<rant>
I discovered Bitcoin in its early days, back in 2011. I was lucky. I was simply searching the internet for a way to receive donations anonymously for Clipperz.is, an online password manager I created with a friend, a small project with a truly paranoid threat model.
Happy users wanted to send us money, but we did not want to know their names, their email addresses, or, even worse, the details of their PayPal or bank accounts. Bitcoin was the right solution to our very specific problem.
To me, Bitcoin was a tool, not a religion or a get-rich-quick scheme. It was a tool that nicely complemented our little project and served the interests of its small user base of geeks. It took me time and effort to understand the much larger potential of Bitcoin, and this was only possible because of the people I met along this journey of discovery. A remarkably eclectic crowd: techies and laypeople, young and seasoned, spanning the entire political spectrum, all united by a shared fascination with Bitcoin.
This tiny community of Italian Bitcoiners was full of enthusiasm, and it fueled my passion for the technology. Quite naturally, Bitcoin became the cornerstone of my professional life.
For several years, I was completely absorbed in startup life and didn't spend much time attending Bitcoin events or following the Bitcoin Twitter bubble. Bitcoin itself was more than enough to keep me busy, enthusiastic, and intellectually stimulated.
Now that my life is no longer so hectic, I am able to spend more time here on Nostr or attending Bitcoin events, big and small. And I’ve realized that things have changed dramatically. What is most disconcerting to me is this: where has the openness to diversity and the richness of ideas from the early days gone?
I’m encountering almost exclusively Bitcoiners who rigidly conform to a standard set of beliefs, individuals who identify with some combination of the following totems: no taxes, no vaccines, pro-guns, anti-immigration, global warming is a hoax, the EU is a dictatorship, long live Mises, long live Milei, long live Bukele, HODL, bull run, to the moon, God, family, gym, steak and eggs…
Never a dissenting voice. Yet back in the distant year of 2011, it was clear to us that Bitcoin was for everyone. Even today, I keep hearing that, but at the same time, a narrative, sometimes delivered in a harsh tone, has emerged that pushes away a large portion of potential users who don’t necessarily identify with this bundle of convictions.
Understanding and embracing Bitcoin requires significant effort and genuine intellectual curiosity. Let’s not make the journey of discovering and understanding Bitcoin harder than it already is.
Bitcoin is for everyone. Even today.
</rant>
I discovered Bitcoin in its early days, back in 2011. I was lucky. I was simply searching the internet for a way to receive donations anonymously for Clipperz.is, an online password manager I created with a friend, a small project with a truly paranoid threat model.
Happy users wanted to send us money, but we did not want to know their names, their email addresses, or, even worse, the details of their PayPal or bank accounts. Bitcoin was the right solution to our very specific problem.
To me, Bitcoin was a tool, not a religion or a get-rich-quick scheme. It was a tool that nicely complemented our little project and served the interests of its small user base of geeks. It took me time and effort to understand the much larger potential of Bitcoin, and this was only possible because of the people I met along this journey of discovery. A remarkably eclectic crowd: techies and laypeople, young and seasoned, spanning the entire political spectrum, all united by a shared fascination with Bitcoin.
This tiny community of Italian Bitcoiners was full of enthusiasm, and it fueled my passion for the technology. Quite naturally, Bitcoin became the cornerstone of my professional life.
For several years, I was completely absorbed in startup life and didn't spend much time attending Bitcoin events or following the Bitcoin Twitter bubble. Bitcoin itself was more than enough to keep me busy, enthusiastic, and intellectually stimulated.
Now that my life is no longer so hectic, I am able to spend more time here on Nostr or attending Bitcoin events, big and small. And I’ve realized that things have changed dramatically. What is most disconcerting to me is this: where has the openness to diversity and the richness of ideas from the early days gone?
I’m encountering almost exclusively Bitcoiners who rigidly conform to a standard set of beliefs, individuals who identify with some combination of the following totems: no taxes, no vaccines, pro-guns, anti-immigration, global warming is a hoax, the EU is a dictatorship, long live Mises, long live Milei, long live Bukele, HODL, bull run, to the moon, God, family, gym, steak and eggs…
Never a dissenting voice. Yet back in the distant year of 2011, it was clear to us that Bitcoin was for everyone. Even today, I keep hearing that, but at the same time, a narrative, sometimes delivered in a harsh tone, has emerged that pushes away a large portion of potential users who don’t necessarily identify with this bundle of convictions.
Understanding and embracing Bitcoin requires significant effort and genuine intellectual curiosity. Let’s not make the journey of discovering and understanding Bitcoin harder than it already is.
Bitcoin is for everyone. Even today.
</rant>