Bitcoin Finance #003: Hosted By Kyle Knight & Chris Kelly

The Spaces featured a Gen Z–oriented conversation with Trey Sellers of Unchained covering careers in Bitcoin, adoption strategies, and personal finance. Trey traced his path from traditional finance (Deloitte, Truist) to becoming the “Bitcoin guy,” then joining Unchained’s sales team, where he helps clients solve two core problems: not losing bitcoin and planning inheritance via collaborative custody and succession frameworks. He described the cyclical, limited nature of Bitcoin hiring and argued the most impactful contribution is integrating Bitcoin into real-world businesses, citing insider-driven treasury initiatives (e.g., an S&P 500 company exploring a $100–$200M allocation). Trey highlighted Unchained’s executional focus and new personal vault features for succession planning. He also shared his Fire BTC newsletter and how FIRE principles (minimize expenses, maximize savings, invest) align with a Bitcoin lens—shifting from stocks to “stacking sats,” applying the 25x expenses/4% rule with sovereignty and time preference. The discussion covered cultural and corporate inertia, resistance in traditional FIRE circles, and a pragmatic approach to orange-pilling: don’t push; be a reliable resource. Trey’s advisory role with Cantilever (a Bitcoin and freedom-tech venture fund) leverages his network and market pulse. The session closed with practical encouragement for newcomers to build value, use Bitcoin, and embed it within mainstream organizations.

Bitcoin careers, Unchained custody, and FIRE x Bitcoin: Trey Sellers on integrating Bitcoin into the real economy

Participants and roles

• Trey Sellers: Sales leader at Unchained (joined ~4 years ago), former traditional finance/banking (Truist) and Deloitte tech consulting; author of Fire BTC newsletter; advisor to Cantilever.
• CK: Co-host/moderator (Bitcoin community figure), joined to facilitate the conversation.
• Host (name not specified): Long-time Unchained client; founder of Bitcoin Culture initiatives, UCLA MBA; started the Bitcoin Bruins club; building Gen Z-focused products (including an “Opportunity Engine” concept).

Setting and context

• The space focuses on finance and Gen Z pathways into Bitcoin. The host frames the discussion around storytelling, career navigation, and how to “belong” in Bitcoin.
• Trey reflects on nearly a decade of Unchained’s existence (founded 2017, coming up on 10 years) and his 4-year tenure helping move Unchained from startup to an execution-focused growth company.

Trey’s path into Bitcoin and key banking observations

• Traditional finance background: Deloitte technology practice (financial services focus, New York; aimed to reduce travel) and later the bank Truist.
• Became the “Bitcoin guy” at Truist (2019–2021), delivering internal presentations and authoring an internal newsletter.
• Banking culture circa 2019–2021: Most executives conflated Bitcoin with “crypto” (DeFi, NFTs, dogecoin, meme coins), understood the broad concept but missed Bitcoin’s distinct value proposition. Trey provided a Bitcoin-first, Bitcoin-only perspective in a sea of crypto-generalists.
• Strategic workstreams existed (e.g., exploratory strategy decks), but Trey expected little concrete outcome; the value was injecting a principled Bitcoin perspective at senior levels.

Joining Unchained and its evolution

• Trey connected with Parker Lewis (joined Unchained in 2019), who helped Unchained refine product-market fit, voice, brand, and focus within the Bitcoin community.
• Unchained’s core: collaborative custody on-chain (multisig) tailored for longevity, fault tolerance, succession planning, and “grown-ups-in-the-room” operational discipline.
• Product philosophy: Treat Bitcoin as a multi-generational store of value. Solve for two client imperatives:
  1. Do not lose your Bitcoin (resilient custody).
  2. Ensure it can be passed to family/heirs (legal, operational, and practical succession).
• Recent development: A new personal vault feature and proactive outreach for succession planning with existing clients (title/legal considerations plus operational signing readiness). The collaborative custody model is purpose-built for inheritance scenarios but still requires client preparation.

The Bitcoin job market: scarcity, cyclicality, and where impact happens

• Scarcity and cyclicality: Bitcoin company headcount is tied to market cycles. In bull markets, opportunities explode; in bear markets, resources tighten. This volatility makes hiring and planning difficult.
• Current funnel dynamics: Few companies; jobs tend to go to experienced operators. Static job boards (e.g., BitcoinorJobs) remain useful, but word of mouth and relationships dominate. The host is developing an “Opportunity Engine” to match talent with short-term/contract gigs or internships to absorb cyclical surges.
• Trey’s counsel: The biggest impact may not be “working for a Bitcoin company” but integrating Bitcoin into the real economy.
  • Champion adoption from inside existing institutions and real-world businesses.
  • Normalize Bitcoin via treasury/cash management, payments acceptance, and balance sheet hedging.
  • Example: Trey met with an S&P 500 CEO/CFO (via a Bitcoin-aligned board member and Bitcoin-native senior execs) considering a $100–200M Bitcoin treasury position. Adoption pressure is growing from insiders who are already orange-pilled.
• Cultural critique: Large public corporations can feel “soul-sucking” due to fiat incentive structures; Bitcoin offers a different cultural foundation that, over time, can reshape organizational design and time preference.

Personal finance philosophy: FIRE x Bitcoin

• Trey discovered the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement alongside deeper Bitcoin learning.
• Shared premises:
  • Money is broken; life gets more expensive over time.
  • Saving alone is insufficient; investing in compounding assets is necessary.
• Traditional FIRE method:
  • Minimize expenses, maximize savings, invest in broad index funds (e.g., VTI, S&P 500, NASDAQ), and use the 25x annual expenses rule; live off a ~4% withdrawal rate.
• Bitcoin alignment:
  • Bitcoin as the “apex predator” of savings vehicles—superior store of value vs. cash, often superior to traditional assets depending on horizon and conviction.
  • Strategy: Maximize value creation (income), then denominate savings in Bitcoin to harness compounding over long horizons. Not everyone needs to start a business; many can pursue normal careers, live well, and accumulate sats consistently.
• Host’s perspective: Balances entrepreneurship (sacrificing salary), experiential living, and Bitcoin accumulation; sees Bitcoin as a vehicle for generational and philanthropic outcomes (e.g., advising grandparents to hold BTC and fund a garden in their name for legacy).

Fire BTC newsletter and community reception

• Fire BTC: Trey’s near-weekly Substack exploring financial independence through a Bitcoin lens. Origin story includes the essay “Bitcoin is FIRE-friendly.”
• Topics include FIRE mechanics, Bitcoin-denominated wealth building, and contrarian takes on mortgages, emergency funds, and practical household finance.
• Reception: A few thousand subscribers, paid tier enabled; working toward a book emerging from these themes.
• FIRE community dynamics:
  • More traction with bitcoiners interested in FIRE than FIRE veterans open to Bitcoin.
  • Resistance persists (e.g., Mr. Money Mustache’s anti-Bitcoin stance); Trey responded with “Why Bitcoin is Stupid” and a redux, arguing Bitcoin’s “stupid” simplicity (uncensorable, 21M cap, indifference to opinions) is its strength.
  • Over time, public critics tend to “bend the knee” as evidence compounds (referencing Jamie Dimon, Larry Fink), though many influencers struggle to admit past errors.

Cantilever advisory role

• Cantilever: Venture fund investing across Bitcoin and “freedom tech,” led by Brendan Quinn and John Fresh (Boston area).
• Trey’s contribution: Market pulse from daily client conversations, base-layer perspective (on-chain, keys), and broad network across Bitcoin events.
• Activities: Monthly strategizing, spaces, founder intros, fundraise connections, and thinking through product-market fit across the Bitcoin company landscape.
• Career arc consideration: Advisory and writing keep Trey connected to Bitcoin beyond daily operating roles; he contemplates eventual transitions while remaining engaged with the community.

Approach to sales and onboarding newcoiners

• Trey has no traditional sales training; he prioritizes conversation, empathy, and education.
• Principle: You cannot force Bitcoin on anyone; people must convince themselves. Be ready to answer questions when they’re curious; minimize pressure.
• Practical reality: Trey’s family/friend circle is atypically high in Bitcoin ownership due to his role—most “normal” circles have low ownership or trivial balances (e.g., $10 Coinbase promo). The job is to help those ready to act do so prudently and securely.

Host’s initiatives and community-building

• Host is developing Gen Z-centered products and discussions (finance-focused), including the “Opportunity Engine” to bridge talent and cyclical demand.
• Past projects include “Proof of Living,” the Bitcoin Bruins club at UCLA, and efforts to introduce Bitcoin into university governance/centers (Price Center board meeting anecdote)—advocating for institutional Bitcoin programming and treasury thinking.
• Community experience: The host wants to refresh Bitcoin culture for newcomers—beyond familiar faces and meetups—to recreate the excitement of Bitcoin 2021 and art/experiential engagement.

Key takeaways and highlights

• Unchained’s focus: durable, multi-generational custody with collaborative models; succession planning is a central pillar. A new vault feature has prompted wide client outreach.
• Career advice: Impact often comes from bringing Bitcoin into mainstream businesses—join, advance, and champion adoption inside. Bitcoin jobs exist but remain cyclical and scarce.
• FIRE x Bitcoin: Align low time preference living, disciplined saving/investing, and long-horizon Bitcoin accumulation. Bitcoin can accelerate or enhance the path to financial independence.
• Community strategy: Don’t force Bitcoin. Be a reliable resource and steward when curiosity emerges. Culture change will continue from the inside as orange-pilled individuals gain influence.
• Venture ecosystem: Funds like Cantilever scan for real product-market fit across Bitcoin/freedom tech; advisors with deep client networks (like Trey) add connective tissue.

References mentioned

• People: Parker Lewis (Unchained), Brendan Quinn and John Fresh (Cantilever), James Lavish, Mr. Money Mustache, Jamie Dimon, Larry Fink, Saifedean Ammous.
• Institutions/events: Truist, Deloitte, UCLA, Price Center, Bitcoin 2021 (Miami), BiggerPockets Money podcast.
• Instruments/indices: VTI (Vanguard Total Stock Market), S&P 500, NASDAQ.

Calls to action

• Explore Unchained’s collaborative custody and succession planning resources.
• Read Fire BTC (firebtc.substack.com) for FIRE x Bitcoin frameworks and practical finance guidance.
• For Gen Z and career switchers: cultivate domain skills in the real economy and integrate Bitcoin where you work; build relationships and seek flexible opportunities during bull-cycle expansions.

Closing sentiment

• Trey remains energized by daily conversations with bitcoiners solving real custody and inheritance problems.
• Long-term: He may eventually shift emphasis toward advising, writing, and family—but believes Bitcoin’s trajectory is near-inevitable. The best contribution many can make is living well, creating value, and storing wealth in Bitcoin while normalizing it within the institutions that shape everyday life.