Bitcoin veteran says 'nobody wants to die for banks’

"Nobody wants to die for the banks,” said Francis Pouliot, CEO of Bull Bitcoin, in an informative YouTube interview with Efrat Fenigson.

The long-time cypherpunk claimed fiat money chains people to wars and government overreach, whereas Bitcoin allows individuals to attain financial sovereignty.

Sustainability through vigilance

The sustainability of Bitcoin is a mix of vigilance and funding, Pouliot stressed. Community projects like Bitcoin Jungle are primarily being bankrolled by Bull Bitcoin profits and grants from the Human Rights Foundation and OpenSats.

"Without the profits of Bull Bitcoin, how am I going to finance the stuff that I do with the wallet? Bitcoin Jungle, for example, is largely financed by the profits that Bull Bitcoin makes," Pouliot said.

Related: What is Crypto? Cryptocurrency explained

Downplaying fears of institutional capture, Pouliot cited the 2017 block size dispute as evidence that wielding vast wealth alone could not grant control over Bitcoin:

"I'm not afraid of BlackRock. I'm not afraid of Trump taking over Bitcoin… Bitcoin is an organism being attacked by a virus, and we need antibodies to fight that. The antibodies are the cypherpunks within the ecosystem," he said. "If all Bitcoin users are apathetic, Bitcoin can be co-opted — absolutely. But we're not."

Boycotting fiat

Francis Pouliot, chief executive officer of Bull Bitcoin, listens during the Bitcoin 2021 conference in Miami, Florida, U.S., on Friday, June 4, 2021.Getty Images He referred to distancing himself from fiat as both a moral and practical choice.

"When I hold fiat money, I am allowing the government to debase me to finance itself, and I am complicit in everything the government does. By boycotting fiat, you are emotionally and spiritually rewarded — and you also benefit economically over time,” Pouliot argued.

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Pouliot explained his decision to boycott fiat entirely:

"I will boycott fiat. Boycotting fiat is both economically and spiritually rewarding. It's the perfect thing to do — just do the right thing and get rewarded financially for doing it."

Pouliot also said that Bitcoin's long-term value comes from the fact that it is scarce and has a payment system that can't be censored.

"Do people like to be able to transact with whoever they want without permission? Yes, a lot of us do. Will more people in the future want that than today? I think so because I think the world is going in a bad direction, and the worse the world gets, the more people value the core proposition of Bitcoin".

Story Continues ## Grassroots adoption

The topic of grassroots adoption was also brought up during the interview. Pouliot explained that showing people simple transactions helps them understand how Bitcoin can be used.

“When I orange-pill someone, I just download the app and send them a little bit of money… the proof is in the pudding,” he said. He recalled a woman in Costa Rica who described receiving Bitcoin payments as “emotional and spiritual," a reaction he said reflected Bitcoin's deeper impact beyond economics.

FAQs

Who is Francis Pouliot?

Francis Pouliot is a Canadian cypherpunk and the CEO of Bull Bitcoin, a non-custodial Bitcoin exchange. Active in the space since 2013, he has been an outspoken advocate for Bitcoin as a tool for financial sovereignty and resistance to government control.

Why does Francis Pouliot believe Bitcoin cannot be taken over by large institutions like BlackRock?

Pouliot stated that wealth does not control Bitcoin, citing the 2017 block size takeover failure. He called Bitcoin an “organism" that resists capture, with cypherpunks and engaged users as its immune system.

Why does Pouliot advocate boycotting fiat money?

He said fiat currency makes people complicit in government spending and wars. According to Pouliot, Bitcoin is “economically and spiritually rewarding.” Boycotting fiat is moral and practical.

What, according to Pouliot, can drive grassroots adoption of Bitcoin?

Pouliot said showing people simple Bitcoin transactions is the best way forward as "the proof is in the pudding."

This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Sep 5, 2025, where it first appeared in the MARKETS section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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