🎙️ My guest today is John Dennehy, the Director of “My First Bitcoin” (Mi Primer Bitcoin), an educational nonprofit which helped educate 35,000 students in El Salvador using Bitcoin as a tool for financial sovereignty. John became an activist in the wake of September 11th. While in jail after protesting the Iraq War, he decided to leave the country and moved to Ecuador in 2005. He is a best-selling author, award-winning journalist and has written about Bitcoin in Latin America for the Guardian, Al-Jazeera, and the BBC. He moved to El Salvador in 2021 to found My First Bitcoin. In a world at the crossroads, he sees Bitcoin as humanity’s best chance to build something better. His first child was born in San Salvador in 2023.
In this episode John shares his inspiring journey from activism in the aftermath of 9/11 to founding My First Bitcoin He explains how his perspective shifted from resisting the harmful old systems to actively building new ones. We discuss the unique challenges of adopting Bitcoin in El Salvador, the importance of grassroots education, and of choosing an open-source curriculum. John discusses the need to redefine success metrics, decentralize systems, and build frameworks that empower communities worldwide. He emphasizes the urgency of taking action, warning against the dangers of complacency in the face of a world heading toward unsustainability and even crashes. This episode is a powerful reminder that change starts with individuals choosing to create something better.
This episode is also on Twitter, Spotify, Fountain, Rumble and more.
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We talked about:
00:00 Coming Up…
00:58 The Best Way to Experience El Salvador
03:28 Intro to John & Journey to Activism, 9/11
09:55 Anti-War Activism & Human Desire for Revenge
12:49 The Effectiveness of Activism & Protesting
16:58 Getting Arrested for Your Values Can Empower You
21:18 Police Violence & Intimidation
24:57 Giving Up on the US and Starting Over
28:00 Discovering Bitcoin and Accelerating The Good
33:30 The Birth of “My First Bitcoin”
37:14 “My First Bitcoin” Success in El Salvador and Beyond
40:56 The Global Reach of Bitcoin Education
47:03 My First Bitcoin’s Unconferences
48:40 John’s Prediction Of A Worldwide Crash & Awakening
52:46 Overcoming Fear of Creating a Better Life
57:17 Be Responsible for Your Future & Is It Worth Voting?
1:00:36 Redefining Success in Life & in “My First Bitcoin”
1:03:57 Decentralizing Education to Empower Local Communities
1:12:30 El Salvador: A Blueprint for Change & Bitcoin Policies
1:20:16 Replicating the “My First Bitcoin” Model to Educate Others
1:24:56 Follow John and “My First Bitcoin”
My takeaways:
John founded Mi Primer Bitcoin, a Bitcoin education nonprofit, to empower individuals globally.
He recounts how 9/11 was a pivotal moment that led him to question power structures and pursue activism.
He highlights the dangers of centralized systems like the IMF and emphasizes Bitcoin’s role in restoring individual agency.
John emphasizes "accelerating the good" over resisting the bad, focusing on solutions rather than opposition.
Mi Primer Bitcoin's flagship program, the Bitcoin Diploma, has educated over 35,000 people in El Salvador.
The organization operates on a grassroots funding model, rejecting government and corporate influence.
John advocates for decentralization, scaling education through independent nodes worldwide.
The Mi Primer Bitcoin curriculum is open-source, translated into 16+ languages, and free for global adoption.
John sees Bitcoin as a revolutionary tool for sovereignty and empowerment, shifting power back to individuals.
He critiques reliance on legacy systems and calls for proactive community action to build a better future.
John's vision includes fostering sovereignty through education and inspiring others to create local impact.
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