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PODCAST

POD256 | Bitcoin Mining, Freedom Tech, and Awesome Tangents

A Bitcoin podcast focused on open-source Bitcoin mining, energy, and freedom tech. Recorded weekly at Bitcoin Park in Nashville, TN. Co-hosted by: @econoalchemist, @skot9000, and @tylerkstevens

technology

All Episodes

01:19:57

103. Closed-Source is Retarded: Building Bitcoin...

POD256 | Bitcoin Mining, Freedom Tech, and Awesome... ·

2026/02/04

In this episode, eco & Tyler Stevens, CEO and founder of Exergy Heat, to dig into why open-source hardware and firmware are critical for the future of Bitcoin mining, especially for heat reuse in homes and businesses. We had a surprise visit from Skot and Joe Nakamoto dialing in from El Salvador, providing us with updates from the Plan B conference. We talk candidly about the constraints of closed, proprietary miners, shifting hardware trends (hydro-only, three‑phase, fewer 240V options), and

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01:10:25

102. Why Open Firmware Wins: A Post-NEMS Debrief with...

POD256 | Bitcoin Mining, Freedom Tech, and Awesome... ·

2026/01/30

In episode 102, we are joined by Ryan, lead developer of the Mujina firmware, for a debrief on Telehash #3 live demo and the momentum around the 256 Foundation’s fully open Bitcoin mining stack. We walk through the sous vide miner demo that cooked ribeyes while mining on three Ember One hashboards with custom water blocks, controlled by our Libre board prototype running Mujina and pointed at Hydra Pool; an eight-hour, live-streamed showcase of the entire open stack working together. We reflect on

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01:27:53

101. HydraPool, HashDash, and the Telehash Playbook:...

POD256 | Bitcoin Mining, Freedom Tech, and Awesome... ·

2026/01/14

In this episode, the 256 Foundation crew and developer d++ go deep on HydraPool, our open‑source Bitcoin mining pool stack, and the new HashDash and upcoming TeleDash dashboards powering the Telehash fundraiser stream. We unpack how HydraPool fits into the broader plan to open‑source the entire mining stack (hashboard, control board, firmware, and pool), its Rust-based design inspired by CKPool and P2Pool v2, and flexible payout models (solo, PPLNS, and multi-address coinbase). We also talk user

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01:36:57

100. Dismantling the Black Box: Hydra Pool, Libre...

POD256 | Bitcoin Mining, Freedom Tech, and Awesome... ·

2025/12/31

In our 100th episode, we celebrate three years of POD256 and almost two years of building the open-source Bitcoin mining stack. We share behind‑the‑scenes stories from our first Telehash block find and chart what’s coming for 2026. We walk through how the 256 Foundation allocated over $400k in grants across Ember One (open hashboard design), Libre Board (open control board), Mujina (open miner firmware), and Hydra Pool (self‑hosted pool), and how these projects are already flipping the closed “black

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02:24:47

Code Is Not Crime: Samourai Petition, Pool Scams, and...

POD256 | Bitcoin Mining, Freedom Tech, and Awesome... ·

2025/12/17

In today’s POD256, we opened with a timely update on the Change.org petition to pardon Samourai Wallet developers Bill and Keonne. We dug into confusing verification flows, the low conversion rate from views to valid signatures, why pseudonyms and disposable emails are allowed, and why donations on Change.org don’t reach the families; direct support should go to GiveSendGo. We also covered the growing media push, the reported acknowledgment from President Trump, and counter-narratives forming in the

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01:58:56

098. From Mauritius to Modular Miners: Open-Source...

POD256 | Bitcoin Mining, Freedom Tech, and Awesome... ·

2025/12/13

In this episode, eco & Tyler welcome back Skot who was at the African Bitcoin Conference, this year hosted in Mauritius, where he spoke on open-source Bitcoin mining. We swap travel tales (including Scott’s chaotic Paris layover) and impressions of Mauritius, the conference venue, and side events focused on Bitcoin education. We dig into mining headlines: Bitdeer’s missed ASIC roadmap and investor lawsuit, Bitmain’s history (Antbleed) and why open-source mining matters, and MicroBT’s M70-series

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01:38:06

097. From Lab to Hash: Ember One, Libre Board, and an...

POD256 | Bitcoin Mining, Freedom Tech, and Awesome... ·

2025/12/03

In this episode of POD256, Tyler and eco catch up on winter in Colorado, project trucks, and then dive deep into the latest in Bitcoin mining and freedom tech. We recap last week’s conversation with Keonne Rodriguez of Samourai Wallet, the urgent push for signatures on the pardon petition, and practical ways to support; while clarifying privacy-friendly ways to sign. We also discuss GrapheneOS stepping back from France amid regulatory pressure, the broader trend of governments targeting toolmakers,

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02:08:38

096. From Open Source to Federal Sentence: The...

POD256 | Bitcoin Mining, Freedom Tech, and Awesome... ·

2025/11/27

In this urgent and heartfelt conversation, we sit down with Keonne Rodriguez, cofounder of Samourai Wallet, to unpack his prosecution and five-year federal sentence for building noncustodial Bitcoin privacy software. From the government’s shifting theory of “unlicensed money transmission” to conspiracy charges built on out-of-context tweets and slides, Keonne details how a noncustodial wallet was framed as a financial institution, even after FinCEN itself reportedly said it was not. We dig into

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01:32:25

095. Open-Source or Bust: Mujina, Miner Firmware...

POD256 | Bitcoin Mining, Freedom Tech, and Awesome... ·

2025/11/19

In this episode, we go deep on the shifting landscape of Bitcoin mining hardware, open-source firmware, and why trustless stacks matter for miners big and small. Fresh off the local Bitcoin++ in Durham, we recap the vibe: a developer-heavy crowd, real collaboration between devs and miners, and our announcement of the Mujina developer preview—an open-source mining firmware now publicly accessible for hands-on testing. We discuss practical demo plans for the HeatPunk Summit, creative power ideas (from

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01:17:54

094. PPLNS, Pick-and-Place, and Pardon: A Deep Dive...

POD256 | Bitcoin Mining, Freedom Tech, and Awesome... ·

2025/11/12

In episode 94 of POD256, we cover a full slate of Bitcoin mining and freedom tech updates from Nashville to Denver. We recap the Bitcoin Veterans telehash fundraiser that briefly peaked near 98.5 PH, discuss PPLNS dynamics at Ocean and Slush/Brains, and explore Square’s new Lightning payments rollout. We share a field report from installing an immersion-based hashrate heating system on subsidized power in Buena Vista, the pros/cons of immersion (including an oil-leak mishap), and how recapturing

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02:00:22

093. Decentralize or Die: Open Miners, Pool Payouts,...

POD256 | Bitcoin Mining, Freedom Tech, and Awesome... ·

2025/11/05

In this episode, we dive into Canaan’s surprising GitHub drop and what it could mean for open-source mining, license tangles and all. We unpack the inclusion of CGMiner, the BSD-3 vs GPLv3 conflict, and Canaan’s RISC-V K230 SDK. We also explore the Nano 3/Nano 3S design, home-mining momentum, and the practical realities of certification (FCC/UL/CE/RoHS) for miners and heater-integrations. From local vs remote control to insurance implications, we discuss the gauntlet that open hardware must run and

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02:15:16

092. Hashrate at Home: Zigbee Thermostats, Bitaxe...

POD256 | Bitcoin Mining, Freedom Tech, and Awesome... ·

2025/10/29

In this episode, we range from ice-cold mornings and sunny Colorado skies to a deep dive on home mining, heat reuse, open hardware, and sovereign home automation. We recap getting featured in Forbes on Heat Punk projects and how mainstream coverage is finally grokking mining-as-heat, Canon’s heating-first designs, and Bitmain’s market dominance risks. We share real-world progress: integrating Canaan home miners with Home Assistant via APIs and Node-RED, using Zigbee sensors for room-aware

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01:41:51

091. Hash, Heat, and Hardware: LibreBoard, Mujina,...

POD256 | Bitcoin Mining, Freedom Tech, and Awesome... ·

2025/10/22

In this episode, we go deep on two fronts: protecting open-source projects from trademark hijacking and advancing real-world hash rate heating. We share the ongoing battle to oppose fraudulent USPTO filings on the BitAxe mark, why “TM” vs. registered matters, and how we’re navigating opposition, Madrid Protocol options, and the broader goal of keeping open hardware open without enabling scammers. We then switch to practical engineering: Tyler walks us through immersion mining powering radiant floor

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01:22:16

090. Make Every Meetup a Pool: Stratum v2, Hole...

POD256 | Bitcoin Mining, Freedom Tech, and Awesome... ·

2025/10/15

In this episode of POD256, we go deep on open-source Bitcoin mining with live updates from TabConf. We kick off with some tax-day banter and quickly shift into the real meat: the imminent release of Mujina; an open-source, Rust-based, modular mining firmware designed for flexibility (think hot-swappable hashboards, per-chip capability-aware work assignment, and embedded Linux distro ambitions). We discuss the Ember One hashboard iterations, pragmatic scope control, and why a community-driven,

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01:09:02

089. Copyleft and Cold Rooms: Open Hardware, Passive...

POD256 | Bitcoin Mining, Freedom Tech, and Awesome... ·

2025/10/05

In this episode, I host a deep dive on open-source Bitcoin mining hardware and network policy. We kick off with updates on the Ember One v5 hashboard design: a modern, smarter voltage regulator with digital telemetry and over-temp safeguards, header breakouts for optional fan-control daughterboards, and the tradeoff of dropping 24V input in favor of better performance up to 17V. We talk real-world cooling scenarios from hardwired desk fans to immersion, water blocks, and the dream of a fully

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00:55:04

088. Freedom Tech in Action: Open Miners, Sovereign...

POD256 | Bitcoin Mining, Freedom Tech, and Awesome... ·

2025/09/24

In this episode, the crew reunites post-ImagineIF to debrief an energizing week across Bitcoin, AI, energy, and Freedom Tech. Rod thanks the team and presenters for delivering high-signal talks within tight constraints, and we reflect on why keeping events intimate translates into more action at the community level. We hit the State of the Network, discuss mining economics, and whether large public miners may pivot toward HPC/AI. Then we spotlight hands-on innovation: sovereign smart homes with

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01:29:09

087. Heat, Hash, and Hardware Freedom: Live at...

POD256 | Bitcoin Mining, Freedom Tech, and Awesome... ·

2025/09/17

Live from Bitcoin Park in Nashville during the Bitcoin Custody & Treasury Summit week, we sat down with Skot, Ryan, and Tyler for a deeply technical, candid, and fun conversation about open-source Bitcoin mining. We covered the buzz around the Park, the upcoming ImagineIF conference, and why decentralizing mining hardware, firmware, and pools matters for freedom tech and real-world heat-reuse applications. From hot-tub hash heaters and floor warming to tobacco curing with miner heat, we dug into

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01:49:34

086. Open Source vs. Closed Source: The Future of...

POD256 | Bitcoin Mining, Freedom Tech, and Awesome... ·

2025/09/10

In this episode of POD256, we dive into the intricacies of Bitcoin mining, focusing on the controversial topic of developer fees in third-party miner firmware. We explore the pros and cons of these fees, discussing how they serve as a monetization strategy for developers who enhance firmware with features like auto-tuning and better efficiency. The conversation also touches on the potential for open-source alternatives, such as Mujina, which offer users more control over their mining operations

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00:33:29

085. Proto Launch Party Live: Night 2

POD256 | Bitcoin Mining, Freedom Tech, and Awesome... ·

2025/09/08

In this episode, we broadcast live on August 14, 2025 from Dalton, Georgia at the second evening of the Proto Mining Rig launch event, where we dive into an exciting event focused on Bitcoin mining innovations. Our hosts, joined by guests like Marty Bent & Brad Cuddy, discuss the advancements in Bitcoin mining technology, particularly the new hardware and software solutions presented by Proto. The conversation highlights the importance of modularity in mining equipment, the significance of

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00:42:44

084. Proto Launch Party Live: Night 1

POD256 | Bitcoin Mining, Freedom Tech, and Awesome... ·

2025/09/08

In this lively episode recorded live on August 13, 2025 during the first night of the Proto Mining Rig launch event, we gather at an undisclosed location with a group of passionate Bitcoin enthusiasts, including Steven Wilson of Wilson Mining and Tyler Stevens. The conversation kicks off with the excitement of meeting online friends in person and the challenges of supporting the Bitcoin mining community. We delve into the intricacies of Bitcoin mining, discussing the importance of hands-on skills

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102 results

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