Ep. 58: John Dennehy - Accelerate The Good, Over Fighting The Bad

You're The Voice | by Efrat Fenigson

My guest today is John Dennehy, the Director of “My First Bitcoin” (Mi Primer Bitcoin), an educational nonprofit which helped educate 35,000 students in El Salvador using Bitcoin as a tool for financial sovereignty. John became an activist in the wake of September 11th. While in jail after protesting the Iraq War, he decided to leave the country and moved to Ecuador in 2005. He is a best-selling author, award-winning journalist and has written about Bitcoin in Latin America for the Guardian, Al-Jazeera, and the BBC. He moved to El Salvador in 2021 to found My First Bitcoin. In a world at the crossroads, he sees Bitcoin as humanity’s best chance to build something better. His first child was born in San Salvador in 2023.

In this episode John shares his inspiring journey from activism in the aftermath of 9/11 to founding My First Bitcoin He explains how his perspective shifted from resisting the harmful old systems to actively building new ones. We discuss the unique challenges of adopting Bitcoin in El Salvador, the importance of grassroots education, and of choosing an open-source curriculum. John discusses the need to redefine success metrics, decentralize systems, and build frameworks that empower communities worldwide. He emphasizes the urgency of taking action, warning against the dangers of complacency in the face of a world heading toward unsustainability and even crashes. This episode is a powerful reminder that change starts with individuals choosing to create something better.

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-- LINKS –

John’s Twitter: https://x.com/jdennehy_writes

John’s Tweet about his quest for freedom: https://x.com/jdennehy_writes/status/1833886333871202548

Mi Primer Bitcoin’s Twitter: https://x.com/MyFirstBitcoin_

Mi Primer Bitcoin Website: https://myfirstbitcoin.io/

John’s Nostr npub: npub1gaxapm9t9damh6q2lpc04ptcyeh0ysfdfzzs997agu3ae80ftrns7t985l

Efrat's Twitter: https://twitter.com/efenigson

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Watch/listen on all platforms: https://linktr.ee/yourethevoice

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Recorded at the Bitcoin Beach Studio: https://www.youtube.com/@LiveFromBitcoinBeach

-- CHAPTERS –

00:00 Coming Up…

00:58 The Best Way to Experience El Salvador

03:28 Intro to John & Journey to Activism, 9/11

09:55 Anti-War Activism & Human Desire for Revenge

12:49 The Effectiveness of Activism & Protesting

16:58 Getting Arrested for Your Values Can Empower You

21:18 Police Violence & Intimidation

24:57 Giving Up on the US and Starting Over

28:00 Discovering Bitcoin and Accelerating The Good

33:30 The Birth of “My First Bitcoin”

37:14 “My First Bitcoin” Success in El Salvador and Beyond

40:56 The Global Reach of Bitcoin Education

47:03 My First Bitcoin’s Unconferences

48:40 John’s Prediction Of A Worldwide Crash & Awakening

52:46 Overcoming Fear of Creating a Better Life

57:17 Be Responsible for Your Future & Is It Worth Voting?

1:00:36 Redefining Success in Life & in “My First Bitcoin”

1:03:57 Decentralizing Education to Empower Local Communities

1:12:30 El Salvador: A Blueprint for Change & Bitcoin Policies

1:20:16 Replicating the “My First Bitcoin” Model to Educate Others

1:24:56 Follow John and “My First Bitcoin”