In this episode, we sit down with Wesley Schlemmer, President of the Bitcoin Bay Foundation and Executive Director of the Florida Blockchain Business Association.
Wesley shares how Florida’s Bitcoin ecosystem has grown from grassroots meetups into a model for community‑led business adoption. We unpack how Square’s Bitcoin rollout changes the equation for small and medium‑sized businesses, explore the spectrum of custody models - from simple phone wallets to multi‑signature treasury solutions - and discuss why financial control and education remain central to Bitcoin’s mission.
Wesley also explains how local communities and university partnerships are shaping the next generation of Bitcoin professionals. This conversation is a clear guide for advisors and business owners thinking through when and how to integrate Bitcoin into their daily operations.
Chapters
(00:00:00) - Bitcoin as Hope and Financial Independence
(00:01:40) - Welcome to the Bitcoin for Financial Services Podcast
(00:02:00) - Introducing Wesley Schlemmer and Florida’s Bitcoin Work
(00:04:10) - From Engineering to Bitcoin Mining and Community Building
(00:07:30) - Founding the Bitcoin Bay Foundation
(00:09:50) - Florida’s Political and Regulatory Climate for Bitcoin
(00:12:50) - Square’s Bitcoin Rollout and Merchant Adoption
(00:16:50) - How Businesses Can Auto‑Convert Revenue Into Bitcoin
(00:18:00) - Local Bitcoin Communities and Grassroots Education
(00:23:00) - Understanding Bitcoin Custody Responsibilities
(00:26:20) - Multi‑Signature Security and Business Treasury Management
(00:31:30) - Custody Trade‑Offs: Security vs. Convenience
(00:33:30) - Why Businesses Need Control Over Their Money
(00:39:00) - The Evolution of Storage: From Paper Wallets to Multisig
(00:41:00) - Bitcoin Education and University Partnerships
(00:47:00) - Guidance for Advisors and Business Owners Getting Started
Guest Links
Bitcoin Bay Foundation Website: https://www.bitcoinbay.foundation/
Bitcoin Bay Foundation on X: https://x.com/bitcoinbaytpa
Bitcoin Bay Foundation on Nostr: https://tinyurl.com/3t9wkwfp[
](https://www.intentionallivingfp.com/)Host)Host Links
Jordan Guess:
X: https://x.com/jordanguess
Discord: https://discord.com/invite/Xg55GVkc3f
**Wyatt O'Rourke:
**X: https://x.com/wyattorourke_
Website: https://www.basilic.io/
**Bitcoin for Financial Services Media Links:
**X: https://x.com/BFFS_media
Website: https://bffs.media/
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@BFFS_Media
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