KOL Program Audit — March 2026
$20k/mo across 5 partners. One KOL drives 87% of conversions.
Full audit of active KOL roster, potential new partners, tier framework, budget reallocation, and 30-day action plan. GetBased at $47 CAC is the benchmark — everyone else needs to close the gap or get cut.
Snapshot Current roster Pipeline Tier framework Budget reallocation Governance 30-day actions
Snapshot
$20.5k
Total monthly KOL spend
5 active partners · 1 unsigned contract
$47
Best CAC (GetBased)
189 code uses · $9,000/mo · LatAm + retail
$5,000
Worst CAC (Bitcoin News)
1 code use · $5,000/mo · recommended pause
192
Total tracked code uses
189 GetBased · 3 Peruvian Bull · 0 Bitcoin Podcast
Current roster
GetBased
BTC Isla + Exit Manual · YouTube / X
$47 CAC Active $9,000/mo
→
Audience
  • BTC Isla: 17.4k YT subs · 95k views/mo
  • Exit Manual: 5.6k YT subs · 134k views/mo
  • Segment: Retail investors, Bitcoin sovereign lifestyle, LatAm
Deliverables
  • 12 ad reads + 12 watermarks + 12 pinned links
  • 12–36 social shoutouts
  • 12 explainer threads + 12 shorts
Strengths
  • + Best CAC on entire roster ($47)
  • + Highest deliverable volume per dollar
  • + Authentic Bitcoin culture fit
  • + Strong LatAm / Spanish-speaking reach
  • + First video + thread already live
Weaknesses
  • – Highest absolute spend ($9k/mo)
  • – Small subscriber base — SEO-dependent
  • – Two channels = coordination overhead
  • – Limited institutional audience
Action: Best performer by CAC. Hold spend. Replicate deliverable model for new partners. Consider expanding if LatAm/retail is a strategic priority.
THE Bitcoin Podcast
WalkerAmerica + team · YouTube / X / Spotify / Rumble
No data Contract unsigned $3,000–$3,500/mo
→
Audience
  • Combined: 177.8k followers · 2.3M YT views total
  • X: 34M impressions over 3 months
  • RSS: 444k downloads · 68.5k Spotify streams
  • Segment: Broad Bitcoin community (retail + enthusiast)
Deliverables
  • 8 longform ad reads/month
  • 8 shortform ad reads/month
Strengths
  • + Enormous X impression footprint (34M/3mo)
  • + Multi-platform (YT, Spotify, X, Rumble, Nostr)
  • + Strong community credibility
  • + Good cost-per-impression ratio
Weaknesses
  • – Contract NOT signed (Peter + Walker required)
  • – Zero promo code uses tracked
  • – Conversion completely unproven
  • – Ad read format only — no deep integrations
URGENT: Finalise dual contract signature. Add promo code tracking immediately upon launch. Conversion is unknown — this blocks everything.
Peruvian Bull
Roberto Rios · X / Substack / YouTube
$1,667 CAC Active $5,000/mo
→
Audience
  • X: 123k followers · ~1M impressions/mo
  • YouTube: 17k subs · 50–75k views/mo
  • Substack: 6.7k subscribers
  • Segment: Macro-skeptic retail + institutional crossover
Deliverables
  • Substack sponsorship (Dollar Endgame)
  • 2+ retweets/week incl. 1 QT
  • 3 × 18+ min YT videos/mo with watermark
  • 1–2 AI videos/mo
Strengths
  • + Strong macro narrative alignment
  • + Institutional crossover appeal
  • + High X impression volume (1M/mo)
  • + Substack = high-intent, educated audience
Weaknesses
  • – High CAC ($1,667) — weakest conversion
  • – YT subs small vs. cost
  • – Content quality inconsistent
  • – Audience skews US macro, limited international
Action: Reduce to $3,000–$3,500/mo. Reframe deliverables toward institutional content. If CAC doesn't improve in 60 days, cut scope further.
Joe Nakamoto
Bitcoin journalism / documentaries · YouTube / X
No data Proposed $3,000/mo
→
Proposed deliverables
  • 1 YT video/week (10–20 min documentaries)
  • 3–4 X clips/week
  • 3 vertical shorts/week
Context
  • Status: Proposal scrapped May 2024
  • Segment: Global on-the-ground Bitcoin journalism
  • Conversion: Not tied to product CTA
Strengths
  • + Unique documentary / investigative angle
  • + Highly authentic Bitcoin culture content
  • + Strong storytelling — differentiates Blockstream
  • + International / global reach
Weaknesses
  • – Never activated — zero performance data
  • – Scrapped internally — needs new approval
  • – Not tied to product conversion
  • – Slower cadence (documentary format)
Action: Reconsider for brand storytelling role, not performance conversion. Pair with a Jade campaign. Re-pitch internally with new strategic framing.
Pipeline — new KOL candidates
Nik Bhatia
The Bitcoin Layer · YouTube / Substack / X
Tier 1 Institutional $3,000–$3,500/mo
→
Audience
  • 100k+ YT views/mo · 150k+ Substack views/mo
  • 250k+ monthly across channels
  • Segment: Institutional / academic / TradFi crossover
Why this KOL
  • Former Fed researcher — TradFi credibility
  • Macro-monetary framing aligns with Blockstream Enterprise
  • Already in Q4 brief at $3,150/mo
Strengths
  • + Best institutional audience available
  • + Academic credibility
  • + Substack = high-intent professional readers
  • + Consistent, high-quality output
Risks
  • – Payment dispute must be resolved first
  • – Academic tone may not drive consumer conversion
  • – Slow to produce custom content
Next step: Resolve outstanding payment, then formalise as anchor institutional KOL. Co-produce a white paper or report. 6 YT pre-rolls, 6 Substack ads, 1–2 X posts/mo.
BTC Sessions
Bitcoin Boomers · YouTube / X
Tier 1 Education $1,500–$2,500/mo
→
Audience
  • 376k YT subs · 168k X followers
  • 400k+ monthly views
  • Segment: 40+ demographic, hardware wallet users
Why this KOL
  • #1 Bitcoin education channel for hardware wallets
  • Jade tutorial content is a natural fit
  • Strong SEO — evergreen tutorial value
  • Already in Q4 brief
Strengths
  • + Largest Bitcoin education YouTube channel
  • + Jade tutorials = natural product fit
  • + Evergreen SEO value
Risks
  • – Only 3 code uses so far (CAC: $500)
  • – Demographic skews older
  • – Waiting on payment per Q4 notes
Next step: Resolve payment. Upgrade from ad reads to product-integrated Jade tutorials. Unboxing + setup video series. CAC should improve with format change.
Stephan Livera Podcast
Podcast / YouTube / X
Tier 1 Technical $2,000–$3,500/mo
→
Audience
  • ~50k listeners/ep · 68k X followers
  • ~200k monthly across platforms
  • Segment: Technical Bitcoiners, developers, Austrian economics
Why this KOL
  • Most credible technical Bitcoin podcast
  • Lightning / Liquid mention opportunities
  • Developer audience maps directly to Blockstream's core
Next step: Warm outreach via existing Bitcoin community contacts. Pitch Blockstream CTO/engineer guest appearance. Liquid Network deep-dive episode. 4–6 ad reads/mo.
Preston Pysh
We Study Billionaires / Bitcoin Fundamentals · Podcast / YT / X
Tier 1 Institutional $5,000–$8,000/mo
→
Audience
  • ~1M+ podcast network · 160k+ X followers
  • 1.5M+ monthly impressions
  • Segment: Institutional investors, family offices, HNW individuals
Why this KOL
  • Bridge between TradFi and Bitcoin
  • Audience = ICP for Blockstream Enterprise
  • Trusted voice in institutional Bitcoin circles
Next step: Identify warm intro through investor network. Lead with Blockstream Enterprise story. Co-produce institutional Bitcoin custody report. Start with 2-month trial.
Bitcoin Magazine
Media + KOL hybrid · Newsletter / X / Events
Tier 2 $1,667 CAC $4,000–$6,000/mo
→
Audience
  • 500k+ newsletter subs · 300k+ X followers
  • 1M+ monthly across all channels
  • Segment: Broad Bitcoin — institutional + retail
Current issues
  • Only 3 code uses — very high CAC
  • Current deal: 1 tweet + 1 email/mo = low engagement
  • Store placement fee ($5k/yr) of unclear value
Next step: Renegotiate. Sponsored article + dedicated email + co-branded report + event speaking. Drop store placement if no conversion evidence.
Marty Bent
TFTC — Tales From the Crypt · Podcast / Newsletter / X
Tier 2 Self-custody $2,000–$3,500/mo
→
Audience
  • ~40k podcast subs · 130k+ X followers
  • ~500k monthly impressions
  • Segment: Core Bitcoiners, privacy-focused, self-sovereignty
Why this KOL
  • Deep cypherpunk/sovereignty credibility
  • Hardware wallet buyer audience
  • Known for genuine Bitcoin product reviews
Next step: Cold outreach with Jade Plus review unit. Position as self-sovereignty tool, not a corporate ad. Audience is sceptical of shilling — must allow editorial independence.
Anthony Pompliano
Pomp Podcast / The Pump · YouTube / Newsletter / X
Tier 2 Mainstream $8,000–$15,000/mo
→
Audience
  • 1.6M YT subs · 1.6M X followers
  • 5M+ monthly across platforms
  • Segment: Mainstream finance, newcomers, entrepreneurs
Risks
  • Broad audience = lower conversion rate
  • Not core Bitcoin — risk of off-message content
  • Premium pricing · lower engagement at scale
Next step: Request media kit + conversion benchmarks. Test with 1–2 month trial for Blockstream App. Cap spend and measure promo code carefully. Focus on awareness, not conversion.
Bitcoin Audible
Guy Swann · Podcast / Fountain / Nostr
Tier 2 Deep Bitcoin $4,000–$8,000/mo
→
Audience
  • ~25k listeners/ep · ~100k monthly
  • Nostr/Fountain native distribution
  • Segment: Deep Bitcoin readers, protocol-focused, builders
Risks
  • Previously quoted at $25k/3mo ($8.3k/mo)
  • Cost/reach ratio is weakest on list
  • Audience is builders, not buyers
  • Nostr distribution unproven for conversion
Next step: Only activate if budget allows. Renegotiate away from $25k/3mo rate. Pair with technical blog content. 6 episodes/qtr narrating Blockstream long-form.
Tier framework
Tier 1 Anchor Partners $4,000–$10,000/mo · 2–3 partners
High trust, institutional or mass-market reach, proven conversion or credibility. Long-term relationships with custom deliverables and exec guest appearances.
Goal
Brand credibility + enterprise pipeline + volume conversion
Contract
6–12 month · custom deliverables · co-produced content
Review
Monthly performance · quarterly strategy alignment
GetBased Nik Bhatia BTC Sessions Preston Pysh
Tier 2 Performance Partners $2,000–$5,000/mo · 3–5 partners
Strong audience fit, proven or measurable conversion. Shorter-term, performance-gated. Promo code tracking mandatory.
Goal
Product conversion (Jade, App) · promo code driven
Contract
3–6 month · standardised deliverables
Review
Bi-weekly code use review · monthly CAC check
Peruvian Bull Stephan Livera Marty Bent Bitcoin Magazine
Tier 3 Amplification Partners $500–$2,000/mo · 5–10 partners
Niche or emerging creators. Lower cost, used for reach extension and testing. Product gifting, rev-share, or CPC options. Churn if no conversion after 2 months.
Goal
Reach extension · community seeding · new audience discovery
Contract
1–3 month trials · product gifting
Review
Monthly · cut if no conversion after 60 days
Joe Nakamoto Nostr creators Bitcoin For Millennials
Earned Organic / Product Seeding $0 (product cost only)
No payment. Jade gifting programme, early firmware/feature access, exclusive briefings. Unlimited partners. Community word-of-mouth.
Budget reallocation
KOL
Current
Recommended
Change
Justification
GetBased
$9,000
$9,000
Hold
Best CAC ($47). Replicate this model.
Nik Bhatia
$3,150
$3,500
+$350
Formalise as Tier 1 anchor. Resolve payment first.
BTC Sessions
$1,500
$2,500
+$1,000
Upgrade to Jade tutorial series. Resolve payment.
Bitcoin Podcast
$3,250
$3,000
Hold
Fix contract first. Add promo code tracking.
Peruvian Bull
$5,000
$3,250
−$1,750
CAC $1,667 unsustainable. Shift to institutional content.
Bitcoin Magazine
$5,417
$4,000
−$1,417
Renegotiate for editorial. Drop store placement.
Bitcoin News
$5,000
$0
Pause
$5,000 CAC. Worst performer. Pause immediately.
Preston Pysh
$0
$6,500
New
Best institutional podcast. 2-month trial.
Stephan Livera
$0
$3,000
New
Technical credibility. Lightning/Liquid native.
Joe Nakamoto
$0
$2,750
Reactivate
Brand storytelling, not conversion.
$32,317
Current total/mo
→
$37,500
Recommended total/mo
=
+$5,183
Net change · 3 new KOLs added
Governance gaps
Performance tracking
Ad hoc · code uses tracked sporadically in Notion
Centralised dashboard: promo codes, CAC, views, reach per dollar. Weekly updates.
Gap
Contract management
Contracts missing or incomplete (Bitcoin Podcast unsigned)
Standard template: duration, deliverables, promo code clause, payment schedule. DocuSign + Notion.
Gap
Content briefing
Minimal briefs · KOLs receive little strategic context
Monthly brief per KOL: key messages, products to promote, tone guide. Delivered 2 weeks before content.
Gap
Budget review
No formal cadence · spend decisions ad hoc
Monthly review: CAC per partner, spend vs. plan, reallocation. CAC ceiling of $500 for consumer KOLs.
Gap
New KOL pipeline
Reactive · no systematic outreach
Live pipeline of 10–15 candidates. Evaluate 2–3 per quarter using tier framework.
Weak
Content amplification
KOL content rarely repurposed by owned channels
Every sponsored video gets 1x owned-channel amplification. Test KOL shorts as paid ads.
Weak
30-day action plan
1
Sign Bitcoin Podcast contract (Walker + Peter)
Blocking all performance measurement for this KOL
URGENT
Comms Lead
2
Resolve Nik Bhatia outstanding payment
Risk of relationship damage + reputational issue
URGENT
Finance + Comms
3
Resolve BTC Sessions outstanding payment
Same risk as above
URGENT
Finance
4
Add promo codes to ALL active contracts
Mandatory for CAC tracking. Contracts must be signed first.
HIGH
Growth
5
Pause Bitcoin News ($5k/mo)
CAC $5,000 = unacceptable. Pending finance approval.
HIGH
Growth
6
Initiate Preston Pysh outreach
Best institutional podcast opportunity. Warm intro needed.
HIGH
Comms
7
Build KOL tracking dashboard
Centralise: spend, CAC, code uses, contract status
HIGH
Growth
8
Pitch BTC Sessions Jade tutorial series
Unlock better CAC through format upgrade. Payment must be resolved first.
MEDIUM
Product Mktg
9
Restructure Peruvian Bull deliverables
Shift toward institutional content; reduce spend if CAC stays above $500
MEDIUM
Comms
10
Renegotiate Bitcoin Magazine contract
Move from generic tweets to sponsored editorial. 60-day timeline.
MEDIUM
Comms
Strategic pillars
Institutional trust
No dedicated institutional KOL tier today. Target: 2–3 KOLs by Q2 2026. Budget: $8–12k/mo.
Target state
2–3 dedicated institutional voice KOLs (Nik Bhatia, Preston Pysh, Komainu-linked). Enterprise pipeline mentions. Whitepaper downloads.
ICP
Family offices, ETF issuers, custodians. Blockstream Enterprise is the product. Comms + Enterprise team owns this.
Consumer conversion
GetBased at $47 CAC is the model. Target: every KOL has a promo code, CAC <$100.
Target state
Universal promo codes. CAC target <$100. Jade tutorial content from BTC Sessions. Shift spend from low-performers.
Timeline
Immediate (Q1 2026). Growth Marketing owns. GetBased deliverable model should be replicated across new partners.
Brand legitimacy
Add cypherpunk credibility layer via Stephan Livera + Marty Bent + TFTC. $4–6k/mo incremental.
Why
Critical for trust with self-custody audience. Share of voice in Bitcoin developer/builder community. Organic mentions.
Timeline
Q2 2026. Comms owns. Must allow editorial independence — audience reacts negatively to over-commercialisation.
Global / regional reach
GetBased covers LatAm. Japan has no KOL strategy. Target: 1–2 regional KOLs per key market by Q3 2026.
Markets
LatAm (covered), Japan (priority — Blockstream Japan entity), Europe (open). $3–5k/mo per active region.
KPIs
Regional app downloads, regional Jade sales, local press mentions. Regional Marketing owns.