TL;DR: He was there. Ian Freeman, host of Free Talk Live, was present at some of the first mentions of Bitcoin as a concept. Better put, his show was one of the first, if not the first, to introduce a mass audience to cryptocurrency as early as December of 2010. And that’s just a small part of the story. This episode is available embedded in the article below, and on YouTube, iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Radio Public, Breaker, PocketCasts, PodBean, and Overcast.

Ian Freeman of Free Talk Live

Not going to lie. He’s a heroic figure for me. Businessman, activist, entertainer, Freeman seems to never stop moving. For nearly two decades, he’s hosted Free Talk Live, which is now perched from Keene, New Hampshire. There, Freeman and co-hosts examine just about every issue imaginable, refusing to shy away from controversy.

You might think I am being glib or hyperbolic. Oh, no, I’m completely serious. They are simply unafraid, and that has made Free Talk Live an invaluable resource for first movers, for innovators, for those looking to challenge themselves.

Perhaps the show’s greatest claim to fame is turning folks on early to Bitcoin. Freeman is quick to say he didn’t see the vision, and that co-host Mark Edge was more enthused about the idea, crediting Roger Ver with eventually really pushing Bitcoin as something of value and worthy of trade. Ver insisted Free Talk Live take sponsorship in bitcoin, and that in itself is a great story (Ver credits Ian and Free Talk Live with introducing him to Bitcoin).

And Ver serves as a present-day inspiration for Freeman as well. Ian’s work includes cryptocurrency outreach, setting up wallets, giving people their first taste of crypto. Freeman does this work both for-profit and part of his church ministry, which is another cool vignette into his life. From there, we talk about the peace-loving, freedom-loving ethos and contrast it with a very controversial part of the show’s recent history involving a fired co-host. A fun, inspiring episode.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 That voice

02:30 From Florida rebel to New Hampshire Free State Project activist

04:30 Cryptocurrency concentration in Keene and Portsmouth

06:20 Discovering Bitcoin

08:00 Meeting Gavin Andresen

11:30 How Bitcoin gets its value

13:30 New Hampshire Bitcoin Embassy

16:25 Cryptocurrency spending creates interest

19:25 Shire Free Church

22:30 Free Talk Live every day

24:30 Dealing with the Cantwell fallout

31:00 Crypto Mecca

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