Bitcoin Magazine Podcast Wargaming the Oil Crisis, Bitcoin's Role in US-China Competition, & AI Agent Payments | BPH Ep 31
Mar 25, 2026
Zack Shapiro, policy expert at the Bitcoin Policy Institute who studies Lightning and crypto-AI, and Ken Egan, BPI senior fellow focused on Bitcoin geopolitics and national security, discuss Iran-driven oil market shocks and the risk of a geopolitical reset. They explore Bitcoin's strategic role in U.S.-China competition and why the Lightning Network is becoming the payment standard for AI agents.
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Energy Crisis Could Force A Geopolitical Reset
- Prolonged Iran conflict Could Trigger An Oil-Fueled Global Reset.
- Ken Egan and referenced analyst Doomberg warn oil at ~$200/barrel or chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz force economic and geopolitical realignments.
Curate Multiple Sources For Conflict News
- Read Widely And Curate Multiple Sources For Iran Coverage.
- Ken Egan recommends mixing regional outlets like Al Jazeera and Gulf papers plus specialist energy writers (e.g., Doomberg) to piece together reliable context.
Lightning As The Payments Layer For AI Agents
- Lightning Network Is Poised To Be The Native Payment Rail For AI Agents.
- Zack Shapiro highlights demos at Lightning Labs showing agent-focused tooling (ARK, routing) that removes UI friction because agents, not humans, interact with the network.
