Jan 20, 2026
John Hargrave, CEO of Media Shower and author of The Intelligent Crypto Investor, joins the show to unpack a radically calm, Buffett-inspired approach to crypto investing. From wiring money to Belarus to buy Bitcoin in 2013 to nearly losing his business in the 2018 crypto winter, John shares how hard-earned wisdom led him to a disciplined, diversified strategy that blends traditional assets with a carefully sized slice of high-quality crypto — and why this model has quietly outperformed traditional portfolios over the past several years.
Why you should listen
John traces his origin story from early Bitcoin
believer to battle-tested investor, recounting the moment he and
his wife went “all in” on crypto during the 2017 bull run — and the
brutal reality check that followed when the market collapsed. That
near-death experience for his marketing business reshaped his
philosophy around risk, leading him to embrace diversification over
maximalism. The result: a framework that treats crypto not as a
lottery ticket or ideological crusade, but as a serious asset class
that earns its place alongside stocks and bonds.
At the core of John’s book is a simple but contrarian portfolio
model: a traditional 60/30-style mix of stocks and bonds, plus up
to 10% allocated to high-quality crypto assets like Bitcoin and
Ethereum. He argues this small slice has historically captured
outsized upside while strictly limiting downside risk — even in
worst-case scenarios. John also takes aim at financial advisors for
being “a decade behind,” suggesting everyday investors can now
build and manage this strategy themselves with the right tools and
long-term mindset.
Beyond numbers, John brings storytelling and big ideas into the
mix, drawing inspiration from legendary investors like Warren
Buffett, Ben Graham, and Bill Miller to apply value-investing
principles to blockchain projects. He shares his bold conviction
that crypto and AI represent unevenly distributed futures — and
that a global digital currency is not a question of “if,” but
“when.” The conversation closes on sci-fi, Asimov, and the long arc
of technological change, framing crypto not just as an investment,
but as a bet on the architecture of tomorrow’s financial
system.
Supporting links
New Book - The Intelligent Crypto Investor
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