The internet is quietly splitting in two. A KYC, permissioned, censorable web on one side… and a small, unstoppable, permissionless one on the other. Derek Ross has deleted every legacy social account, staked his name and face on Nostr, and is betting his life on freedom tech, Bitcoin, and open protocols, even if his own family doesn’t fully get it. In this deeply personal conversation, Derek and I dig into what censorship actually feels like in the so-called “free world,” why YouTube and X suspensions are not a China-only story, and how Nostr lets you truly own your identity with private keys you can’t be deplatformed from. Derek explains why the “Nostr is too technical” myth needs to die, how circular Bitcoin economies and zaps are already working at scale, and why losing your keys would mean losing years of “proof-of-work” reputation. We talk about family who don’t believe in Bitcoin, political blow-ups at home, changing his mind 180° on COVID restrictions, and the real emotional cost of being visible instead of anonymous. Derek also shares how AI “vibe coding” turned him into a builder overnight, why he’s now doing dev-rel for Soapbox, and how he ended up literally marrying two friends who met on Nostr.

👉 Follow & subscribe to All in Bitcoin for more unfiltered conversations that go where others won’t. 🎧 Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple, Nostr, and everywhere you listen: https://linktr.ee/allinbitcoin

👇FOLLOW DEREK'S WORK:

Nostr: derekross@grownostr.org

https://www.grownostr.org

👇FOLLOW CK & ALL IN BITCOIN: Nostr: allinbitcoin@iris.to

X: @allinbitcoinpod

TIME STAMPS:

0:00 Introduction

5:59 Letting go of the old world

10:11 The real cost of stepping forward

14:11 The resistance that surprises him

17:07 The problem simplicity can’t solve

19:39 A truth he rarely says aloud

21:50 The tool that still doesn’t exist

27:46 What ownership actually means

33:02 When censorship stops being theoretical

36:20 The shift happening faster than expected

38:27 Building without permission

41:05 When passion unexpectedly becomes a job

45:07 The fear that lingers beneath the work

47:22 The conflict closest to home

52:03 A belief he completely reversed

55:59 Pride and isolation at the same time

59:51 What would remain if he disappeared

1:01:22 A great story NOSTR made possible

1:04:00 On the feeling of being free

1:05:13 Where to find Derek

DISCLAIMER:All views expressed by me or my guests are solely our own opinions. You should not treat any opinions expressed in this podcast as a specific endorsement to make a particular investment or follow a particular strategy, but only as an expression of personal opinion. This podcast is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, legal, or political advice, and it does not promote or oppose any political party, candidate, or campaign. This podcast may contain speculation, or interpretation. We encourage listeners to do their own research and verify information independently.