How to Escape Hyperinflation & SHORT the Dollar with Bitcoin | Mauricio Di Bartolomeo

*“If Bitcoin does what we believe it's gonna do, what else do you need?”*
Venezuelan-born Bitcoiner and Ledn co-founder Mauricio Di Bartolomeo joins Walker America to tell the wild, true story of how hyperinflation and authoritarian crackdowns forced his family to rely on Bitcoin—mining in Venezuela, dodging extortion, and escaping with their savings secured by a hardware wallet. We unpack Bitcoin-backed loans, proof-of-reserves, why many lenders collapsed in 2022 (and why Ledn didn’t), plus the new regulatory vibe shift (Fannie/Freddie asset recognition, “super-app” frameworks) and how banks will collide with Bitcoin-native finance.

Guest links:
• X: https://x.com/cryptonomista
• Nostr: https://primal.net/mauricio

In this episode of THE Bitcoin Podcast, Walker America hosts Mauricio Di Bartolomeo (co-founder of Ledn, a leading consumer Bitcoin-backed lending platform) for a raw, practical conversation about hyperinflation, mining Bitcoin in Venezuela, and why self-custody matters when regimes seize assets and rewrite the rules. Mauricio breaks down how his family discovered Bitcoin, how mining went viral in Venezuela, the government’s miner registry & ASIC seizures, and the overnight escape that was only possible because their wealth lived on a ledger, not in a bank.

We go deep on collateralized lending best practices, proof-of-reserves, rehypothecation risks, and the exact underwriting failures that nuked BlockFi/Celsius/Voyager/3AC—contrasted with Ledn’s conservative model. Then we zoom out: banks entering Bitcoin, cost of capital realities (free-market vs. subsidized mortgage rates), Fannie/Freddie guidance to consider Bitcoin as an asset, and why future “super-app” rules could unlock compliant, faster product rollout. TL;DR: Don’t trust—verify, keep your stack sovereign, and use loans like a tool (not a lifestyle).

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0:00 In this episode...
02:42 Why humor matters in Bitcoin
05:42 Politics broke comedy? Polarization & Venezuela parallels
09:27 “Bitcoin doesn’t care about your politics” + education in DC
12:19 Mauricio’s origin: Venezuela, oil cycles, Chávez → Maduro
17:34 Coups, new constitution, time-zone change, the slide to control
20:39 Hyperinflation up close: official vs. real FX, disappearing data
25:09 How Bitcoin spreads: P2P dollar access, mining, and survival
31:53 “Venezuelan golden age of Bitcoin” → ICO noise appears
35:19 Petro roadshow, miner registry, and the playbook for seizures
38:06 The raid: extortion, night drive to the border, ledger = lifeline
45:53 Founding Ledn: borrowing vs. selling, Canada mining, first loans
52:44 Why Ledn survived 2022: simplicity, risk controls, no tokens
57:04 Proof-of-reserves as a foundation, not marketing
1:01:27 Underwriting failures elsewhere: rehypothecation & concentration risk
1:08:03 Banks enter Bitcoin: allies, competitors, and global reach
1:14:48 Real cost of dollars vs. subsidized mortgages (rates reality)
1:19:23 Fannie/Freddie & Bitcoin as an asset; why it’s not a mortgage
1:23:09 “Super-app” style regulation could speed compliant products
1:29:01 Self-custody, using loans like a tool, closing notes & links

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