🎙️ In this interview with Viva Frei I talk about my path from freedom activism to Bitcoin. I was born in Israel in 1980 to a family of Holocaust survivors and builders of the early state. During COVID I watched Israel impose coercive measures like the Green Pass and saw a sign that said “Reserved for vaccinated only.” It reminded me of my grandfather’s stories from pre-war Europe and pushed me to protest. That experience made me study freedom more deeply, especially in money. I learned how fiat, inflation and fractional-reserve banking rob people, then discovered Bitcoin as sound money with fixed supply and no central control. I explain how it differs from crypto and from CBDCs, and why self-custody is the foundation of sovereignty. For me Bitcoin is not just money, it is a stand for human freedom.
This episode is also on Twitter, Spotify, YouTube, Fountain, Rumble and more.
Got value? please like, comment & share!
— Support my work —
I was recently banned from Stripe, so I cannot have paid memberships on Substack… but there’s always another way!
We talked about:
0:00 - Coming Up…
01:34 - Efrat’s Background and Family History
05:31 - Protesting Covid’s Green Pass in Israel
08:26 - Efrat’s Intro to Bitcoin & Gold
11:26 - Fiat Money, Inflation & Sounds Money
20:09 - Major Difference Between Crypto & Bitcoin
22:49 - Bitcoin’s Decentralization & Satoshi’s Story
24:49 - CBDCs vs. Bitcoin
28:19 - Future of Bitcoin & Potential Risks
33:19 - Conclusion
My takeaways from this episode:
I recount how witnessing Israel’s Green Pass regime during COVID, seeing a public bench marked “Reserved for vaccinated only,” triggered memories of my grandfather’s stories from pre-second world war in Europe and compelled me to protest government overreach.
I describe growing up in Israel in a family shaped by survival and rebuilding, my grandfather a Holocaust survivor of thirteen camps, my grandparents meeting in refugee camps and helping found early kibbutzim.
Coming from that legacy of resilience and freedom, I explain how 2020’s coercive policies revealed the fragility of rights people take for granted.
That shock led me to study the roots of power in money itself, tracing fiat’s flaws through inflation, debt, and fractional-reserve banking.
My search for sovereignty took me from gold to Bitcoin, which I came to see as digital sound money, finite, borderless, and immune to central control.
I outline how fiat’s “by decree” system allows governments to devalue citizens’ labor, while Bitcoin’s fixed supply and decentralization return power to individuals.
I contrast Bitcoin’s open, peer-to-peer nature with the surveillance potential of CBDCs, programmable money, and KYC-bound systems that merge finance with digital identity.
I argue that self-custody is the foundation of true freedom; if you don’t hold your keys, you don’t hold your sovereignty.
While acknowledging risks such as mining centralization or community complacency, I insist that Bitcoin’s survival depends on vigilance, education, and maintaining decentralization.
For me, Bitcoin is not just a financial hedge but a moral stance against coercion, a continuation of my family’s fight for human dignity and freedom.
Watch/Listen on Spotify:
Watch/Listen on Youtube:
Sponsors:
Trezor
►► 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)
BitVault
►► Shield your bitcoin with time-delayed transactions over multisig with BitVault
Abundant Mines
►► Have you tried mining bitcoin? Stack sats directly to your wallet while saving on taxes with Abundant Mines
Special offers:
►► 10% off on Augmented NAC: I arranged a 10% discount on the Augmented NAC from ZeroSpike, using the code: YCXKQDK2, and this link. (Please note, this is not medical advice and you should consult your MD). Watch the episode with Tina below.
►► Watch “New Totalitarian Order” conference with Prof. Mattias Desmet & Efrat - use code EFRAT for 10% off
►► Get a second citizenship and a plan B to relocate to another country with Expat Money, leave your details for a follow up: https://expatmoney.com/efrat
Follow me:
Twitter | YouTube | Instagram | My podcast | All other links
— Support my work —
I was recently banned from Stripe, so I cannot have paid memberships on Substack… but there’s always another way!
