A British Bitcoiner claims he was briefly uninvited from a crypto conference — soon after interviewing a far-right activist on his podcast.
Peter McCormack uploaded a picture to X alongside Tommy Robinson, who previously founded the English Defence League.
Robinson — who describes himself as a “journalist” — hugely divides opinion in the U.K. While some insist he represents working-class communities, others argue he is an Islamophobic racist who inflames tensions.
The 42-year-old, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has been in and out of prison multiple times in recent years — including for assault, mortgage fraud, and illegally entering the U.S. on a bogus passport. Last month, he was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm after a man was assaulted and left with serious injuries at a police station in London.
McCormack had been due to attend BitFest U.K. in Manchester in November, but told his 569,000 followers that the invitation had been revoked. He later clarified this decision had been reversed, with organizers asking him to speak on the topic of free speech. He wrote:
“I have declined their request but appreciate the apology and invite.”
The podcaster, who previously hosted the What Bitcoin Did show and now owns a football club in Bedford, has sought to defend his decision to interview Robinson — and claims he has received threats since the announcement.
“Every now and again, the fact that I interview certain people upsets certain people. That is the reality of my job. But here are the principles I will not compromise on: free press, free journalism, and free speech. Without those, everything else falls apart.”
McCormack went on to argue that talking to “controversial figures” is important, and claimed that it was unfair to describe Robinson as racist.
“On the way to my studio, Tommy was stopped by a Sikh man who thanked him and said he was proud to be British, does not like where the country is headed and thanked Tommy for what he is doing. Tommy embraced him, listened to him, and showed him respect. That is not the behaviour of a racist.”
He went on to insist that the interview will be released as planned — and he “will not bend to pressure from people who want to suppress information and speech.”
It comes almost a year to the day that McCormack described Robinson “as a racist bellend” — with some of the podcaster’s followers claiming he has since lurched to the right.
The podcaster’s received a pretty mixed reaction on X. While some claim that it is crucial to preserve freedom of speech, others have accused him of “platforming a complete fraud.” One wrote:
“Those maggots are out to destroy the UK’s democracy. You should just start promoting sh*t coins. At least you’d get rich. As it stands you look like a useful idiot.”
All of this comes at a time of heightened tensions in Britain. One of the most pressing political issues here at the moment relates to the number of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats. Protests have been growing outside hotels housing asylum seekers, with right-wing politicians vowing to deport people who have entered the country illegally.
No rational person would argue against free speech. However, that isn’t to say that speech can’t have consequences. And especially on X — where content moderation is practically non-existent — “free speech” has been used as a fig leaf by those who want to be openly racist and misogynistic.
Equally, those who have a huge following online have a responsibility to their audiences. McCormack may insist that he isn’t “platforming” Robinson, but it’s undeniable that he’s amplifying the views of someone on the extremes of British politics.
This is the latest example of someone who made their name as a Bitcoin podcaster making a pivot into political content — and alienating a sizable number of their original audience in the process. Some fans have claimed this interview marks “a new low,” while others have called him “an absolute disgrace.”
As defiant as McCormack is, it’s likely one of two things will happen in the months and years to come: he’ll either lurch further to the right, or end up regretting handing a microphone to an extremist convict.
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