In this episode, Haley Berkoe interviews Conor Okus, a Product Manager at Spiral. Conor shares his journey from playing football to becoming a grantee at Spiral and now managing the grant program. He addresses common misconceptions about bitcoin contributors, emphasizes the importance of user experience in promoting adoption, and discusses the emergence of user-friendly (easy) bitcoin addresses.
Conor also shares his thoughts on the intersection of AI and bitcoin, the ongoing debate about using "₿ " instead of "sats" to display bitcoin denominations, and offers valuable advice for newcomers to the bitcoin space.
EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Conor’s unique path: From footballer to bitcoiner
01:33 Becoming a Spiral grantee and joining the team full-time
03:53 What Spiral looks for in grant applications
05:08 Misconceptions about bitcoin contributors
07:15 First impressions of Presidio Bitcoin and the SF builder scene
08:25 Current focus: UX, BOLT12, and easy bitcoin addresses
12:04 The next wave of bitcoin innovation: Lightning and AI
14:38 How AI might leverage bitcoin for payments and micro-transactions
18:27 The sats vs. bitcoin ₿ display debate (BIP 177 and UX shifts)
22:37 Advice for aspiring bitcoin contributors
23:42 How to reach Conor & connect with Spiral
FOLLOW:
Conor Okus: https://x.com/ConorOkus, https://www.linkedin.com/in/conorokus/
Spiral: https://x.com/spiralbtc, https://www.linkedin.com/company/spiralbtc
Haley Berkoe: https://x.com/HBerkoe, https://www.linkedin.com/in/haleyberkoe/
Presidio Bitcoin: https://x.com/PresidioBitcoin, https://www.linkedin.com/company/presidio-bitcoin
LINKS:
Spiral Grant Guidelines: https://spiral.xyz/blog/square-crypto-grants-for-everybody/
Easy Bitcoin Address: https://easybitcoinaddress.me/
Bitcoin Design Week at Presidio Bitcoin: https://event.bitcoin.design/
Bitcoin Design Community: https://bitcoin.design/
Bitcoin Plushie: https://www.uncute.com/collections/everything-else/products/here-comes-bitcoin
WATCH THE SHOW:
https://www.youtube.com/@PresidioBitcoin