Francis Pouliot
Bull Bitcoin
CEO of Bull Bitcoin, a non-custodial Bitcoin-only exchange. Co-founder of Bitcoin Foundation Canada and Satoshi Portal. A self-described Cypherpunk Bitcoin Maximalist building the financial infrastructure Bitcoin deserves.
Who is Francis Pouliot?
Francis Pouliot is one of Canada's earliest and most principled Bitcoin entrepreneurs. Born in Quebec in 1989, he studied International/Global Studies at the Universite de Montreal and earned an MA in Public Policy with Distinction from King's College London. He transitioned into full-time Bitcoin work in 2013, making him one of the first Canadians to build a career entirely in the Bitcoin industry.
His early contributions set the foundation for Bitcoin in Canada. In 2014, he joined the Bitcoin Embassy and launched regulatory advocacy efforts. In 2015, he co-founded the Bitcoin Foundation Canada and acquired Bylls, the first global Bitcoin bill payment processing service, which remains Canada's largest Bitcoin payment processor. These weren't side projects. They were the building blocks of Canadian Bitcoin infrastructure.
In 2017, Pouliot founded Bull Bitcoin, a non-custodial Bitcoin-only exchange that operates on a radical principle: the company never holds customer funds. When you buy Bitcoin from Bull Bitcoin, it goes directly to your wallet. This design reflects Pouliot's core belief that the most valuable features of Bitcoin are all derived from the fact that users can hold and transfer Bitcoin with self-custody. He has consistently advocated against custodial wallets at major summits since 2019.
Pouliot describes himself as a Cypherpunk Bitcoin Maximalist and views doing Bitcoin the right way as a moral imperative. He openly acknowledges the engineering and operational challenges of maintaining a non-custodial service with minimal compromises on cypherpunk principles, but refuses to cut corners on privacy and self-custody for the sake of convenience or profit. Under his leadership, Bull Bitcoin has scaled its non-custodial services internationally, proving that principled Bitcoin infrastructure can be commercially viable.
“We refuse to compromise on our values, cut corners on privacy and self-custody, and act against the best interests of our users just because it's easier.”
Why we feature Francis
Non-custodial exchange pioneer
Bull Bitcoin sends Bitcoin directly to your wallet. No custodial risk, no IOUs, no 'we'll hold it for you.' This is what Bitcoin exchanges should look like.
Canadian Bitcoin infrastructure builder
Bitcoin Foundation Canada, Bylls payment processor, Satoshi Portal. Pouliot built the early infrastructure that made Bitcoin usable in Canada.
Principled business model
Refuses to compromise on privacy and self-custody even when it's harder and less profitable. Proves that cypherpunk values and commercial viability can coexist.
Regulatory credibility
MA in Public Policy, Associate Researcher at Montreal Economic Institute, Fintech Advisor to Ontario Securities Commission. Bridges the gap between Bitcoin principles and regulatory reality.
Francis's best work
Bull Bitcoin Exchange
Non-custodial Bitcoin-only exchange. Buy Bitcoin and have it sent directly to your own wallet. No custody, no compromise.
The Hard Path - Bull Bitcoin Blog
Pouliot's manifesto on why doing Bitcoin the right way is difficult but morally necessary. Essential reading for understanding principled Bitcoin business.
Bylls - Bitcoin Bill Payments
Canada's largest Bitcoin payment processor, allowing Canadians to pay any bill using Bitcoin.
Bitcoin Conference Presentations
Pouliot's talks on non-custodial infrastructure, cypherpunk principles, and the future of Bitcoin financial services.
About this profile
Bitcoin.diy features Francis Pouliot because Bull Bitcoin is the gold standard for how a Bitcoin exchange should operate: non-custodial, privacy-respecting, and principled. His work proves that you don't have to compromise cypherpunk values to build a successful Bitcoin business.