Most people think of Bitcoin onboarding as either "buy an ETF" or "run your own node" — Stephen Cole, co-founder of Castle, is building the entire financial stack in between.
Jordan and Wyatt sit down with Stephen to talk through Castle's journey from an automation-first on-ramp called Orchestra to a full Bitcoin-powered financial stack for businesses — cash accounts, revenue-percentage Bitcoin buys, and now high-yield exposure through Strategy's STRC. They dig into why Castle went to market with business entities first, how KYB compliance shapes onboarding, and why personal accounts are now opening up to retail individuals for the first time.
Stephen breaks down Castle's custody model with BitGo, why self-custody is always the goal but never the barrier to entry, and how the platform is quietly building treasury management tools — multi-sig-style approvals, permissioned roles, and governance — for businesses that want Bitcoin-native financial infrastructure without the operational headache. They also get into the STRC debate, stablecoins' place in a Bitcoin-first stack, and why Stephen thinks the term "Bitcoin treasury company" needs a much bigger tent than Wall Street headlines suggest.
Starting this week, we're kicking off a run of episodes featuring speakers from the Bitcoin Financial Services Summit — leading up to the event in October, we'll be bringing you conversations with the RIAs, CPAs, miners, and operators who'll be on stage in Denver.
🎟️ Join Us in Denver, Bitcoin Financial Services Summit
The Bitcoin Financial Services Summit returns October 20-22 in Denver, Colorado. RIAs, CPAs, lenders, miners, treasury companies, and Bitcoin-native operators all in one room. If you want to understand where Bitcoin and finance is going next, this is where you need to be. Get your tickets at bffs.media
Guest: Stephen Cole
Castle
Website: savewithcastle.com
Host Links
Wyatt O'Rourke
X: x.com/wyattorourke_
Website: basilic.io
Jordan Guess
X: x.com/jordanguess
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jordan-guess-cpa
Website: bitment.co
Bitcoin Financial Services Media
X: x.com/bffs_media
Website: bffs.media
YouTube: @bffs_media
Show Sponsors
Basilic Financial: Your wealth deserves intention. Basilic is a Bitcoin-focused wealth management firm helping clients find balance between money and meaning. Financial planning, individual wealth management, retirement services for SMBs, and Bitcoin financial services. basilic.io
Bitment: Tired of messy CSVs and broken cost basis? Bitment is the first Bitcoin-native accounting platform for CPAs, advisors, miners, and serious investors. Clean Bitcoin bank statements, reliable cost tracking, full reporting, and seamless fiat integration through Plaid. bitment.co
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Unchained Capital: Not your keys, not your bitcoin? Unchained is a bitcoin financial services company offering collaborative multisig custody, bitcoin-backed loans, a trading desk, and bitcoin IRAs — all while you keep control of your keys. unchained.com
Sound HSA: Why let your health savings sit in cash? Sound HSA is the first bitcoin-native Health Savings Account, combining triple-tax-advantaged HSA benefits with real bitcoin holdings, automated tax docs, and a receipt vault for medical expenses. soundhsa.com
River Financial: Want a bitcoin-only brokerage built for the long haul? River offers full-reserve custody, zero-fee recurring buys, and an interest-bearing cash account that pays out in bitcoin. river.com
Quantify Funds: Looking to stack scarcity assets? Quantify Funds is the asset management firm behind the STKd suite of ETFs, including BTGD — the first ETF combining 100% bitcoin and 100% gold exposure. quantifyfunds.com
Revolution Mortgage: Buying a home or refinancing? Revolution Mortgage is a nationwide lender offering FHA, VA, USDA, and conventional loans, with a tech-driven process built for lower rates and faster closings. revolutionmortgage.com
