In this episode, Sunny Ray sits down with Aaron van Wirdum, journalist and writer for Bitcoin Magazine, to trace the path that led him from a childhood love of writing to becoming one of Bitcoin's most thoughtful chroniclers. Aaron recounts studying journalism in the Netherlands before pursuing a master's degree in politics and society, where he became fascinated with the historical impact of the printing press on freedom of speech and the erosion of centralized religious and political control. He explains how that academic interest in decentralized information technology later primed him to recognize something significant when his roommates began using Bitcoin to buy goods on the Silk Road in late 2012. What began as a curious tip turned into deep research, blending his interests in post 2008 financial journalism and the open source software movement. Aaron also discusses his current podcasting projects, including a technical Bitcoin Core focused show and a long running Dutch language podcast, alongside his ongoing work at Bitcoin Magazine.
Bitcoin Magazine's Aaron van Wirdum traces his path from journalism student to Bitcoin's press freedom historian.
Are you still doing the Corona Times podcast you mentioned last time we spoke?
No, I quit once we got back to work at Bitcoin Magazine. The first couple of weeks were interesting because there was a lot of uncertainty, but eventually everyone's opinions became entrenched and I didn't feel like I was adding value anymore. I might do a second series on a different topic with Bitcoiners at some point, but for now it's on hold.
What does your backstory before Bitcoin look like?
I was always writing, even as a kid entering writing contests. My mother still has a newspaper clipping where I said I wanted to be a writer. When it came time to study, I went into journalism around age 20, and I've always felt journalism does important work even though it gets a bad reputation, especially in the Bitcoin community.
What did you study after your journalism degree?
I went on to get a master's degree in politics and society with a historical perspective, looking at how humans have organized politically and economically over the centuries. I drifted toward topics like freedom of the press and the printing press itself, partly because of my journalism background and partly because I wanted a historical analogy for understanding how the internet might change society.
How did the printing press actually change society?
Before the printing press, most people were illiterate because there was little reason to learn to read. The Bible could only be read and interpreted by a small group controlling the church. Once the printing press made Bibles widely available, people became literate to read it themselves, which undermined the church's authority and eventually led to Protestantism.
How did you first get into Bitcoin?
My roommates were ordering cheap cigarettes from Moldova on a site called the Silk Road using a special kind of internet money. I started asking questions and researching around late 2012, early 2013. I subscribed to the Bitcoin subreddit and noticed people weren't just using it for convenience or anonymity, they talked about it like a movement trying to change the world.
What drew you specifically into researching Bitcoin as a story?
I was already interested in finance and economics after the 2008 crisis, feeling that not enough journalists understood what was happening in Wall Street or Frankfurt. I was also fascinated by the free and open source software movement. Bitcoin turned out to be a merger of both interests, a free and open source type of money aiming to change finance.
What other podcasts are you working on right now?
I do a technical podcast with Sjors Provoost, who's a Bitcoin Core contributor, where we discuss very technical stuff. I also have a Dutch podcast called The Bitcoin Show that I've been doing for over a year. Between those two and Bitcoin Magazine, I dropped the idea of starting a third show.
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