The Bitcoin Way Podcast Anthropic vs. Hegseth: AI & Surveillance Warfare | Bitcoin Banter
Feb 28, 2026
Adam Simecka, veteran and Bitcoin/crypto commentator, joins to unpack AI, surveillance, and self-custody. They debate Anthropic and Pentagon ties and the risks of backchannel surveillance. Conversation covers institutional Bitcoin adoption vs true self-custody, ID leaks and privacy, AI-driven job cuts, and concerns about closed-source hardware wallets.
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Anthropic Pushing Back Looks Like Theater
- Anthropic publicly resisted Pentagon requests to use Claude for mass domestic surveillance and lethal autonomous missions.
- Adam Simecka thinks this is political theater because government access to big tech data is effectively inevitable given precedent and incentives.
Banks Will Make Bitcoin Bankable But Permissioned
- Citi announced infrastructure to make Bitcoin 'bankable' and integrate it into traditional finance.
- Hosts note this preserves scarcity but often reintroduces permissioned custody, turning Bitcoin into 'paper' Bitcoin for many users.
El Salvador Scales Bitcoin Education Nationwide
- El Salvador is overhauling a national Bitcoin education program to teach Bitcoin in public schools.
- Greer praises the move and frames Bukele's high approval and infrastructure projects as evidence the policy is improving daily life.