In this Chat, I speak with Matt from PPQ.ai about the broken world of AI subscriptions, the power of micropayments, and why Lightning-enabled pay-per-use may be the future of AI tooling. What is subscription hell really costing us, in money, attention, and creative freedom? Can tiny sats and better UX replace the wall of monthly fees and unlock new ways for creators to earn?

Along the way, we explore the pain of credit‑card‑based subscription methods, the explosion of AI models, and how PPQ.ai brings them all into one place with simple Lightning payments.

It’s a packed conversation covering Bitcoin, Lightning, AI, UX friction, and the future of creator monetization.

Check out our awesome sponsors!

• Ledn: Need fiat but don’t want to sell your Bitcoin? Ledn offers secure, Bitcoin-backed loans with no credit checks, flexible repayment, and fast turnaround—often within 24 hours. With $10B+ in loans across 100+ countries and transparent Proof of Reserves, Ledn is a trusted option for unlocking liquidity without giving up your Bitcoin. (Link: https://learn.ledn.io/audible)
• HRF: The Human Rights Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. Subscribe to HRF's Financial Freedom Newsletter today. (Link: https://mailchi.mp/hrf.org/financial-freedom-newsletter)
• OFF: The Oslo Freedom Forum is a global human rights event by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), uniting voices from activism, journalism, tech, and beyond. Through powerful stories and collaboration, OFF advances freedom and human potential worldwide. Join us next June. (Link: https://oslofreedomforum.com/)
• Pubky: Pubky is building the next web, a decentralized system designed to put control back in your hands. Escape censorship, algorithmic manipulation, and walled gardens by owning your identity and data. Explore the Pubky web and become the algorithm today. Don't forget to find me on my Pubky ID here: pk:5d7thwzkxx5mz6gk1f19wfyykr6nrwzaxri3io7ahejg1z74qngo. (Link: https://pubky.org)
• Chroma: Chroma is dedicated to advancing human performance and well-being through cutting-edge light therapy devices and performance eyewear. Their mission is to enhance physical and mental health, unlocking peak human health, cognitive function, and physical performance. Get 10% off your order with the code BITCOINAUDIBLE. (Link: https://getchroma.co/?ref=BitcoinAudible)

Guest Links

• Matt on X (Link: https://twitter.com/mattahlborg)
• PPQ.ai on X (Link: https://twitter.com/PPQdotAI)
• PPQ.ai Website (Link: https://ppq.ai/)

Host Links

• ⁠Guy on Nostr ⁠(Link: http://tinyurl.com/2xc96ney)
• ⁠Guy on X ⁠(Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann)
• Guy on Instagram (Link: https://www.instagram.com/theguyswann)
• Guy on TikTok (Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguyswann)
• Guy on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@theguyswann)
• ⁠Bitcoin Audible on X⁠ (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible)
• The Guy Swann Network...

“If you think they'll have restraint, I think you're making a grave error.”

Can your wallet, your node, or even your hardware become “unlicensed financial activity” overnight? I walk through HRF’s latest Financial Freedom report on new laws in places like the UAE and Belarus, then riff on how these tactics bleed into Western “financial stability” narratives, KYC social media, and digital ID. Along the way we explore the tools—from DIY hardware to Lightning and e‑cash—that might be the thin line between being banked, blocked, or truly sovereign.

Topics Mentioned

• The Human Rights Foundation’s Financial Freedom Report #99, “Criminal Self Custody” – the piece I read in this episode and build the whole rant around.
• HRF’s Financial Freedom Report #100 – the follow‑up issue I mention that continues tracking these global crackdowns.
• Alex Gladstein’s essay “Why Bitcoin Is Freedom Money” – an earlier read I’ve done that pairs perfectly with this topic.
• HRF’s Bitcoin for Nonprofits webinar (3‑day training) – the event I reference for activists and NGOs learning to use Bitcoin under repression.
• BTC Sessions’ 15‑minute Sparrow Wallet crash course – the quick-start guide I talk about for solid, practical self‑custody.
• The Bitcoin Plus Plus – Standing Sovereign edition in Taipei – the developer conference I mention that’s focused on peer‑to‑peer, self‑custody, and sovereignty tools.
• The Nut November – Cashew e‑cash hackathon – the month‑long builder event on privacy‑preserving e‑cash I call out.
• The Cashew e‑cash protocol itself – the system I reference as a way to get stronger payment privacy than typical on‑chain or Lightning.
• My upcoming read of Alan Farrington’s follow‑up to “Only the Strong Survive” about Arcade – the piece I say I want to tackle to understand this new execution layer.
• My chat with Matt Alborg from PPQ – the conversation I mention where we get into AI tools I’m using around the show.

Check out the original report Weekly Financial Freedom Report #99 by HRF. (Link: https://hrf.org/latest/hrfs-weekly-financial-freedom-report-99/)

Check out our awesome sponsors!

• Ledn: Need fiat but don’t want to sell your Bitcoin? Ledn offers secure, Bitcoin-backed loans with no credit checks, flexible repayment, and fast turnaround—often within 24 hours. With $10B+ in loans across 100+ countries and transparent Proof of Reserves, Ledn is a trusted option for unlocking liquidity without giving up your Bitcoin. (Link: https://learn.ledn.io/audible)
• HRF: The Human Rights Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. Subscribe to HRF's Financial Freedom Newsletter today. (Link: https://mailchi.mp/hrf.org/financial-freedom-newsletter)
• OFF: The Oslo Freedom Forum is a global human rights event by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), uniting voices from activism, journalism, tech, and beyond. Through powerful stories and collaboration, OFF advances freedom and human potential worldwide. Join u...

"What role do intermediaries—such as merchants, distributors, and traders—play in the market? Far from being mere profiteers, these intermediaries play an essential role in the division of labor. Without them, society as a whole could not function." ~ Ulrich Fromy

I dig into Bastiat’s forgotten defense of “middlemen” and ask: are banks, platforms, and merchants really the villains, or is the problem that we let them own the networks they run on? Using Bitcoin, Lightning, and Nostr as examples, I explore whether we can keep the convenience of intermediaries while stripping them of control—and what it would actually take to build that world.

Check out the original article The Unseen Role of Intermediaries by Ulrich Fromy. (Link: https://mises.org/mises-wire/frederic-bastiat-unseen-role-intermediaries)

Check out our awesome sponsors!

• Ledn: Need fiat but don’t want to sell your Bitcoin? Ledn offers secure, Bitcoin-backed loans with no credit checks, flexible repayment, and fast turnaround—often within 24 hours. With $10B+ in loans across 100+ countries and transparent Proof of Reserves, Ledn is a trusted option for unlocking liquidity without giving up your Bitcoin. (Link: https://learn.ledn.io/audible)
• HRF: The Human Rights Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. Subscribe to HRF's Financial Freedom Newsletter today. (Link: https://mailchi.mp/hrf.org/financial-freedom-newsletter)
• OFF: The Oslo Freedom Forum is a global human rights event by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), uniting voices from activism, journalism, tech, and beyond. Through powerful stories and collaboration, OFF advances freedom and human potential worldwide. Join us next June. (Link: https://oslofreedomforum.com/)
• Pubky: Pubky is building the next web, a decentralized system designed to put control back in your hands. Escape censorship, algorithmic manipulation, and walled gardens by owning your identity and data. Explore the Pubky web and become the algorithm today. Don't forget to find me on my Pubky ID here: pk:5d7thwzkxx5mz6gk1f19wfyykr6nrwzaxri3io7ahejg1z74qngo. (Link: https://pubky.org)
• Chroma: Chroma is dedicated to advancing human performance and well-being through cutting-edge light therapy devices and performance eyewear. Their mission is to enhance physical and mental health, unlocking peak human health, cognitive function, and physical performance. Get 10% off your order with the code BITCOINAUDIBLE. (Link: https://getchroma.co/?ref=BitcoinAudible)

Host Links

• ⁠Guy on Nostr ⁠(Link: http://tinyurl.com/2xc96ney)
• ⁠Guy on X ⁠(Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann)