Welcome to another round of Bitcoin News’ interview series where we dive into the stories of Bitcoiner operators to help readers get a better understanding of what makes Bitcoin businesses “tick”.
Our goal is to put together the most in-depth set of interviews with similar themes to provide insight into what it takes to run a Bitcoin company and the ethos and values of different Bitcoin firms in the industry.
From Bitcoin OG’s to Startups to Operators, we dive into discussions with anyone and everyone in the Bitcoin world to help provide newcomers with a fun and interesting Bitcoin encyclopedia of knowledge and wisdom that may one day help them, should they wish to contribute to Bitcoin.
Read on below for our latest interview with Sazmining co-founder and CEO, Kent Halliburton.
Bitcoin News: When was the first moment you became passionate about Bitcoin? Where were you and what makes that moment memorable?
Kent: In 2015, while sitting in the Sacred Valley of Peru, it dawned on me that Bitcoin operated outside the existing banking system.
As someone wrapping up almost two years of travel, transacting money without the frictions banks imposed represented a huge win. It still took me a few months of watching the price action to make my first purchase, but the freedom to transact is what hooked me.
Bitcoin News: What do you interpret to be Bitcoin’s core philosophy? How do you best embody this ethos on a regular basis?
Kent: Bitcoin’s core philosophy is a bit of an anthropomorphism: it’s simply a protocol. That said, it liberates the ability for humans to transact, represents an incorruptible store of value, and does so with 100% transparency, making it arguably the most powerful tool for human freedom.
I don’t believe anyone can fully embody these values: freedom, incorruptibility, and total transparency, but aiming the moral compass at them certainly makes me a better person.
Bitcoin News: In your particular Bitcoin niche, how do you measure success? Which singular factor contributes most to achieving this metric?
Kent: I measure success by how many mining rigs our average clients own. The more the rig average increases, the more I know our clients trust us and value our service.
There is no way for me to operate a Bitcoin Mining As A Service business without it being high-trust: we have possession of our clients’ property. That’s not a position we take lightly.
Bitcoin News: Where do you see the greatest potential for innovation within the “Mining as a Service” vertical?
Kent: I don’t know. We’re still an early-stage startup building the airplane as we fly it. We make mistakes but do so transparently and correct them to improve our service.
There’s little we can reference on our path, but the beauty of our approach is that we’re building what the market truly desires since we spend next to nothing on marketing, and clients continue to find us.
Our approach is to listen to our clients and build what they need to continue expanding their respective fleets with us.
Bitcoin News: Would you consider yourself a Bitcoin maximalist? If yes, why? If no, why not?
Kent: I never understood the definition of Bitcoin Maxi, but if someone exclusively saves their wealth in self-custodied Bitcoin, I qualify.
Bitcoin News: What lessons from Bitcoin’s “early days” do you wish new entrants to the market knew?
Kent: I don’t know anyone who saves Bitcoin that didn’t start with more Bitcoin than they have now by chasing dollar gains. I wish they would learn quickly and early that they will only wind up with less Bitcoin trying to trade crypto for more dollars.
Bitcoin News: Who are the most impactful Bitcoin relationships you have in the ecosystem and how do you maintain/nurture them over time?
Kent: The most impactful relationships I have in the ecosystem are with the staff and advisors at Sazmining, who are all fellow Bitcoiners. They’re my inner circle in the community and I respect the hell out of the blood, sweat, and tears they’ve put into driving adoption and the growth of Sazmining.
Bitcoin News: How does Bitcoin’s global nature impact the Bitcoin mining sector and how does Sazmining manage to remain competitive in your specific niche?
Kent: Low-cost energy, the primary driver for mining profitability, is not exclusive to any single geography, making accessing it a global competition.
We remain competitive by finding obscure, low-priced, low-carbon opportunities with quality partners that we trust to deliver value to our clients. This has taken us to the Arctic Circle, the US Midwest, and Paraguay.
Bitcoin News: What’s the most impactful product/service on Sazmining’s roadmap ahead for 2025 and why?
Kent: It’s too early to announce, but we have some quality projects up our sleeve. I can say that our focus is on improving our clients’ experience and delivering greater transparency.
Bitcoin News: What advice would you give to a fresh new Bitcoiner interested in mining and contributing to the network?
Kent: First, decide that you’re coming to mining to stack sats, not for a passive income stream.
Mining represents the best way to build a bitcoin position: your hardware and electricity costs are fixed and you’ll enjoy a fresh stream of sats for the next 3 years as you cycle fiat into a bitcoin position – it’s a better way to DCA.
Bitcoin News: When Bitcoin has achieved global adoption, how would you like your contribution to Bitcoin’s history to be remembered?
Kent: I want to prove that mining is a better way to build a Bitcoin position, not the exchanges.
Bitcoin News: If you could go back in time and ask Satoshi just one question, what would it be?
Kent: I wouldn’t want to – I’m ok to leave him be a mystery.
