The Goal Has Always Been Freedom. Now it’s the Mission. Just over five years ago, we launched our first auction: Relentless Optimism by Chiefmonkey. At the time, our mission was simple: "support Bitcoin culture and adoption."
But that statement was always a proxy for something bigger. For us, Bitcoin has always represented Freedom.
Since that first auction, we’ve sold thousands of artworks and collectibles to a community of collectors who believe Bitcoin is the base layer for a more free and fair society. The progress Bitcoin has made since we launched has been incredible for hodlers and society at large. But now as Bitcoin enters its "institutional phase," the landscape is shifting.
Most newcomers today are introduced to Bitcoin through legacy finance and paper bitcoin. There is nothing inherently wrong with that - it’s part of the journey - but it does change the game. When Bitcoin is seen as an institutional asset, it becomes harder to onboard individuals for the sake of self-sovereignty.
Meanwhile, governments around the world are weaponizing censorship and surveillance at an unprecedented rate. The fight for civil liberties has never been more critical, and the individuals, organizations, and technologies on the frontlines need help.
At Scarce City, this means it’s time to take the fight for freedom head-on.
Our new mission is to support freedom fighters and their causes. Bitcoin remains our preferred tool in this mission. Its permissionless, unconfiscatable nature is required to fund the individuals and entities that stand at odds with state overreach.
To hold ourselves accountable, we’ve added a Freedom Funds Counter to our homepage, which currently sits at a staggering 30.97855 BTC. This is paired with a new Donations Page featuring a ledger of the past freedom-based funds raised.
We are also making it easier than ever for sellers to join the resistance. When submitting an item for auction or sale, you can now pledge a portion (or all) of the proceeds to vetted freedom-oriented causes. To put our sats where our mouth is, Scarce City takes zero fees on donated proceeds. We only apply our platform fee to the seller’s remaining earnings.
As we move forward, expect continued support for the Bitcoin art and collectibles that have defined us for a half-decade, alongside a new, broader expansion into other Freedom-based goods.
The goal hasn't changed. We're just making it the mission.