"Hardware wallets are the next USB key, one for your data and information, and one for your money."
🎙️ My guest today is Matej Zak, the CEO of Trezor, a Bitcoin & Crypto hardware wallet company based in Czech Republic since 2013, pioneering hardware self-custody wallets.
In this episode we discussed the importance of self-custody of Bitcoin and the new products and services that Trezor has launched: The Trezor Safe 5 and “Trezor Expert''. We talked about Trezor’s company culture and open positions. Matej explains the key differences between holding an ETF and self-custody, highlighting the benefits of using a hardware wallet. We touched on the challenges of regulation and the attack on privacy, the challenges of operating a hardware business, and Trezor’s business cycles that correlate with Bitcoin’s bull & bear cycles. We also discussed governments and politicians reactions to Bitcoin, and ended with Bitcoin startups created as an antidote to Communism: Matej believes the Czech Republic has a high number of Bitcoin startups due to the people’s spirit and appreciation of freedom and sovereignty in light of its past communist oppressive regime.
This episode is on Twitter, Spotify, Fountain and more.
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We talked about:
00:00 Behind the Scenes...
00:40 Introduction & Background
04:50 Matej’s Journey to CEO
09:40 Productivity vs. 9-5 Jobs
13:15 New: Trezor Safe 5
16:20 New: "Trezor Expert" Service
19:15 Regulation and Self-Custody of Bitcoin
23:50 The Benefits of Self-Custody vs. ETF'ing
29:50 Developing User-Friendly Hardware Wallets for Secure Storage
32:05 Bitcoin-Centric & Supporting Other Cryptocurrencies
33:45 Lobbying Efforts with Institutions?
35:05 Politicians Endorsing Self-Custody
37:40 Challenges in Hardware Businesses: Global Chip Shortage
42:40 Being Bootstrapped & Holding Bitcoin Reserves
44:44 Communism & Bitcoin Startups
Special offers for my subscribers:
► Trezor Safe 5
Get the new Trezor’s Safe 5 - use my code (take it from the episode’s Ad break) for a 5% discount.
► Trezor Expert - get 20% off for a limited time
A 1-on-1 tutorial session with an expert, designed for beginners, to setup, install, and operate your new Trezor wallet, plus answering your questions!
My takeaways from this episode:
Trezor is the original hardware wallet company. It has 200 employees, holds some reserves in Bitcoin and is bootstrapped.
The Czech Republic has a high number of Bitcoin startups due to the people’s spirit and appreciation of freedom and sovereignty in light of its past communist oppressive regime.
Self-custody is an important aspect of the Bitcoin space, allowing individuals to have full control over their assets without relying on third parties.
Trezor launched two new products: Trezor Save 5, a hardware wallet with enhanced features for frequent users, and Trezor Expert, a onboarding tutorial & support service for self-custody of your hardware wallet.
Holding an ETF may be a convenient option for those who are new to Bitcoin, but it comes with fees and lacks the privacy and security of a self-custodian hardware wallet.
There are concerns about regulation and the potential impact on self-custody, but Trezor believes that individuals should have the right to hold Bitcoin without the need for KYC or other restrictions.
The adoption of hardware wallets is still in its early stages, but wallets are becoming more user-friendly and accessible to a wider audience.
"Once you start taking sovereignty over your life, you would want to hold your own assets, including your own Bitcoin.”
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Watch/listen on Spotify:
Follow Matej Zack:
Matej’s Twitter | Matej’s Twitter | Trezor’s Twitter | Trezor’s website
Sponsors & Affiliates:
►► Get your TREZOR wallet & accessories, with a 5% discount, using my code at checkout (get my discount code from the episode - yep, you’ll have to watch it)
Trezor - Bitcoin Hardware Wallet
►► Join me at Bitcoin Nashville with 10% off tickets (use code BTCIL)
About the podcast:
"You're The Voice” (1.5m+ views) is a captivating podcast, that delves fearlessly into the realms of health, economics, politics, money, sovereignty, mind-control, and beyond. Join me as I engage with intriguing guests from all corners of the globe in an open and uncensored dialogue, while seamlessly weaving in perspectives on mental and spiritual well-being.
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Self-Custody & Self-Sovereignty - You're The Voice Ep. 35 with Matej Zak