S01E05 Yaël Ossowski

05/14/25 • 55 min

In this episode of Trust Revolution, Shawn welcomes Yaël Ossowski, a consumer advocate and Bitcoin policy expert, for a candid discussion on the shifting balance of power between individuals and institutions.
Yaël shares his global perspective, shaped by living under multiple governments, from Canada to the U.S. to Austria. As Deputy Director of the Consumer Choice Center and a Fellow at the Bitcoin Policy Institute, he unpacks how overreach during the pandemic exposed institutional distrust, why agencies like the CFPB often hinder innovation, and how Bitcoin and decentralized technologies empower individuals to reclaim control. From vaping to stablecoins, they explore how consumer choice and sound money are fueling consumer empowerment.
About Yaël Ossowski
Yaël Ossowski is a consumer advocate, journalist, and Bitcoin policy expert with a unique global lens. Born in Quebec, Canada, raised in the U.S., and now based in Austria, Yaël has experienced firsthand how different governments approach citizen trust. As Deputy Director of the Consumer Choice Center, he champions individual choice in areas like vaping, technology, and finance. A Fellow at the Bitcoin Policy Institute, Yaël advocates for policies that restrain government overreach and enable Bitcoin’s adoption. His work as a journalist and commentator bridges philosophy, policy, and technology to promote freedom and autonomy.
Quotes to Remember

“We’ve seen our institutions much more involved in our lives, much more so than they ever were for our parents or grandparents.” — Yaël Ossowski
“I think we as individuals know exactly what’s best for us, for our families, and for those in our community.” — Yaël Ossowski
“Bitcoin can exist and will be very strong without any government rule. The problem now is not that there are not enough government rules, but that the rules that are on the books are, themselves, restrictive of the technology.” — Yaël Ossowski

Resources & Links

Subscribe: https://podcast.trustrevolution.co
Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man.

“We’ve seen our institutions much more involved in our lives, much more so than they ever were for our parents or grandparents.” — Yaël Ossowski
“I think we as individuals know exactly what’s best for us, for our families, and for those in our community.” — Yaël Ossowski
“Bitcoin can exist and will be very strong without any government rule. The problem now is not that there are not enough government rules, but that the rules that are on the books are, themselves, restrictive of the technology.” — Yaël Ossowski

Resources & Links

Subscribe: https://podcast.trustrevolution.co
Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man.

Previous Episode

S01E04 Dr. David Strayhorn

In this episode of Trust Revolution, Shawn welcomes Dr. David Strayhorn, a neurologist, electrical engineer, and freedom technologist, for a deep dive into Web of Trust. Recorded at Bitcoin Park in Nashville, David shares his journey from clinical practice to building Brainstorm, a personal Web of Trust relay on Nostr, and GrapeRank, an algorithm reimagining trust curation. Together, they explore how decentralized systems can empower individuals to control their data and trust networks, challenging centralized gatekeepers and reshaping how we find truth in a skeptical world.
About Dr. David Strayhorn

Dr. David Strayhorn is a board-certified neurologist specializing in epilepsy, with a background in electrical engineering. A decade-long contributor to freedom technology, he focuses on decentralized systems and Web of Trust protocols. His current project, Brainstorm, is a personal Web of Trust relay on Nostr, while GrapeRank is an extensible algorithm for contextual trust scores. Follow him on Nostr (@[email protected]) or explore his GitHub (github.com/wds4) for insights into Concept Graph and Grapevine.
Quotes to Remember

“Trust doesn’t live in any one place in the brain, just like there’s no single neuron in charge. It’s decentralized, like the systems we’re building.” — Dr. David Strayhorn
“Web of Trust is about letting your community decide what trust means—not developers imposing categories.” — Dr. David Strayhorn
“GrapeRank is PageRank for people: it uses any signal—follows, zaps, mutes—to calculate trust in context, not just importance.” — Dr. David Strayhorn

Resources & Links

David Strayhorn’s GitHub: Dive into Concept Graph and Grapevine (github.com/wds4).
Nostr Protocol: Learn about the platform powering Web of Trust (nostr.com).

Subscribe:
https://podcast.trustrevolution.co
Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man.

Next Episode

S01E06 Bronwyn Williams

In this hard-hitting episode of Trust Revolution, Shawn sits down with Bronwyn Williams, a South African futurist and economist, to dissect the collapse of trust in centralized systems. Bronwyn analyzes how globalization and technology challenge institutional credibility, using South Africa’s governance struggles as a backdrop. She critiques AI’s centralizing risks, questions Bitcoin’s decentralized promise, and discusses ways businesses and individuals can rebuild trust. This conversation unravels the dynamics of power and agency in a low-trust world.
About Bronwyn Williams
Bronwyn Williams is a futurist, economist, and partner at Flux Trends, a leading consultancy focused on strategic foresight and trend analysis. Based in Johannesburg, she brings nearly two decades of experience advising global public and private sector clients on fintech, alternative economic models, and sustainable futures. She is the author of Rescuing Our Republic, a book tackling South Africa’s systemic crises, and co-author of The Future Starts Now (Bloomsbury UK), which explores global trends shaping the future. A sought-after speaker and media commentator on platforms like CNBC Africa and eNCA, she also runs What The Future Now?, unpacking chaos theory and future scenarios.
Quotes to Remember

“Institutions work as long as they give people what they want.” — Bronwyn Williams
“Democracy is governance by the governed, not a menu of services.” — Bronwyn Williams
“Automate away your costs, not your value.” — Bronwyn Williams
“Money is an illusion... Power equals money, not the other way around.” — Bronwyn Williams
“Bitcoin opened Pandora’s box... It accelerated CBDCs.” — Bronwyn Williams

Resources & Links

Book: Rescuing Our Republic by Bronwyn Williams – Analysis of South Africa’s governance challenges.
Book: The Future Starts Now by Bronwyn Williams – Exploring future trends and economic models.
Book: The Human Experience by John Sills – Insights on building trust in business.
Follow Bronwyn on X.
Flux Trends: fluxtrends.com for her trend reports.
Blog: What The Future Now? for chaos theory and future insights.