Hello and thanks for taking part in the Bitcoin Takeover!
My name is Vlad Costea and I’m a Romanian bitcoiner who loves freedom and sometimes enjoys talking with like-minded individuals.
I’ve previously written articles for Crypto Globe, Crypto Insider, and Bitcoin Magazine. I’ve decided to go independent in February 2020, and since then I’ve almost exclusively written articles and recorded interviews for the Bitcoin Takeover project.
The idea of the Bitcoin Takeover Podcast came to me after the passing of my grandmother Bălașa, on January 11th 2019. I’m forever grateful for the years she spent raising me and teaching me to be a decent human being. She always wanted me to be independent and free, and I hope that through this work I’m making her proud.
I’ve spent about 8 years in academia studying political science, education and philosophy, I underwent PhD studies for 4 years, but dropped out in 2020 to focus more on my Bitcoin work. Though I’ve had the pleasure and privilege to attend some of the best European universities in my field of study, there’s nothing that I appreciate more than freedom. And when my freedom doesn’t extend towards the projects on which I’m working, then sooner or later I will lose interest and move on to something that I love to do.
I also believe that if the teachings of higher education can’t be applied in day to day life in relation with regular folks, then they are not very useful. I’m not a big fan of ivory towers and I try not to self-isolate in intellectual bubbles or foolishly elitist clubs.
Some may call me a journalist, but I like to think of my work as that of a writer or historian. I like to zoom out and put events into a greater context, I tend to be excessively critical (and this criticism extends to myself and my work), and I prefer the company of individuals who push me to constantly get better.
For these reasons I’ve created the Bitcoin Takeover Podcast, which hosts some of the most brilliant guests one can find in the space. Give the episodes a listen, join the conversation by submitting comments, and feel free to make BTC donations to the extent that you find the content useful. Seasons 1 to 3 have special rules where the guest receives 50% of contributions. Starting with season 4, I’ll try to get sponsors.
As of February 2026, the Bitcoin Takeover Podcast is 7 years old and has published more than 330 interviews. I’m extremely happy about my journey and I still get excited about new interviews. I’ll keep going for as long as there’s something new for myself to learn… and I hope you’ll find something worthwhile for yourself to learn too!
If, for whatever reason, you’d like to send donations or tips for my work then please refer to this page. I used to accept fiat donations via Patreon, but decided that it’s a bad idea to support a layer 4 for fiat money. Therefore, you will only find options for free market money that is easily convertible to bitcoin.
One of my long-term plans is to write, edit and publish free and open source magazines that anyone can download, modify, share, and even sell. The goal is to create resources that every internet user can use to learn more about Bitcoin and other freedom-preserving tools. I grew up accessing a lot of fascinating content on the internet – back in the day when I was “surfing” through dozens of different pages every day to extract good information. And since I’ve never paid for accessing these resources, I’ve decided to contribute in a way that continues the tradition of free information.
So far, I’ve published two BTCTKVR magazines that are compilations of educational articles about Bitcoin (number 1 and number 2), a bear market resource that’s called “Breaking FUD” which essentially challenges and debunks the 10 most common misconceptions about Bitcoin (as presented by the almighty Chat GPT), and a privacy-centric magazine which also includes articles from authors who like Monero, Zcash, Zano, Beam (MimbleWimble), Firo, Nym, plus other networks that support freedom of transactions and monetary fungibility. As of 2025, I’m working on a manga-style comic book that’s called “Bitcoin: Year One” which focuses on the people and the events that took place between August 2008 (Satoshi Nakamoto’s first e-mails to cypherpunks) and January 2010 (the Bitcoin network’s first anniversary).
Hopefully, I’ll be able to record a new interview every week and also publish an annual magazine for as long as I’m young and able. So if you’re following my journey, better buckle up! My creativity hasn’t peaked yet and the best is always yet to come.
Where to find me
Romania, the former Kingdom of Wallachia
bitcointakeover [at] protonmail [dot] com
You may also use the form below.
