21 Futures #8 — The Bitcoin Overlay — Satillionaire

Absolutely.

Sure. And tell us more about your sort of path into Bitcoin.

I got in around 2017. At the time I just kind of discovered voluntourism and I was kind of studying like about anarchist philosophy and, You know, rules without rulers and such, and just kind of feeling disillusioned with the current state of things and feeling like the world and the, you know, political landscape was just kind of heading in the wrong direction and that, you know, we needed something to save us. I discovered Bitcoin and I realized, or, you know, learned that it could not be shut down and just kind of the resilience of it. I got really excited and I thought, okay, this is it. This is what we've been looking for. This is what's going to save humanity in my mind. So yeah, I just started quietly buying in 2017 and just have managed to hodl through all of the ups and downs and just, you know, it's a ton of time spent just educating myself about what it is. And so it's been, it's been like a long journey, but, you know, really like life-altering. I'm very thankful. That I've found it and then I've, you know, immersed myself in it.

Yeah, great to hear. And now, you know, you are gonna be part of telling other people about it through stories, which is, which is great because, you know, we think it's one of the things that we've been missing is there's so many great educational books, podcasts, series about the technology, what it is and what it, you know, might be. But really we react to stories. We care about emotion and, you know, stories so we can empathize and emote. You know, so it's very rewarding, I think, to be a part of that. And, you know, great job on being selected and sending us your work. So thanks for that.

Yeah. Yeah. I was very excited to be selected. And like you said, I think, you know, a lot of Bitcoin Podcasts and knowledge and writing and stuff like that is based on like educational. And there's a lot of people just trying to get the damn thing to work right now, you know, building out the Lightning Network and all of these things and making sure they really do work and really will scale when the time comes. And so it's a, there's a frenzy right now and there's a lot of focus on that. But what I'm interested in, what might be lost a little bit is like, Okay. Well, I feel very comfortable that we're going to get it up and running and that it's all going to work and that it's, uh, going to scale and be just fine. So what, where does that lead us? What then? You know, and that's what I like about this book is like we're discussing the what then, you know, we're kind of bringing the future into the present a little bit and, you know, figuring out all the cool things that we'll be able to do once we do have this and You know, a significant amount of people are using it.

That's it. You know, not everyone involved is some techno— technological genius or, or, you know, computer programming nerd. It's, you know, I'm not technical at all and it's nice to, yeah, be surrounded by a few more people in this, I think, who are, who are caring about this. Yeah. What's happening next? How can we share this with people in, in a more engaging way? How can we, you know, um, tell these stories, market it?

Yeah, absolutely. Um,

tell, tell us more about your writing. So, um, what kind of writing do you do apart from short stories that are gonna appear in this book?

Well, um, I come from the entertainment industry. I'm a filmmaker, um, TV producer, uh, director. And, um, so generally most of the writing I do is like screenplays or movie pitches, things like that. So I'm very focused on story. I love story. Um, that is a very different style of writing. It actually can be quite confining in a lot of ways, particularly with dialogue, like, and, you know, um, it's just, it's just very difficult. So prose is like a nice, uh, departure from that where you still, you know, can tell a cinematic story, but you have a little more leeway. You can have a little more. Um, you're not confined by the budget that you might have to make it with or actually trying to produce it. You know, you could just tell the story. So, uh, it's been really refreshing to do that.

Yeah, it's always interesting to me the difference between screenwriting and, and prose. I mean, I'm not a screenwriter and I always think, you know, I'm jealous of you guys. I'm like, in just 1 second of footage, you can show a a cityscape or something that could, you could take 3 pages to describe. But, you know, obviously people, people don't do that. Um, but there's, there's advantages to prose, like you say, you know, absolutely more leeway for, yeah, imagination maybe, and, uh, different kind of storytelling techniques.

Yeah. But I mean, I think it's all in the end the same. We're all telling the same story. There's only a few versions of of the story that, you know, we humans, we, you know, it's kind of down to a science in a way. We know what, what works for us, but it's just, um, it's still just really difficult, uh, you know, however you do it. But, um, this has been fun. I'm, I've, it's gotten me, kind of lit a fire in me to, to do more stuff like this.

That's great. I mean, I personally think, I mean, I'm biased, but I personally think short fiction is so Underrated and misunderstood as something lesser than the movies and the novels of the world, which have that typical, you know, hero's journey or like 3-act structure. There's so much room for exploration of these little snippets of stories, just little pieces of people's lives, just like your story. It's not the whole story. It's not like a whole movie. It's a short scene in, in, you know, a bigger picture. And I, you know, I bring up things like Love, Death and Robots, uh, the Netflix series is something which was quite, um, I mean, it seems obvious when you say it, it's just like cool short animations which present something interesting, but why don't we have more of it? I think we, we need more of it.

Yeah. I mean, I think it's, it's very difficult though. People don't quite understand, particularly like I've, I've done a lot of work in short films. I'm very active in that world. Go to a lot of festivals, watch a ton of short film. I actually won an Oscar for a short film that I produced a few years back. So I'm very in that world and it's very difficult because a lot of people, I mean, I, I equate short films and short fiction in this way, and that a lot of people will try to make a feature film in the length of time it, you know, it's in a sort of 15-minute short. Never works. You really have to come up with a— An idea that works for the format. And short fiction is the same. Um, you, you can't try to tell a huge story. You can allude to a huge story, but you're just telling a piece of it. And there is so much to explore with that. So yeah, I love it. I'm, I'm excited to read the other stories and see what everyone else has come up with.

Yeah, I can't wait for everyone to, to share them. I mean, I could talk about short fiction all day, so we're getting a bit off topic here, but I like sort of doing this as a way to, if you're listening on audio, I'm like creating a viewfinder with my hands to present like what a short story is, because we think of a story as a complete picture, right? Where you can see everything that's going on. The short story just focuses on one part and makes the reader do the work of imagining the before and the after and the meaning and of it all. So that's kind of what gets me excited about being able to present things in this way. It's like we can zoom in on something and then allow people to make their own story, their own conclusions about it.

Yeah, that is exciting.

So let's talk about your story, the Bitcoin overlay. I wanted to ask about one term that you use in the story. We'll talk about what it is. We'll talk about what happens in the story a bit later. The Great Schism. So the Great Schism is a key term in your story that draws parallels with religion. What do you think? There are any links between Bitcoin and religion?

Well, definitely. I mean, there's a, you know, a religious fervor that a lot of us have for Bitcoin, but I think it's not just Bitcoin. I think we kind of live in a world right now where everybody has a sort of, or not everybody, but a lot of people have very religious fervor for politics or various things that, you know, I think everybody's sort of looking for some kind of savior or some sort of salvation. So, I mean, you definitely see it in Bitcoin. I mean, I think part of the mythology of Bitcoin, you know, leads to that, like, you know, Satoshi and his disappearance and such. But in this particular story, I just kind of found it interesting. I mean, I think I like the term. I know it has religious connotations, like, but I think that it also kind of works in that, like, I do see there is a potential for a huge divide. Um, to take place for humanity and that like, you know, we, we sort of fork and that there's different societies formed and we're kind of not all living in the same reality, so to speak, even though we occupy the same space. Um, so that term, for whatever reason, just kind of struck me and just felt right. Um, and I, yeah, I'm, I'm happy with the religious, uh, You know, illusion or whatever.

It sounds a lot grander than a hard fork, doesn't it? Great schism.

It does. It does. But we have potential for it. I mean, I think it's possible. I think there's just so much going on, you know? And I mean, I think like one of the things I've always heard, like that, you know, just when you talk about Bitcoin and scaling and like when you apply that to like politics and like You know, like America where I live, you know, there's 350 or however many million people and we're supposed to have one leader. Just doesn't really work. Doesn't really scale. You know, when you have a country of, you know, 50 million people, maybe one leader sort of works. But when you have this many people, that idea perhaps doesn't scale like as, as we would like. And so it's like there's just, um, I think a bunch of different realities simultaneously happening and we're all trying to You know, live somewhat harmoniously with each other, but it doesn't always work. And it feels like there's forces kind of pushing us apart. So it's possible that there is some sort of split, um, grand split that happens. I don't know. I mean, that's kind of what I'm exploring in this book is that, uh, I mean, in this short story is that, uh, the idea that, you know, humanity does hard fork and there's just a, there's, there's no There's no communication or going back and forth between the 2 worlds. It's very, you know, except this guy who's the lead character.

Certainly. Well, I mean, with financial systems and revolutions, there's, they're definitely hard forks in history, aren't they? And we love categorizing parts of our existence into, well, that was the ancient times, or that was, you know, when the medieval period ended. And, you know, there's going to be more of that to come in the future for sure. Yeah. So the story is a chase scene or includes a chase, and this, there's a, a sort of impossible, um, or a seemingly impossible escape from these, uh, dastardly automated, uh, minders and a lot of surveillance, um, in this in this society. Did you take inspiration from any other stories or any other books or any other chase scenes? I'm interested to know. You said you are involved in silver screen.

Yeah, I mean, it's hard to pinpoint just one, you know, influence there, but I mean, I, I've just, I'm a big sci-fi fan and I do actually, um, really like action movies. I think there's an art to it and sometimes I, I mean, some of 'em are trash, obviously, but there is an art to some of these movies and the way they're made and, you know, the excitement of a chase. And it's just, um, I, I mean, I, I, I, I definitely, you know, inspired by a lot of the movies and some of the sci-fi that I've read over the years. It's hard to just pinpoint one influence though. I think it's all just, you know, kind of an amalgamation in the end, right?

I think it's a very hard thing to do is to pull off an exciting action scene. In a book. I mean, much harder than compared to a big budget movie. So, I mean, great job. I can say to everyone listening, it's a really exciting read. So,

thanks. Yeah.

Great job on that. And, uh, yeah, I think it's not, not so common. I mean, maybe in some sci-fi stories. Yeah. There's more action, there's more kind of fighting and escaping and, and things like that, but there's not a huge amount of literature that's, that's doing that so much nowadays because maybe we have more film and TV content and more video content to watch.

Yeah, that would make sense.

So the main character, I don't think the main character is named cuz it's written in the first person. Is that right? That's correct. Yeah. So let's just say the main character attempts to, the story is that They're trying to get safe passage for Soria, who is a kind of refugee from something. Uh, is she running from trouble or is she going towards a utopia? Or is she running away from something or running towards something? I should say.

She's definitely running away from something and the only really safe option for her is to leave one side of the society and enter the other sort of Bitcoin overlay. That's like the hope. That's about, that's safe passage. There is about her only hope of not, you know, spending the rest of her life in some sort of prison or the archipelago as I call it. So yeah, it's, yeah, she's, I think it's both. She's running from something and running towards this utopia that people whisper about.

Hmm. Interesting. There's a lot which is happening on the margins of this story, which, you know, is part of a bigger universe and a bigger world. Have you thought about extending the story or writing other stories set in the same universe? Yeah.

Yeah, actually I was just laying in bed last night kind of thinking about, uh, What happens next for the 2 main characters and kind of like, for whatever reason, uh, it just occurred to me or just kind of the idea popped in my head that for that I want to explore where they go next and kind of, so yeah, it, it definitely, uh, it's something I've, I've thought about like expanding upon. Um, so yeah.

Great. Well, um, We're hoping to be putting out future books, so maybe we'll find out more about the characters and what happens to Solia and her journey. Great. Well, with that in mind, could you treat us to a passage of the story?

Absolutely.

Let's listen to Sati read a bit from The Bitcoin Overlay. Take it away.

All right, here we go. No one knows exactly when the Great Schism began. Many claim that it never occurred, a mere figment of fevered imaginations. But for the outliers, the divide is an inescapable actuality. Some fled to far-off lands like Mexico or sub-Saharan Africa seeking refuge, while others were completely cast out of society, left to fend for themselves in the fringes. And then there's me, the bridge between the two worlds. My job, if you can call it that, is to navigate the treacherous waters of the Divide and help those on the periphery find their way to a better life in what has come to be known as the Bitcoin Overlay. I need you to understand that you can't bring anything material with you, I said in a grave tone. You'll only need your wits and your ability to work hard, but it won't be easy. I had delivered this speech countless times, but the look in Sawyer's light brown eyes suggested that she didn't comprehend the gravity of the situation. She fidgeted with a delicate gold bracelet on her wrist, and her eyes darted around the room. Her designer clothing was a stark contrast to the dingy supply room of this Chinese restaurant. I know what I'm leaving behind, she said in a hushed voice. I just wish I knew more about where I was going. I'm sure you have lots of questions. Unfortunately, I'm not the guy who can answer them. I tried to sound encouraging. The important thing is that you've made it this far despite the grave risks. That means you'll just be— that means you'll be fine once you make it there. Soyeh exuded the air of someone born into the upper echelons of society. She was probably raised with tier 2 travel privileges and a personal AI ball, the kind of luxuries that the unwashed masses could only dream of. Was she really willing to leave behind all the comforts and conveniences that had defined her existence? We have to leave straight from here, I said, my expression solemn. There won't be any time for goodbyes. But my sister, she will search for me, she protested. And unless she's willing to take the leap herself, she won't find you. The light in her eyes dimmed by a shade. You don't have to leave. Nobody can fault you for wanting to stay here, I offered. Soria shook her head, a determined look on her face. She composed herself and forced a smile. There's nothing for me here, she said with a tinge of sadness in her voice. Staying is not an option, even if part of me wishes I could. I nodded in understanding. I may not have been born into the same world of privilege, but I could relate to feeling out of place and yearning for something more. I know the stories probably make it sound like a far-fetched utopia, and at one time it was. But now, there really is a genuine refuge for those who dare to dream. I paused, allowing the weight of my words to settle in the air. It might seem scary, but once you make it to the other side, you'll never look back. I met Soria's gaze, Seeing a flicker of doubt in her eyes. Do you truly believe that? I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't. Just then, a grating beep erupted from the lo-fi baby monitor screen on my desk. In the mush of infrared pixels, I watched a scout drone approaching the alleyway just above us. This could only mean one thing, a breach. I turned my attention back to Soria, my mind racing with possibilities. We need to leave now, I said firmly, grabbing my bag and heading towards the door. Sorya followed close behind. We stepped out into the dimly lit hallway, the sound of distant sirens echoing through the night.

Brilliant. Wonderful reading. Thanks so much for that. And, um, I'm sure everyone listening will be on the edge of their seats waiting for this chase to happen.

Yeah.

And you'll be able to find out what happens in that chase, uh, when the book is Finally released. Great. So thank you so much for coming on the show, Sati. Just before we go, do you have a prediction about the future of Bitcoin? I know it's very difficult to predict. We've been talking a lot about the future. Any

thoughts? You know, it's, it's, I mean, my prediction is that it's, it's going to win. I, I, you know, I mean, I don't, I don't put a lot of stock in price or worry about price or worry about I just know that it's gonna win. I just know that it's going to be there for us when we really need it, and we're going to need it. So I rest at, I rest at night, um, very comfortably knowing that and knowing, I mean, I, you know, I, I see other people fretting out there. I mean, in my industry, there's a huge strike right now with the Writers Guild and the Screen Actors Guild and the studios and AI and all these. things and I see a lot of, you know, uncertainty and, and, and fear in my friends' eyes. And I see them affected by the strike and not being able to work for a few months. And, and, you know, their, their vision of the future is quite different from mine. I, again, I've been stacking since 2017. I feel like I'm, I'm sort of set. I know where I'm going. I know that I, this is going to be there for me. And I, I would love to see more people get involved and be able to have that, uh, you know, assurance. But, um, as for the future, it's just, it's not going anywhere. Bitcoin's going to be here and that's, that's all, that's all you need to know.

Great. Thanks very much for that, uh, bit of soothsaying. Absolutely brilliant. Well, yeah, thanks very much for coming on the show. Uh, can't wait until everyone gets to read your story along with the others. And really looking forward to reading more about, um, what happens to these characters, uh, and any other stories that you might be putting out, uh, along the way.

Absolutely.

So best of luck with, with your writing and with your dreaming.

All right. Thanks a lot.

Thanks a lot then.

All right.

See you in the next one, guys.

All right. Sounds good.