I only use nostr on desktop.

Stopped using twitter.

Haven't used other social media in decade.

Not having distractions on mobile does wonders for focus. May continue this trend.

It takes pain to learn life lessons. A few years ago I was dating a woman who turned out to be crazy. Long story short, i ended up sleeping in my car and eating food that others left behind in the office trash (I was very good at hiding this). I started all over again at a new job just before covid. The job ended as work slowed down and the new guy is the first to be cut. So I chose to live in a tent and through my phone, I discovered Bitcoin and bought some with a portion of the emergency and stimulus money.

From that pain comes a philosophy of independence, calm, mightyness, positivity, and perseverance. I know that whatever happens, I'll be growing all my own food, and plan to have my own water source, etc.... (I'm fact this is what @darthcoin is doing this summer).

Employers find me to be the most positive person they've ever had.

On Bitcoin Adoption

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There's a significant divide in the Bitcoin community at present, revolving around the adoption narrative. How does Bitcoin achieve widespread adoption? What conditions must be met for it to be globally recognized as a reserve currency?

Two key narratives dominate the discourse. The first stems from venture capitalists (VCs), altcoin enthusiasts, and "Bitcoin moderates." Their argument posits that Bitcoin's path to mainstream adoption requires substantial marketing efforts. Although they differ in the extent to which this marketing involves altcoins, DeFi, NFTs, or ordinals, they fundamentally agree that Bitcoin requires promotion, and don't really care exactly what form this takes. According to this group, sufficient promotion will enable the average person to "understand" Bitcoin, paving the way for a sky high price (and maybe alt season!)

However, this narrative is flawed as it fails to cultivate genuine Bitcoin holders. Instead, it promotes a culture of reckless gambling. At best, people dabble, make losses, and hopefully learn a valuable lesson about speculative games. At worst, people become entrenched in gambling habits, fostering a community rife with rent-seekers and scammers. Unfortunately, the majority entering the 'crypto' space find themselves with thinner wallets, often swearing off the entire sector after being scammed or losing significant funds.

This first narrative gains traction primarily because it enhances the perceived importance of its proponents. If adoption depended on active promotion, then VCs, marketers, and "Bitcoin moderates" become the linchpins for Bitcoin's advancement. It's an appealing narrative as it confers them a sense of significance they don't possess. Indeed, the egos on some of these people show just how self-serving their narratives are.

By contrast, the second narrative stipulates that adoption necessitates an understanding of Bitcoin as sound money. Bitcoin adoption is thus seen as a journey demanding patience, persistence, and a deep understanding of its technology and economics. This path typically spans several years and cannot be comprehended through a brief podcast snippet. Long-term Bitcoin holders and staunch supporters often attest to the validity of this narrative.

Interestingly, even those initially involved with altcoins or scammy altcoins find that these ventures did little to aid their understanding of Bitcoin as money. Quite the opposite, these distractions often muddied the waters and made understanding Bitcoin that much harder.

For long-term Bitcoin holders, the path to understanding Bitcoin necessitated considerable intellectual effort, rigorous study, and even financial discomfort. A clear understanding of Bitcoin's status as sound money was born out of hard work, not marketing gimmicks.

In this second narrative, exposure to Bitcoin usually stems from financial hardship. Whether due to inflation, banking issues, or government actions, people turn to Bitcoin out of ideological belief or necessity. Consequently, Bitcoin adoption is less about a marketing blitz and more about disillusionment with the current system. As long as the existing financial infrastructure continues to fail people, we can anticipate Bitcoin's continued growth.

This perspective negates the need for 'professional' Bitcoin marketers or high-profile endorsements. The critical factor isn't the backing of Elon Musk or Snoop Dogg. Instead, it's about individuals recognizing the corrosive impact of inflation on their savings and seeking an alternative. Ordinals don't get people to hold Bitcoin long-term, a real understanding of money does.

Bitcoin adoption isn't a mere marketing exercise; it's a journey of understanding, borne out of necessity and disillusionment with the existing system.

It is curious how many now endorse the new gold-backed BRICS currency. The main partner of the BRICS is China, which has the longest history of using Fiat currency, starting from the 7th century and extending to the 17th century breaking convertibility to gold or silver on several occasions, what will stop it from doing so again?

Use #Bitcoin and forget about that state bullshit.

You'd think a true market #economy would encourage informed, rational choices, but it appears to do the opposite; it condones impulse and persuasion. 🤔 Can #bitcoin fix this?

Meta had a team of engineers work on Threads and it has fewer features than Damus. 😅

I don’t know who needs to hear this today but remember...

It’s 1000x harder to build something that creates value in the world than it is to destroy something valuable.

#nostr is for the builders.

You’re not ready for what game theory will do.

#Bitcoin is Perfect Money.