Part 6/15:
A central theme of the conversation was the potential cultural and political impact of peer-to-peer transactions and self-custody of Bitcoin. Unlike traditional financial systems, where intermediaries hold your assets—often limiting control—Bitcoin enables individuals to transact directly with one another, embodying the principle that society is built upon the agency of individuals.
Self-custody, while currently technically complex and requiring education, is emphasized as critical for personal freedom. The speakers highlighted that reducing the costs and technical barriers to self-custody is a macro objective for the Bitcoin community. If achieved, it could profoundly alter societal norms, making control over one’s wealth and privacy a default rather than an exception.