Orange Pilling Sessions: How the Dollar Took Over

Why is the U.S. dollar the world’s reserve currency? In this episode, Frieda and Talitha welcome Chris to unpack the historical events that shaped the modern financial world. From post–World War II devastation to the Bretton Woods Agreement and the closing of the gold window in 1971, they explore how the dollar gained—and kept—global dominance. Chris contrasts this opaque, centralized monetary system with Bitcoin’s transparent, decentralized design. This episode continues the beginner-friendly journey by connecting history, trust, and technology.

💡 Topics Covered:
Why the U.S. dollar became the global reserve currency
The Bretton Woods Agreement and the creation of Fort Knox
How gold backed the dollar (and why that changed)
Charles de Gaulle and the challenge to U.S. gold reserves
Nixon’s 1971 decision to close the gold window
Bitcoin’s transparency vs. fiat opacity
The origin of Bitcoin (2009) during the financial crisis
The Bitcoin Pizza story – the first real-world BTC transaction
Introduction to altcoins and “shitcoins”
Centralized vs. decentralized digital assets

📄 Resources & References:
📍 Fort Knox – Site where the world’s gold was stored post-WWII
📝 Bretton Woods Agreement – 1944 international financial agreement
🗓️ 1971 Nixon Shock – U.S. ended convertibility of dollars to gold
🍕 Bitcoin Pizza Day – 10,000 BTC for two pizzas (May 22, 2010)
👤 Satoshi Nakamoto – Creator of Bitcoin; his wallet remains untouched
⚖️ Transparency – Bitcoin’s blockchain is fully auditable, unlike national gold reserves

🪙 Bitcoin Concepts Introduced:
Full auditability of Bitcoin transactions (via running a node)
Bitcoin’s fixed supply (21 million)
Bitcoin mining and decentralization
Introduction to altcoins and why Bitcoiners are skeptical
“Rug pulls” in crypto (centralized scams in altcoins)
Bitcoin’s community-driven ethos vs. VC-backed projects

❤️ Quote Highlight:
“With Bitcoin, nobody has a leg up on anybody else.” – Chris

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