term profitability, even in a low-fee environment.

In this episode, Tyler and I discuss:

What “Bitcoin Mining Heat Reuse” is and why it’s shaking up both solo and industrial miners’ thinking
The different ways heat from Bitcoin miners can be used
What the long-term impacts of mining heat reuse could be in the face of a dwindling block subsidy
How Bitcoin mining could change the economics of the global heating industry
What the impacts of heat reuse could be for megaminers and miner centralization

This episode of Bitcoin Rails is brought to you my NEW sponsors:

LayerTwo Labs — developing research, software and technologies for scaling Bitcoin via the integration of Drivechains (BIP 300/301)
Hashi — a trust-minimized collateralization primitive for native Bitcoin, powered by Sui Network smart contracts
BitBox — an open-source Bitcoin-only hardware wallet, with smooth UX and no compromises on security. Check out Bitbox [dot] swiss and use code BITCOINRAILS to get a discount.

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The Untold History of Stablecoins | PHIL POTTER

Tuesday, April 7, 2026 • Duration 02:25:51

There are few people as consequential in crypto history as Phil Potter, co-founder of Tether and creator of the world's first stablecoin. After trading Bitcoin in “Satoshi Square” amongst peers like Erik Voorhees, Charlie Shrem, the Winklevoss twins and others, Potter became known for two things:

1. Professionalizing Bitcoin trading via the development of Bitfinex—and managing the 2nd largest exchange hack in Bitcoin's history

2. Inventing stablecoins — arguably the most important piece of crypto-infrastructure outside of Bitcoin itself.

Ultimately, Potter shares that stablecoins were “too successful,” adding that “anytime someone makes a lot of money really fast that they don’t understand… they think you’re a criminal.”

In 2019, Phil stepped down from his role as CSO of Tether after a series of relentless personal, legal and regulatory attacks. In his first video interview since around that time — I’m thrilled to share the story of Tether that’s been waiting to be told.

In this episode, Phil Potter shares:

- What the early days of Bitcoin trading were like (think: in-person Bitcoin-cash trades in NYC’s Washington Square Park)

- How Bitfinex revolutionized trading infrastructure for Bitcoin—and managed the second largest exchange hack of all time.

- The Birth story of Tether + the dark side of being one of the most successful companies in US history.

- How Phil managed the onslaught of regulatory, legal and personal attacks that followed Tether’s rapid success.

This episode of Bitcoin Rails is brought to you my NEW sponsors:

LayerTwo Labs — developing research, software and technologies for scaling Bitcoin via the integration of Drivechains (BIP 300/301)
Hashi on — a primitive for executing Bitcoin Defi transactions, with having to trust a federated bridge or other centralized entity
BitBox — an open-source Bitcoin-only hardware wallet, with smooth UX and no compromises on security. Check out Bitbox [dot] swiss and use code BITCOINRAILS to get a discount.

What Happened to Bitcoin Treasury Companies? | DAVID BAILEY & BRANDON GREEN

Thursday, March 26, 2026 • Duration 01:49:50

This most recent bull market was inarguably defined by one dominant narrative: the rise of Bitcoin treasury companies and their dramatic retracement as crypto "DATs" flooded markets.

David Bailey, former CEO of Bitcoin Inc. (Bitcoin Magazine, Bitcoin Conference) — raised $760M for treasury company Nakamoto , which catapulted to a peak valuation of 33X MNAV before sliding down below MNAV after a seeming burst in treasury mania last year.

David joins me and newly appointed CEO of Bitcoin Inc. Brandon Green to share the history of one of the most influential companies in Bitcoin history (Bitcoin Inc.), how their treasury play changed everything, and what we can expect from Bitcoin treasury companies moving through 2026 and beyond.

In this episode, the three of us discuss:

The history of Bitcoin Inc., and the rise of Bitcoin Magazine and Bitcoin Conference empire.
The role of UTXOmgmt (VC and trading fund) in the team's strategy over time
How the fund’s entry into Metaplanet and their subsequent seeding of nearly a dozen Bitcoin Treasury companies since
The rise of Nakamoto and its subsequent 99% slide in price from ATHs
How David sees the Treasury thesis playing out from here… and projected winners and losers when/if these companies rebound.

This episode of Bitcoin Rails is powered by:

Best In Slot — the leading API for Ordinals and BRC20 data aggregation and indexing.
Spark — a statechains implementation advancing Bitcoin-powered payments.
Citrea — a leading Bitcoin rollup technology and BitVM alliance contributor.

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Building a Financial System on Bitcoin | WILLEM SCHROE

Tuesday, March 17, 2026 • Duration 01:03:51

“People in finance understand the financial system, but not money. People in Bitcoin understand money, but not the financial system.”

In a world where financial markets make up 70% of all money flow around the world — we have two choices: come up with technical solutions that enable these use-cases in a decentralized way, or simply accept that Bitcoin will be used in a custodial way whenever more complex use-cases are at play.

Botanix CEO Willem Schroe is staunchly rejecting the latter — and attempting to solve some of the toughest challenges faced by the L2 and scaling landscapes (e.g. the “honeypot problem” that nearly all other L2s will ultimately face if not addressed).

Willem and I break down the design space of Bitcoin L2s, why DeFi may be necessary for Bitcoin’s financial system to emerge, and how different technologies — like Spiderchains, BitVM, Lightning, and others — could eventually combine into a decentralized Bitcoin-native financial stack.

In this episode, we discuss:

- Why Bitcoin needs a financial system, not just payments (hint: without it, we'll end up like Gold)

- The role of DeFi and stablecoins in Bitcoin adoption

- The "honeypot problem" introduced by most Bitcoin bridges, and how implementing Spiderchains could be the solve

- Combining Spiderchains, BitVM, and other models into the ultimate Bitcoin scaling stack

This episode of Bitcoin Rails is powered by:

- Best In Slot (@bestinslotxyz) — the leading API for Ordinals and BRC20 data aggregation and indexing.

- Spark (@lightspark) — a statechains implementation advancing Bitcoin-powered payments.

- Citrea (@citrea_xyz) — a leading Bitcoin rollup technology and BitVM alliance contributor.

Internet Capital Markets on Bitcoin | BINARI

Tuesday, March 10, 2026 • Duration 01:31:04

“BRC 2.0 is positioning Bitcoin as the prime asset issuance layer — the asset tokenization network for the most valuable assets on earth.”

Late last year, BRC20 maintainer team Best in Slot extended the protocol’s functionality to include EVM smart contracts at the indexing layer — making the world’s most valuable Bitcoin-native assets protocol “fully programmable.”

This upgrade, dubbed “BRC 2.0,” triggered a wave of interest in programmable metaprotocols across the Bitcoin ecosystem — expanding metaprotocol usecases beyond memecoins, into more sophisticated DeFi applications like RWAs and stablecoins.

In this episode, Best in Slot CEO Binari joins me for a full update on the protocol’s technical and social evolution post-BRC2.0 launch—spilling the tea on hard lessons learned in ecosystem building, right alongside his bull case for building “internet capital markets” on Bitcoin.

In this episode, we discuss:

The “internet capital markets” thesis for Bitcoin
The unique role of Chinese investment communities in pushing Bitcoin assets forward
How incentive structures for metaprotocols outperform those of L2s
How programmable asset development could potentially protect Bitcoin’s security budget as the block subsidy declines
Lessons from the protocol’s first pump-and-rug drama and how the community fought back with technical solutions that could push Bitcoin DeFi forward

This episode of Bitcoin Rails is powered by:

Best In Slot - the leading API for Ordinals and BRC20 data aggregation and indexing.
Spark - a statechains implementation advancing Bitcoin-powered payments.
Citrea - a leading Bitcoin rollup technology and BitVM alliance contributor.

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BitVM3 & The Garbled Circuits Revolution | with BitVM creators Robin Linus & Liam Eagen

Thursday, February 26, 2026 • Duration 01:16:11

In 2023, Robin Linus introduced BitVM—aimed at enabling the verification of zero-knowledge proofs on Bitcoin for trust-minimized bridging.

Since then, BitVM has been implemented by teams like Citrea and others—bringing what was once considered an impossible goal to life and paving the way for production-ready ZK rollups on Bitcoin.

Cryptographer and SNARK researcher Liam Eagen (formerly Blockstream and Alpen Labs) has been a key collaborator from day one, spearheading major efficiency improvements to BitVM proof systems—including the development of garbled circuit schemes affectionately referred to as “BitVM3.”

In this episode of Bitcoin Rails, I sit down with Robin and Liam to discuss BitVM’s evolution following the integration of garbled circuits—an upgrade that improved efficiency by more than 1,000x over prior implementations.

In more detail, we discuss:

- The origins of BitVM and its early success (+ Liam’s initial skepticism and what changed his mind)

- Garbled circuits, the Glocks scheme, and the Argo improvement

- How these new schemes and the development of “Binohash” effect permissionless verification of BitVM proof systems

- Robin and Liam’s new venture @idealgroup with cryptographer @therealyingtong + their ultimate vision for actuating shielded CSV with “the ultimate BitVM bridge.”

This episode of Bitcoin Rails is powered by:

- Best In Slot - the leading API for Ordinals and BRC20 data aggregation and indexing.

- Spark - a statechains implementation advancing Bitcoin-powered payments.

- Citrea - a leading Bitcoin rollup technology and BitVM alliance contributor.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Intro

03:40 Birth of BitVM and Individual Contributions

Bitcoin Rails | Isabel Foxen Duke – Details, episodes & analysis

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Bitcoin Rails | Isabel Foxen Duke – Details, episodes & analysis

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