With the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) approval of the Bitcoin Spot ETF in January 2024, Catholic institutions now have the opportunity to make Bitcoin part of their investment portfolio. Mark Yusko is a highly respected and sought-after voice on Bitcoin. He is a devoted Catholic, and he spoke at the 2022 Catholic Crypto Conference. Mark answers many questions CEOs of Catholic institutions need to be asking, like, What is the value of Bitcoin? How does it bring truth? How does it align with the Church’s values? What percentage of my portfolio should be in Bitcoin? Mark shares his personal journey in Bitcoin and discusses these questions in great detail during this interview. Whether you’re a “Bitcoin bull” or a “newbie” to this space, this conversation sheds light on the Bitcoin adoption that is happening worldwide.

Mark W. Yusko is the Founder, CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Morgan Creek Capital Management, LLC. Prior to forming Morgan Creek in 2004, Mr. Yusko was President, Chief Investment Officer and Founder of UNC Management Company, the Endowment investment office for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, from 1998 to 2004. Until 1998, Mr. Yusko was the Senior Investment Director for the University of Notre Dame Investment Office where he joined as the Assistant Investment Officer in October of 1993. Mr. Yusko is the President and Chairman of the Investment Committee of The Hesburgh-Yusko Scholars Foundation at the University of Notre Dame, and President and Head of Investment Committee of the Morgan Creek Foundation.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Lisa Hough joins Jim Friend for an expansive conversation on a variety of Bitcoin topics, including social justice, national security, preserving energy that is unalterable, and Bitcoin’s compliance with our values as Catholics. She begins by giving an overview of the case for Bitcoin and offers some advice on how Catholic institutions can understand Bitcoin’s value and how it aligns with our faith. During the conversation, Lisa referred to the 2024 Bitcoin Policy Summitt, which took place in Washington, D.C., on April 9th, 2024. If you’re interested in learning more about Bitcoin, please join us for this conversation. Lisa stated during the conversation that she’s always happy to connect on LinkedIn and Twitter and help educate others about Bitcoin.

Lisa brings a background as a Commodities Trader and a unique perspective and expertise that drives the convergence of Energy and Bitcoin. Lisa’s knowledge of Bitcoin mining has earned her the respect of fellow professionals in the field, and she was recently acknowledged as a leader in Bitcoin by FORBES. Energy companies, high-net-worth individuals (HNWI), wealth managers, family offices, universities, and industry symposiums frequently call on Lisa for guidance. They trust her insights and rely on her expertise when incorporating Bitcoin into their respective businesses.

Connect with Lisa on her website or find her on Twitter (X) or LinkedIn. We wish to thank Lisa for joining us on today’s show and sharing her time and expertise!

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Dave Baranowski rejoins Jim Friend for a conversation about working in parish Stewardship in the Archdiocese of Saint Louis. Dave discusses how parishes are working together to regionalize ministries and create more opportunities for all parishioners. As a result, parishes are becoming more creative, collaborative, and welcoming than ever before. Dave also talks about how he trains disciples (not volunteers) in parishes to use their gifts and shares some tips for supporting your pastor. We discuss all this and much more in this very informative conversation.

If you enjoyed this conversation with Dave, he also appeared on episode 23, episode 57, episode 75, and episode 76 of Advancing Our Church. Do you have a suggestion on a guest? Send Jim Friend an email or contact him on social media.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.