Is Bitcoin just a financial instrument, or is it a wedge into the future of energy, policy, and power?
Brian Morgenstern, head of public policy at Riot Platforms, lays out how mining is becoming critical infrastructure and why the US can’t afford to fall behind. From sovereign wealth strategies to regulatory fragmentation, this conversation unpacks how Bitcoin could reshape geopolitical leverage and why Texas may be at the center of it.
Three Takeaways
1. Bitcoin mining isn’t a power drain. It’s programmable energy demand.
In the right environment, mining strengthens the grid by absorbing excess load and monetizing stranded assets. That’s more than market efficiency, it’s infrastructure as coordination. Energy is the primary input for innovation to take place.
2. Stablecoins are already infrastructure.
They’ve quietly becoming core plumbing for crypto and emerging markets. The story is no longer about innovation but scale. When infrastructure stops being noticed, it becomes the invisible protocols that everyone can build on.
3. The U.S. didn’t have a crypto strategy. It had regulatory misfits and open hostility.
The challenge isn’t just outdated rules. Key agencies were actively adversarial. The tone has shifted, but policy is still tripping up the builders. In Texas, DC, and across the country, the conversation is shifting toward fixing the friction, not fueling it.
Links:
Highlights:
How Bitcoin mining monetizes underutilized energy
Could Bitcoin become a strategic reserve?
The case for (and against) a U.S. sovereign wealth fund
Why current tax rules throttle crypto adoption
Stablecoins as infrastructure, not just tokens
Why Bitcoin stands apart from “crypto”
Navigating fragmented, reactive regulation
Nuclear is back thanks to AI’s energy appetite
What’s Next Austin?
“Bitcoin miners, AI, energy, all getting married in Texas to make the US the leader of the world.”
Guest Bio:
Brian Morgenstern is the head of public policy for Riot Platforms, one of the world’s largest publicly traded Bitcoin mining companies. He is also on the boards of the Bitcoin Voter Project, Bitcoin Voter PAC, and the Texas Blockchain Council, as well as the executive committee of The Digital Chamber. He previously served as White House deputy press secretary, deputy communications director, and special assistant to President Donald J. Trump. Prior to joining The White House, Brian was deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department and chief speechwriter to the Secretary.
Share this post