Tony Yazbeck went to bed in 2019 thinking he was comfortably retired after a 25-year career in cybersecurity and IT. He woke up to a nightmare.
Overnight, Lebanon’s banking collapse wiped out his life’s savings, leaving him with just $70 in his pocket. “The banks had stolen everybody’s money from all accounts across the country,” he recalls in a raw, unfiltered conversation.
“I went from thinking I was retired to being homeless, homeless in the sense that the banks had stolen everybody’s money from all accounts across the country.”
This catastrophic loss wasn’t just a personal tragedy, it was the spark that ignited Yazbeck’s transformation into a Bitcoin evangelist.
Today, he’s the co-founder of The Bitcoin Way, a company dedicated to empowering individuals to secure their wealth through bitcoin self-custody.
For Yazbeck, Bitcoin is more than just a financial tool. It is a lifeline, a shield against the fragility of traditional fiat systems, and a revolution he’s determined to share with the world.
A Descent into Chaos
Before the collapse, Yazbeck had built and sold three successful businesses, leveraging his expertise in encryption, privacy, and networking. Retirement in his early 40s seemed like a reward well-earned until it vanished.
Lebanon, once a global banking exemplar, unraveled in 2019, plunging its citizens into chaos. “I don’t know if you know this, but Lebanon was leading the banking system for 30 years before the collapse,” Yazbeck explains.
“It was the golden role model for banks globally to copy.” Yet, even this “five-star” system stole his savings, held in U.S. dollars, not Lebanese pounds, proving no fiat stronghold is immune.
The aftermath was apocalyptic. “People were going in at gunpoint into banks, not to steal the money, to recuperate their own savings,” he says.
Society crumbled as desperation took hold: bartering haircuts for tomatoes, good people driven to madness, and one haunting memory — a man setting himself on fire 30 meters away, screaming about feeding his children.
“It’s a horror movie no producer is able to put together,” Yazbeck reflects.
For nearly a year, he spiraled into a “very dark depression,” avoiding computers and human contact, fueled by “unhealthy anger.”
Then, a chance encounter with an old video by Bitcoin educator Andreas Antonopoulos — speaking alone to a small room of seven people — shifted his trajectory. “For some reason, it really resonated with me,” Yazbeck recalls. “I’m like, what is this guy talking about? Is he crazy?’”
Bitcoin: The Unbreakable Revelation
Skeptical but intrigued, Yazbeck dove into Bitcoin with the ferocity of a cybersecurity expert intent on exposing flaws. “I tried to blow it up. I tried to destroy it. I tried to debunk it. I tried to do everything,” he admits. “I failed spectacularly.”
Even more astonishing? “Governments have been trying to do this for many years… with all their resources, these idiots also failed spectacularly.” Bitcoin’s resilience wasn’t just impressive, it was revelatory for Tony.
“That’s when I realized Bitcoin’s like exponentially more decentralized and stronger than it’s ever been,” he says. “It’s never going to happen — they’ve even admitted it.”
This epiphany pulled Yazbeck from the abyss. Bitcoin wasn’t just a recovery mechanism but a rebellion with a chance to overcome the “Ponzi” that is fiat currency.
A system Tony understandably sees as “a scam, a fraud, a tool of manipulation… a tool of war, control, censorship, all the bad, evil things in the world.”
With newfound purpose, he vowed, “What happened to me can never happen again.” Bitcoin became his phoenix, rising from the ashes of his upended life.
The Bitcoin Way: Self-Custody as Empowerment
In 2022, after freelancing and “orange-pilling” anyone who’d listen, from gas clerks to grocery shoppers, Yazbeck co-founded The Bitcoin Way with partner Andy.
Their mission? To teach people how to wield Bitcoin’s power through self-custody, ensuring no bank, government, or third party can ever strip them of their wealth again.
“Bitcoin in self-custody, man… when your turn comes to get f*****, you will understand why that message is the most important message the world has ever heard,” he says with unapologetic intensity.
Yazbeck’s philosophy is uncompromisingly rooted in Satoshi Nakamoto’s white paper. “There’s not a single letter in there that mentions anything else other than personal responsibility and self-custody,” he insists. ETFs, collaborative custody, and multi-currency wallets?
“Complete rubbish,” he scoffs, arguing they undermine Bitcoin’s essence. “If your money is not in self-custody, you have no money. Very simple.”
The Bitcoin Way simplifies this ethos into actionable education. They guide clients step-by-step — often over multiple hour-long consults — to master air-gapped hardware wallets like Coldcard, Foundation Passport, etc, which never touch the internet for maximum security.
“We break it down into a series of steps. We’re really good teachers,” Yazbeck says. “I speak plain English to translate some of the most complicated terms.” Their process ensures even tech novices can secure their bitcoin, manage seed phrases, and recover funds if disaster strikes.
“If it all blows up tomorrow — your computer, your cold wallet, all of it goes to hell — you sleep well at night knowing everything can be reconstructed in under an hour,” he promises.
But it’s more than wallets. They teach encrypted vaults, Bitcoin nodes, UTXO management, disaster recovery, and inheritance planning.
Skills that Yazbeck deems “essential” for generational wealth. “Since this is generational wealth… this will be the most valuable thing you’ll ever own,” he says.
Clients repeat the process until “it’s like riding a bicycle — you never forget, it becomes like a 60-second thing.” Private Signal groups keep them connected 24/7, ensuring no one’s left guessing.
Beyond Bitcoin: A Self-Sovereign Life
The Bitcoin Way extends beyond Bitcoin’s blockchain. They lock down clients’ devices, phones, and computers with cybersecurity protocols.
They also advocate for privacy-focused tools like de-Googled phones and Linux, and even offer “Plan B” residency or citizenship in Bitcoin-friendly, tax-free jurisdictions.
“Bitcoin circular economies are booming,” Yazbeck notes, living this lifestyle himself and introducing clients to thriving communities of like-minded Bitcoiners.
His disdain for fiat reliance is visceral. “Imagine buying an ETF or, worse, waiting for your bank like a JP Morgan, the guys who funded Epstein’s list to give them the world’s most valuable asset,” he says.
“What kind of a f*****-up f*** do you have to be to do this?” For Yazbeck, Bitcoin’s value lies in its permissionless nature: “No permission required, no fuss, no mess. That’s Bitcoin. That is the revolution here.”
A Warning and a Hope
Yazbeck fears the West’s complacency. “Most people in the United States… have never experienced something like this, so the idea that this can happen is so far-fetched they just can’t fathom the possibility,” he warns.
Yet, he’s seen it firsthand: “If they stole USD in Lebanon, they’re going to steal the USD no matter where you are.” He predicts a fabricated crisis, perhaps a “cyber attack” to usher in central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), locking people into digital servitude.
“Consider your life finished,” he says, if that happens without bitcoin in self-custody.
Despite this grim outlook, Yazbeck’s mission is hopeful. “When somebody says, ‘Thank you for saving my life,’ you can’t put a price tag on that,” he shares.
Now a regular on Bitcoin podcasts, he’s a vocal advocate for financial independence, driven by a refusal to “leave a loser legacy.” Bitcoin reshaped his values: “I own nothing and I’m extremely happy… I chase memories and experiences now.”
Bitcoin’s Purest Form
Tony Yazbeck’s journey, from Lebanon’s banking abyss to Bitcoin’s forefront, embodies a truth he lives by: “Bitcoin provides ownership of wealth in its purest form. It’s there — 12 words, and if you ingrain it in your brain… it’s the only thing you can own.”
For him, it’s not just about surviving — it’s about thriving in a world where financial sovereignty is no longer a privilege, but a right anyone can claim. Through The Bitcoin Way, he’s ensuring others can too before the next collapse reminds them why it matters.
