Freedom Tech is decentralized resistance. 💪

I met Uyghur activist Rushan Abbas at the halls of the Oslo Freedom Forum last year. Humbled by her story — and her deep understanding of how dictators use financial repression — I wanted to help share it. READ: How China Uses Financial Repression to Erase the Uyghur People.

Human Rights Foundation

How China Uses Financial Repression to Erase the Uyghur People

On April 19, 2016, pastor Evan Mawarire sat in his church office feeling hopeless and overwhelmed with a sense of failure. He couldn’t afford his daughters’ kindergarten fees (one of many consequences of Zimbabwe’s economic collapse under dictator Robert Mugabe). So, he did something simple yet extraordinary. He placed his phone on a Bible and recorded a 4:11-minute video about what it felt like to live under Mugabe's rule. By morning, the video had gone viral. His first reaction? “Oh no. Oh noooo.” He knew the danger of speaking out in Zimbabwe -- you either go to prison or run for the border... or worse. In spite of the fear, Evan would go on to lead a peaceful uprising against the regime—risking everything to demand a better future. He was determined for his daughters not to experience the failure of their dad within the failure of a country. As you can imagine, interviewing him last week was the honour of a lifetime. In our conversation, we talked about how Evan became an unlikely activist, financial repression as a weapon wielded by dictators, and why freedom technologies—like Bitcoin—are vital for those who live under authoritarianism. His battlecry to freedom tech builders? “Keep building for the least among us.” If you watch one thing today, please let it be this (skip to min. 2): https://www.youtube.com/live/PhDuPy05dbY?si=WIBykxUhZNdb2SUg

Whether through surveillance or asset seizure and confiscation, financial repression paralyzes people and makes resistance against dictatorships so much harder. It’s no surprise authoritarian regimes are increasingly turning to it.

Week 4 of no coffee and no alcohol. Feeling like I tapped into a well of energy ⚡️

People in the UK are so friendly and helpful 💙

Compulsive visitor of bookshops… then compulsive buyer of books. This one seems like a gem 🏛️ #book

I've been learning so much with the Financial Freedom Report. The sheer volume of stories on global financial repression is staggering. And yet, Bitcoin news (ie. everything you are all building) consistently brings hope & optimism to me. Thank you for bringing the balance 🙏 View quoted note →

“Self-growth is tender, it’s holy ground.”

Behind the scenes at Daytona 🏎️

Averaging 15 minutes a week on social media for a couple of months now. The increased sense of calm and time gain feels like a luxury and power move. I can’t believe how much life force I’ve been giving away.

“Most things will be okay eventually, but not everything will be. Sometimes you'll put up a good fight and lose. Sometimes you'll hold on really hard and realize there is no choice but to let go. Acceptance is a small, quiet room.” — Cheryl Strayed

Happy new year friends ✨🍾

I’m curious about the rhythms of your reading life. What went well or poorly for your reading life in 2024? What do you hope changes or stays the same in 2025?

Chatsworth house ✨

There is a space called the in-between…. Where you don’t quite fit into your old life but you have not yet arrived at your next destination. While it can be frustrating, it’s also the place of transformation.

“If I ask you, “What do you want out of life?” and you say something like, “I want to be happy and have a great family and a job I like,” it’s so ubiquitous it doesn’t even mean anything. A more interesting question—a question that perhaps you’ve never considered before—is what pain do you want in your life? What are you willing to struggle for? Because that seems to be a greater determinant of how our lives turn out.” What a fantastic article as we wrap up 2024! https://markmanson.net/question

Nothing like hiking in the rain and fog yesterday 😅

“Farmers are patient men tried by brutal seasons, and if they weren’t plagued by dreams of generation, few would keep plowing, spring after spring.” — The Overstory

If you’re looking for new type of music, check out this album. The instrumentals are just… so calming and moving. 🎶

Spotify

Pachamama - Album by Rumillajta | Spotify

Rumillajta · album · 1991 · 12 songs