Gavin Green

The latest monthly roundup episode: We go deep on what “sovereign computing” looks like when you try it for real, from spinning up a Fedimint federation to self-hosting services that keep working even when platforms or politics turn against you. We then connect local AI, persistent knowledge bases, and geopolitics to one question: do we own our tools or do we rent our future? @OKIN_17 @vryfokkenou @Ricki_Allardice open.spotify.com/episode/49JL6X…

My fiance exclaimed unprompted this morning: “Where did you get this coffee? It’s amazing.” -> from @BitcoinFrndlySA and paid with Bitcoin! btcpay386617.lndyn.com/apps/CEUEc7uSP…

Excited to be going back to @BTCPrague!!

Just found an account that needs blocking

When the lights go out and the basics stop working, most people either rage at politics or retreat into cynicism. We chose a third option: talk honestly about what freedom requires when the state centralises power, fails at delivery, and still asks for more control. David Ansara from the Free Market Foundation joins us for a wide-ranging, South Africa grounded conversation on classical liberalism, individual rights, and why the rule of law is supposed to restrain whoever holds office. open.spotify.com/episode/5ffQOR…

Fiat money and everything that goes along with it is not only a frustration but a failure. I can't wait to close my bank accounts permanently.

This is a humble request for banking executives (the C-Suite types), to try and use their own services as a normal client would have to use them. Just give your support number a call and see what you have to deal with. I have just completed a security check, after two days of trying to reach the right department, only to be told I have failed the security questions. I have never heard of most the accounts, companies, credit cards, etc they asked me about, but I failed the test. I guess some database was bought, probably on the cheap, with BS data and that is viewed as more reliable than me on phone, logged into both my online banking site, and mobile phone app, while on the phone with the banking consultant, answering their questions. This is not a dig at any one bank. I have accounts with all the colours - take your pick. Please don't tell me it's for my own protection. It's for YOUR protection. If your security systems worked, then the much-touted increase in fraudulent transactions and activity would not be possible, and you would not have to keep tightening the screws. Have a wonderful Friday.

Do you agree with this? -First you fear Linux -then you love Linux -then you can’t leave Linux.

Stores that accept Bitcoin in South Africa (2026 Guide) - BitcoinFriendlySA bitcoinfriendlysa.co.za/academy/31-top…

People Want To Use A Lightning Wallet And A Lightning Wallet Only: "The coolest characteristic of MoneyBadger and @blinkbtc's Lightning integration is that it’s open-source and permissionless innovation. Other wallets can simply integrate the solution, become interoperable, and increase their customer base in South Africa in one sweep. They don’t even have to talk to MoneyBadger or Blink." - You can talk to us though, we're always happy to help push Bitcoin adoption in South Africa! #opensource #bitcoinismoney blink.sv/blog/lightning…

AI agents are starting to feel less like chatbots and more like little workers you have to raise. We talk about OpenClaw, Start9, and what it actually takes to run self-hosted AI on real-world hardware, from a Raspberry Pi to an old laptop that should have been retired years ago. The “grown-up Tamagotchi” idea sticks because these agents only become useful when you feed them context, tools, and boundaries and when you keep them away from anything that can wreck your life, like Bitcoin keys. From there we push into the fun part: what happens when AI agents can pay. With Lightning Network primitives like L402, you can paywall API calls, charge per read for data, and let software procure services in real time with instant settlement. We connect that to a practical builder story: an agent that turns voice prompts into clean dev tickets, then gets packaged behind WhatsApp with Lightning payments so small teams can ship faster without hiring extra layers. We also go straight at the uncomfortable topics: AI-driven layoffs, the split between people who use these tools well and people who never start, and the risk of outsourcing your thinking to centralised models. Then we zoom out to money and power: CBDCs pushed through “free” perks, stablecoin freezes as a warning, and why Bitcoin still matters as censorship-resistant, spendable money especially as war and energy shocks reshape incentives around the world. If you get value from this kind of grounded Bitcoin and AI talk, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review. What’s one thing you want an AI agent to handle for you without giving up your sovereignty? @OKIN_17 @vryfokkenou @OrangeSaaS open.spotify.com/episode/3h3Dd7…

It's moments like this that keep us going. If you've ever felt it, you know: nothing else compares. @the_surfer_kids' Phumlisa "Ama" Madiavula - Western Cape U8 Champion!!!

LinkedIn - what on earth is this?

Imagine telling a stranger your most personal message so they can walk it across the room to your partner—then watching them copy it into a company database. That’s how most digital communication works today. We unpack why privacy is not secrecy, why “I have nothing to hide” is a trap, and how to build a tech life that works in your interest rather than mining it. open.spotify.com/episode/0OKZlp…

Thanks for the offer but I've already had my business banker try and I've had two responses, both sticking to the R450 offer. Apparently your Legal Dept gets to decide. Not sure what they have to do with customer relations. Anyway, won't be wasting any more time. It's off to the Ombadsman

@gavingre We’re really sorry to hear about the trouble you’re experiencing, that’s definitely not the kind of experience we want you to have. Please DM me your ID number and contact details, I'll get right on it. RB twitter.com/messages/compo…

@FNBSA Recently FNB's online banking system failed when I tried to do SARS payments at the end of the month - the transaction could not be completed. I had to transfer money out of my bond account to make the payments on time. My monthly bond debit order went off, with an increase of R9000, due to the higher mortgage amount. #FNB has agreed to refund me R450, after months of fighting with them. Furthermore, the bank transaction on their platform actually went through (even through their system crashed and said the payment did not go through - I was not able to verify this either due to the system crash), so I had now double paid my SARS payments. My business has banked with FNB for 20 years. Their system has failed me for the last time.

You can resist! - cashu.space (ecash payments protocol) - bitchat.free (offline bluetooth mesh chat) - clawi.ai (personal OpenClaw ai assistant) - nostr.org (decentralized social media) - bitcoin.org (resistance money) - signal.org (privacy preserving messaging) - tor.org (protect internet freedom) - mullvad.com (best VPN)

@a_lil_bow Go check out NOSTR. No kyc, no censoring. It's still small, so you can make a big impact before it gets massive.

If digital ID becomes a things I think I may completely disappear from social media

@Machankura8333 @abcptza @BitcoinEkasi @AdoptingBTC Well done guys. I only got to ABCT2026 but you left a big impression.

After 3 wonderful years co-organizing @abcptza with @BitcoinEkasi, @AdoptingBTC, and the team of die hards, we as the Machankura team believe it's time for us to focus on other things. 1/3

@NadiaFerreira85 I'm not sure why anybody listens to these people. Yet they keep straight faces and proudly go on to declare the next planned wave of good works. It's actually embarrassing

So, nothing changes...