Summary

In this episode, Brian Mahoney—Chief Business Officer at Thesis and co-founder of mezo—shares his journey from traditional finance into the world of decentralized finance (DeFi). He introduces the idea of “Bitcoin Stoicism” as a more constructive version of Bitcoin maximalism, rooted in patience, conviction, and long-term vision.

Brian dives into the story behind Thesis, a company building in the Bitcoin space since 2014, and how that led to the launch of mezo—a platform designed to make Bitcoin more usable, including through the creation of MUSD, a Bitcoin-backed stablecoin.

He also talks about the broader Bitcoin Layer 2 (L2) landscape, the challenges of simplifying blockchain UX, and why community and education are foundational for any crypto project to succeed. Throughout, Brian emphasizes that making crypto usable—especially for real-world applications—requires bridging the best of traditional and decentralized systems.

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Takeaways

— Bitcoin Stoicism emphasizes long-term belief in Bitcoin.

— Transitioning from traditional finance to DeFi can be transformative.

— Thesis has been building in the Bitcoin space since 2014.

— mezo aims to create practical use cases for Bitcoin.

— MUSD is a Bitcoin-backed stablecoin designed for various financial applications.

— Real-world use cases for Bitcoin are expanding beyond speculation.

— Building a community is crucial for the success of new crypto projects.

— The Bitcoin L2 space is competitive but offers unique opportunities.

— Understanding the crypto consumer is key to developing successful applications.

— The ethos of Bitcoin should guide the development of new financial tools.

— User experience is crucial for blockchain adoption.

— Complexity in crypto can drive users away.

— The convergence of crypto and traditional finance is inevitable.

— Bridging assets should be seamless for users.

— mezo aims to create a comprehensive ecosystem for Bitcoin.

— MUSD will serve as the central currency in the mezo economy.

— Education is key to user retention and engagement.

— Community involvement is essential for growth.

— The attention economy plays a significant role in crypto.

— Future developments will focus on real-world applications.

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Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Bitcoin Stoicism

(02:48) Transitioning from TradFi to DeFi

(05:57) The Evolution of Thesis and mezo

(08:47) Understanding mezo’s Core Offerings

(12:12) MUSD: The Bitcoin-Backed Stablecoin

(14:45) Real-World Use Cases for Bitcoin

(17:51) Positioning mezo in the Bitcoin L2 Space

(21:13) Building a Community for mezo

(24:11) Insights on the Crypto Consumer

(27:47) Enhancing User Experience in Blockchain Applications

(30:26) The Shift from Complexity to Simplicity

(33:07) Convergence of Crypto and Traditional Finance

(36:28) Understanding the Layer 2 Landscape

(40:42) Building a City: The mezo Ecosystem

(45:56) Future Prospects and Community Engagement

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