#TBOT Show 3: $330M Bitcoin Heist, CEO of Telegram Speaks Out, RISC-V Open Processor Architecture, Texas Age Verification to DL Apps

#TBOT Show 3: $330M Bitcoin Heist, CEO of Telegram Speaks Out, RISC-V Open Processor Architecture, Texas Age Verification to DL Apps

Author: The most important weekly tech news + solutions. June 13, 2025 Duration: 26:02

Back with episode 3! Today we cover a massive Bitcoin heist, Pavel Durov’s arrest, a new-ish processor architecture, and age verification to download apps.

🎊 Welcome to the #Take Back Our Tech show with Hakeem Anwar. Every Friday, tune into tech news that could change your life. Well-researched and with solutions - all in 20 minutes.

PLUS - Each story comes with recommendations and there’s one cool tech trick or open-source solution every week.

#WATCH ON SUBSTACK

In today’s episode:

* $330M Bitcoin Heist, Pumps XMR Price 50%: 3,350 Bitcoin is gone in the wind, in what makes the top 10 of the biggest cryptocurrency heists of all time. They say an elderly BTC holder was socially engineered and the scammers quickly converted half of it to Monero. Is that all there is to the story?

* Pavel Durov Speaks Out: The Telegram CEO goes public for the first time since he was arrested by French authorities - he answers questions surrounding his arrest and how Telegram complies with laws, what data they give on people. However - there’s one question that no one has asked him that I intend to ask.

* RISC-V Open Architecture: Concerned about hardware backdoors? Open processor hardware may be closer than you think with the RISC-V open architecture. This year, group of ex-Intel employees broke off to create their own processor based on RISC-V, and the first RISC-V laptop was released. When can we expect devices in our hands?

* Age Verification To Download Apps: Texas passes a bill for age verification for both Google and Apple app stores. They’re not alone - 9 other states are proposing similar bills. We’ll look at what this means for app stores and most importantly - for the kids.

* Reddit Alternative: Lemmy is a federated Reddit alternative that anyone can run at home. Each instance federates with each other to share communities and posts.

🪧 Follow the show on Substack📝 Follow our blog New E-Book from Above:

* 5 Must-Change Privacy Settings on iPhone & Android

* Get privacy gear

We’ll be publishing full posts and clips of each of these stories next week!

Support well-researched content, forward this to your crew. 🚢



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tbot.substack.com/subscribe

Hakeem Anwar hosts The #TBOT Show, a weekly podcast dedicated to cutting through the noise of the tech world. Instead of just reporting headlines, this show focuses on the technology news that actually shapes your daily routine, privacy, and digital freedom, explaining why it matters in clear terms. Each episode is designed to be concise and actionable, wrapping up in under twenty minutes. You’ll hear informed analysis and straightforward recommendations on how to navigate the week’s developments. True to its mission, every installment also provides a practical takeaway: this might be a powerful open-source tool you can use, a privacy-enhancing skill to learn, or a sustainable tech solution to implement. It’s a blend of necessary context and usable insight, making it a resource for anyone who wants to understand and take back control of their tech life. Tune in for a focused, efficient update that prioritizes depth over duration, ensuring you stay informed without being overwhelmed. This podcast delivers exactly what its author promises: the most important weekly tech news paired with tangible solutions.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 80

The #TBOT Show with Hakeem Anwar
Podcast Episodes
How To Contribute Code Anonymously [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:05
I spoke with Rose O’ Leary from DarkFi about the problem of centralization in app development and pointed to the recent Telegram saga with Pavel Durov. Rose talked about an alternative to GitHub, where you can contribute…
Is Privacy Possible With Crypto? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:08
In part 2 of my interview with Rose O’ Leary from DarkFi, I asked about the involvement of the FBI and the IRS in tracing and tracking transactions. I was wondering how DarkFi could potentially safeguard visibility into…
IRS Attempts to Trace Monero, Response from Monero Community [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:15
We had the privilege of asking the Monero community our questions from our article: LEAKED: IRS Attempts to Trace Monero in Leaked Training Video, Response from MoneroWe received a response from Rucknium - an anonymous s…
Exciting New Crypto Project: DarkFi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:44
Hakeem Anwar, CEO of Above Phone recently had a chat with Rose O' Leary from an exciting new project: DarkFi. He talked about how inspiring it is to build technology that brings people together rather than creating more…
How the IRS Eliminates Financial Privacy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:03
The reason I started using cryptocurrency was because I didn't want anyone to be able to spy on what I spend my money on. Can you relate? In part 2 of IRS Attempts to Trace Monero I'm asking the hard questions - Is Moner…
Internet Archive Hacked: What You Need To Know [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:47
In a significant blow to open access advocates, the Internet Archive has lost its appeal against major publishers in a landmark copyright case. The dispute centered on the Archive's "Open Library" system, which operated…
How To Avoid Big Tech Map Applications [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20
If Google Maps went down this very moment, would you be able to get directions to the nearest grocery store? Would you be able to get back home if you're on the other side of town?Probably not, because we have lost our s…
Energy Weapons, Radiation and Alternative Technology [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:59
Mike from the amazing health & supplement company Alfa Vedic asks: does all wireless technology need to be dangerous to biology? Hakeem briefly discuss how his research into EMR led him to the conclusion that a lot of wi…
A Phone Free From the Influence of Big Tech [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:54
In a recent interview with Mike from the amazing health & supplement company Alfa Vedic, Above CEO Hakeem Anwar details his background as a software engineer and how he was building a kind of electronic prison when in th…