Isabella Santos is a Bitcoin journalist, producer, entrepreneur, and advocate. She co-founded the Bitcoin media company, Get Based, and founded BTC Isla.

In this episode, Isabella shares her journey—from studying journalism to filming Bitcoin documentaries and eventually moving to Mexico to introduce Bitcoin to an island!

We dive into the challenges of educating communities about Bitcoin, the power of open-source learning, and why most people don’t realize the financial system is broken.

(00:00) Aragorn is peak masculinity

(01:00) Introduction

(02:45) How did you get here? Isabella’s journey

(05:25) Meeting Bitcoin Magazine

(06:35) Filmmaking, Bitcoin, and launching a production agency

(07:22) Everything is connected: How your past shapes your future

(09:00) The challenges of being bilingual

(09:48) Bear markets are for building

(10:35) Why did Bitcoin get your attention? 🍊💊

(14:37) When society fought back: A history lesson

(15:50) The educational system is broken

(17:20) Work history, college, and stumbling across Bitcoin

(19:20) What is BTC Isla? Using Bitcoin as a tool for freedom

(22:02) How Bitcoin is helping women in Peru

(25:56) Bitcoin has no barriers

(26:40) Why fiat money loses value over time (Bitcoin fixes this!)

(28:21) Most people don’t realize the system has broken

(29:43) We’re heading into a pickle!

(30:15) BTC Isla: How do you start a Bitcoin school?

(31:36) The island economy and daily life

(33:30) 18+ bad words

(33:50) Back to PG rating (island tourism life)

(36:00) Teaching financial education: No saving culture

(38:46) How do you teach Bitcoin to beginners?

(41:47) Bitcoin orange-pilling: Expectation vs. Reality

(42:20) Back to Bitcoin basics

(43:34) Building a Bitcoin circular economy

(45:36) What is Bitcoin going to do for islanders?

(47:42) Not everybody understands sound money yet

(49:05) Fixing Bitcoin messaging (Bitcoin is for EVERYBODY!)

(49:50) Be humble, bro. Ditch the ego and learn

(52:53) Satoshi left us a gift that’s going to change everything

(53:55) The hidden cost of owning nothing

(54:53) How money is created today (Sean asks for a fact-check)

(56:16) Life is getting more expensive

(59:20) Most people don’t have savings

(1:00:21) Explaining your job in Bitcoin to normies

(1:00:27) Bitcoin frens are the best of frens

(1:02:45) Connecting with non-crypto people

(1:04:27) Biggest takeaway from BTC Isla so far?

(1:06:25) Bitcoiners want to help!

(1:07:35) Open-source Bitcoin curriculum

(1:08:54) Current goals and the next three steps

(1:09:47) Paying people Bitcoin to learn about Bitcoin (time is precious)

(1:11:06) 18+ message to scammers out there

(1:11:55) Final remarks and the infamous awkward handshake

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