21 in 21: Conor Okus

In this episode, Haley Berkoe interviews Conor Okus, a Product Manager at Spiral. Conor shares his journey from playing football to becoming a grantee at Spiral and now managing the grant program. He addresses common misconceptions about bitcoin contributors, emphasizes the importance of user experience in promoting adoption, and discusses the emergence of user-friendly (easy) bitcoin addresses.

Conor also shares his thoughts on the intersection of AI and bitcoin, the ongoing debate about using "₿ " instead of "sats" to display bitcoin denominations, and offers valuable advice for newcomers to the bitcoin space.

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Conor’s unique path: From footballer to bitcoiner

01:33 Becoming a Spiral grantee and joining the team full-time

03:53 What Spiral looks for in grant applications

05:08 Misconceptions about bitcoin contributors

07:15 First impressions of Presidio Bitcoin and the SF builder scene

08:25 Current focus: UX, BOLT12, and easy bitcoin addresses

12:04 The next wave of bitcoin innovation: Lightning and AI

14:38 How AI might leverage bitcoin for payments and micro-transactions

18:27 The sats vs. bitcoin ₿ display debate (BIP 177 and UX shifts)

22:37 Advice for aspiring bitcoin contributors

23:42 How to reach Conor & connect with Spiral