In this episode, we sit down with Adam Juchniewicz of Bitcoin Passport Index and Bitcitizen to discuss Bitcoin sovereignty, jurisdictional arbitrage, and how Bitcoiners should think about second passports and residencies.

We dive into the Bitcoin Passport Index, why Bitcoin-friendly tax and legal treatment matters more than most people realize, and how the landscape for citizenship and residency programs is rapidly changing.

Adam also breaks down his fast-track Vanuatu citizenship program and his full-service approach to helping Bitcoiners build a proper sovereign stack — from companies to passports to, in some cases, full exits.

Timestamps:

(00:00) – Bitcoin Passport Index

(03:21) – How do you balance mobility against Bitcoin sovereignty?

(05:45) – How will CARF and global reporting change the game?

(08:41) – Vanuatu CBI program

(11:17) – Vanuatu compared with cheaper options like Sao Tome and Principe?

(13:27) – “citizen, not tourist” approach

(14:55) – Final advice for Bitcoiners

Links:

• Bitcoin Passport Index: https://bpi.21cbi.io
• Bitcitizen: https://www.bitcitizen.io
• Vanuatu Citizenship Program: https://cbi.vu

Stephan Livera links:

• Follow me on X: @stephanlivera
• Subscribe to the podcast
• Subscribe to Substack

Transcript:

Stephan (00:00.664)
Hi everyone, welcome back to Stephan Livera Podcast. We’re doing another SLP fast interview. My guest today is Adam Juchniewicz, he is of Bitcoin Passport Index and Bitcitizen. so Adam, thanks for joining me on the show. And I know you have this Bitcoin Passport Index. So let’s start there. What problem does the Bitcoin Passport Index solve that the traditional rankings miss?

Adam Juchniewicz (00:26.081)
Yeah, well, first of all, Stepan, thanks for having me on the show. It’s great to talk to you again. yeah, so at Bitcitizen, we were really looking at the different passport indexes that exist in the citizenship by investment industry, and none of them were aimed at Bitcoiners, right? So the idea that we had was

Well what’s important to Bitcoiners? So the way the methodology that we used is that it’s not so much concerning where you can go, because for example, Henley and Partners, they’re probably the most known company that publishes a passport an annual passport index. It’s based on just straight visa-free destinations. How many countries can you go to visa free?

Well that’s not necessarily the only factor for Bitcoiners. So we weighted the methodology and we put Bitcoin at forty-five percent. the Bitcoin categories. So it came out to forty-five, fifty-five. And I think if you look at the different categories, and we can get into that.

We were very meticulous about double checking, triple checking everything. What are the things that are important to Bitcoiners, not just having freedom of movement, like where can I travel, but how is my capital treated? Is my Bitcoin going to be taxed if I sell it? am I able to move to certain locations? Some countries that have a great

treatment of Bitcoin for example, Switzerland, Singapore. Very hard to immigrate to if you like

Adam Juchniewicz (02:25.531)
for non-EU nationals, it’s hard to immigrate to Switzerland, right? Hard to get residency or get citizenship in Singapore used to be easier. But really that that’s the distinction is that we really tried to prioritize what’s important to Bitcoiners for their lifestyle, their mobility, and where their capital is is

You know, given the best treatment. Like where w where can they go? Yep.

Stephan (02:56.686)
So if you’re a Bitcoiner and you’re thinking about second residency or citizenship, how do you recommend balancing this concept of mobility as contrasted with Bitcoin sovereignty?

Adam Juchniewicz (03:10.005)
Yeah, so it’s it’s a balancing act. You know, I I think for my myself, I’ve lived outside of the as a US citizen, I’ve lived outside of the US since twenty twenty three. So you do have to kinda take into account where you can go.

What are your options? And then also what are your reporting requirements? That’s another thing. for some people, they can just leave, you know, Australians, for example. You can become tax non-resident, and more or less the ATO isn’t gonna bother you unless you have some presence still in the country. But this idea about trying to optimize your lifestyle.

is is really emerging. I think in a post COVID world and I think predominantly Americans, we found ourselves at a disadvantage a after that. So North America is actually turned up to be the

largest market of people who are looking to sort of get second citizenship, second residency, that sort of thing. And Bitcoiners as as the price of Bitcoin has appreciated over the years, we’re in a little bit of a bear market now, you know. But as people have accumulated wealth, they have basically decided to vote with their wallets and their feet. And they’re looking to relocate to places that they may

might receive preferential tax treatments or it’s easier to get residency. El Salvador made residency easier this year back in March where you only need to spend ninety days in the country to become a tax resident. So, you know, those are just examples of where people can sort of optimize their lifestyle with with respect to Bitcoin.

Stephan (05:17.356)
I see, yeah. And just kind of glancing through your index you’ve got El Salvador comes in number one, Malta number two, Switzerland, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Portugal, UAE, Grenada

Adam Juchniewicz (05:23.263)
Yeah.

Stephan (05:28.794)
Cyprus, Antigua and Barbuda, and Singapore as kind of your top ten. just for listeners kind of trying to get a sense of that. now you touched on this reporting concept. So obviously there’s a lot of this kind of global reporting, things like FATCA, CRS, CAF crypto asset reporting framework. how do you see things like this? So CAF and global reporting changing the game for Bitcoin as over the next few years, because a lot of countries and jurisdictions are signing up with CAF.

Adam Juchniewicz (05:33.333)
Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Adam Juchniewicz (05:43.999)
Yeah. Yeah.

Adam Juchniewicz (05:58.176)
I think that’s the thing that most people are going to be surprised by the beginning of twenty twenty seven that their crypto exchanges, if if they are using exchanges, I mean

basically the OECD has signed up countries in different waves, and I think it’s either through 2029 or 2030 that countries are gonna come on board in different waves. And so what people will find is in January 1st, 2027, CARF is basically the common reporting standard for crypto exchanges where they will report back to your home country based on the KYC you’ve provided.

what sort of transactions are going on, you know, where you’re cashing out, how how much volume, how much training you’re doing, how much profits you’ve realized. And so for people who have been, you know, using sort of non-licensed exchanges or in

jurisdictions they thought they were safe because they didn’t necessarily exclude your nationality or they were a little more lax about KYC. that eventually is

is going to be a thing of the past. I mean, it’s Mika is coming into effect in in the EU on July first, in full effect. So exchanges that don’t have a license will technically be violating that. So, you know, it’ll be interesting to see how how that is actually enforced. But yeah, with Carf if people aren’t aware January first that mm

Adam Juchniewicz (07:44.863)
What you think is hidden from your home country or what you haven’t been reporting will will soon be a thing of the past.

Stephan (07:55.504)
So yeah, I guess important for people to understand what’s happening with CAF there and which countries have signed up for that, and it seems like many of them have over the next few years, and some of them will say, we’re signing up at this year and mandatory compliance will be in XYZ other year, like you said.

Adam Juchniewicz (08:04.052)
Right.

Adam Juchniewicz (08:12.127)
Right. Mm-hmm.

Stephan (08:14.963)
And so then let’s talk a little bit. I know you have a you’re offering th the Vanuatu citizenship program. So can you talk to us a little bit about this? What’s the current state of the Vanuatu program and their visa-free access?

Adam Juchniewicz (08:23.105)
Correct.

Adam Juchniewicz (08:29.801)
Sure, so

Vanuatu, historically I I personally think this is just my opinion, I don’t speak for everyone in the citizenship by investment industry, but I think Vanuatu has gotten a bad rap. they have historically been a little lax on their due diligence that goes into, you know, checking police records, background checks, that sort of thing, and providing passports or ’cause they they

do have a citizenship by investment program. What has really changed two things really they now have an Interpol office on the main island and that is part of their due diligence check.

the second thing which you talked about was loss of visa-free access. Vanuatu is the currently right, and this is this could change, but the only jurisdiction that has ever had visa-free access to the Schengen zone suspended and then actually been removed.

jurisdictions have had access suspended. most notably Ireland. Well Ireland’s not part of the Schengen, but EU countries are starting to slowly, and this is mostly aimed at Caribbean by Caribbean citizenship by investment companies countries, excuse me, are slowly starting to lose that. But what where I think what really sets Vanuatu apart is the price difference. Vanuatu

Adam Juchniewicz (10:10.771)
Priced at starting at 130,000 US, and any of the Caribbean countries you’re looking at starting around 200, going up to 250. And so what really offer what Vanawatu offers is that it’s it is CRS, so there it’s part of the common reporting standard, but you can pay the entirety of the donation.

Or investment. So there’s two routes. There’s a donation or there’s an investment route with about fifty thousand that’s returnable after four years. But you can pay all of that in Bitcoin or crypto. and especially the

Stephan (10:48.559)
Not sure.

Yeah. So Adam, I guess the obvious question people will have is there’s you know, there’s a new kit on the block, this Sautome and Principe option, which I believe is actually even cheaper. So how do you contrast Vanuatu with that option, the Sao Mian Principe option?

Adam Juchniewicz (10:59.243)
Mm-hmm.

Adam Juchniewicz (11:06.729)
So I think with citizenship by investment, you have to look at it. You’re you’re buying a commodity, you’re buying a passport, right? So there are certain, let’s say, sports cars that people can buy at two hundred fifty thousand dollars. Salto Me and Principe starts at ninety thousand. It is the cheapest passport on the planet right now.

The issue is is that you can’t pay entirely in Bitcoin or crypto. So for Bitcoiners, I think Vanuatsu is a better play. and it it’s a little bit more livable. There’s eighty-three islands in the archipelago. So it it offers something that Celtome, which is two islands, right.

But you know, d

Stephan (12:03.789)
Right. So yeah, so I guess you’re getting at this kind of concept of lifestyle difference and also location difference, right? Vanuatu is in a different position on the world geographically, that may matter to you depending on if you’re flying to and from. Now, I guess the other aspect of it is people may purchase purchase these passports and not necessarily plan to live there. They may not even plan to use it for the visa-free travel. They may be using it more for like residency, banking sign-ups, this kinds of this kind of thing, right?

Adam Juchniewicz (12:09.018)
Mm. absolutely.

Adam Juchniewicz (12:16.105)
Yeah.

Adam Juchniewicz (12:30.337)
Mm-hmm. Yeah. So the thing is is that most people

I statistically I would say overwhelmingly don’t live in the country where they get citizenship by investment. they will use it as an optionality play. But like it think about it in investing, think about option calls, right? If you think that something maybe moving like a country might be moving in the wrong direction, it it’s an option call, really. So it’s about having optionality

Stephan (13:01.581)
Yeah. It’s an option. Understood. Yeah. Now another concept I’ve seen you talk about perhaps on your website is this concept of being a citizen and not a tourist approach. So tell us a little bit about this idea. What do you what are you getting at there?

Adam Juchniewicz (13:04.821)
before things happen. Yeah.

Adam Juchniewicz (13:14.229)
Yeah.

Adam Juchniewicz (13:18.431)
Yeah, so the thing is is that people historically, as mostly digital nomads, have made like visa runs. This is most predominant places like Southeast Asia where you spend ninety days, you in a day go to a neighboring country, come back, make a visa run, right? some people will do this in the Schengen zone where they’ll go to a non Schengen zone country and then come back after

you know, their 180 day clock has been reset. And and I think that the days of being able to do that are limited. So the thing about

Citizen, not tourist, is that but with citizenship by investment, you get a passport. You don’t have to play this game of will I maybe be let back in, I’m renting an apartment, all my possessions are in this country, but I don’t have any legal right to enter other than I have visa-free access. So the idea of being

Stephan (14:15.988)
So it’s about making having surety and being able to spend the full year there if you choose. Now you may not for tax reasons or something else, but it’s I guess ultimately one when you are a citizen, you have the best, obviously, you know, right to enter the country and not be blocked from entering as a citizen of the country. So yeah, we’ve covered a lot there. Let’s talk a little bit about your final advice for a Bitcoiner who’s starting to think about jurisdictional diversification.

Adam Juchniewicz (14:21.152)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Adam Juchniewicz (14:33.249)
Mm-hmm.

Adam Juchniewicz (14:40.321)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, I think it really depends on are you looking to do this full time? Is this just a play for in case things go down? You know, I’m currently in Argentina. I moved here at the beginning of year. a lot of people are looking at Argentina as an up and coming destination. But for a Bitcoiner first starting out, I think.

Don’t extend yourself too far. Start with like a digital nomad visa, see how that goes, do it for six months and give yourself optionality, but don’t paint yourself into a corner, because you never know when you might need to go back to your home country. So I think that that’s a really good way to start out when you’re bootstrapping sort of your sovereign journey, if you will.

Stephan (15:33.2)
I see. So kind of like try before you buy, do bit of research, kind of kick the tires, make sure you really understand what you’re getting into. And of course, I know you of you offer these services at BitCitizen, so listeners can check them out there. BitCitizen.io and of course the Bitcoin Passport Index. Adam, thanks for joining me on the show today.

Adam Juchniewicz (15:36.747)
Mm-hmm.

Adam Juchniewicz (15:52.044)
Thank you very much, Stephan. It’s been a pleasure.