Us vs Them
My 2 cents on why Crypto Twitter needs to wake up and embrace everything that is blockchain. Whether it's BTC, DOGE or whatever-token it's all part of a bigger picture. Let's focus on the real enemy.
What exactly are we doing this for? Why are we putting our money into this crypto versus that crypto? Sure, one could argue “to make sick gains, bro!”. And that’s a valid point. Another could say “because I love dogs”. Another valid point. The reality is, we all have our own personal reason why we buy crypto - just like we all have our reasons on what food we eat, what music we listen to, what books we read, etc - it’s called freedom.
Freedom is fungible
Everyone has their own definition of freedom. Unlike the NTF ‘Covid Alien’ CryptoPunk which sold for 11 Million - Freedom is not one thing to one person - it is a shared idea across everyone - fungible. Just because someone believes Bitcoin is the best hope for decentralizing the global infrastructure of financial autocracy, doesn’t invalidate another person’s belief that SHIBU INU will cure dog cancer. It’s all part of the complex yet cohesive entanglement of personal choice and social unrest. We all want the same thing - FREEDOM. But it does not mean we all need to be marching to the same militant drum beat. In fact, I could argue if we did - then we would be no better than the machine we currently are trying to dismantle.
Does Bitcoin solve all the World’s Problems?
I love Bitcoin. I own Bitcoin. I will always own Bitcoin. But, I am also a rational, reasonable person who accepts that I do not know what the future holds, or what innovations will arise to address the numerous challenges we face as individuals and as a society. So to put ALL the hope into one single idea - feels a little naive and risky.
It may be a healthy exercise for all Bitcoiners to use the Socratic method on this one, and walk through some hypotheticals, for example:
Do we believe Bitcoin will replace store of value? Yes, I think most of us can agree it has proven its capability and is superior to existing options like Gold.
Do we believe Bitcoin will replace equities? Hmmm, not sure if Bitcoin could replace actual stocks of companies. That is a bit more complex to predict. Perhaps there may be a use-case for another blockchain crypto to be used for replacing stocks and bonds?
Do we believe Bitcoin will replace the U.S. Dollar? This is a tough one, because on one hand Bitcoin has the potential to be used as currency in trade - but why would someone use Bitcoin to buy coffee if they feel it’s the best store of value. And of course, never mind the fact that if it replaces the currency of a Country - how does that Country function without a Central Bank? Is there a world that both could live in harmony?
etc, etc, etc
There a many questions that we should be asking, discussing and forming thought experiments so we can work together to frame the future. Instead, we are flooded with nonsensical bullying by Bitcoin maximalists, who’s response to any questions is somewhere between “Go fuck yourself Pleb” and “Have fun staying poor loser”. Not exactly instills confidence in what is to be considered the beginning of the greatest revolution in the history of mankind.
The real Enemy
Somewhere between Satoshi’s white paper and Elon Musk tweeting a breakup meme with Bitcoin - we have lost our way. At some point we all need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves - how did we get here? We went from fighting the Death Star with a handful of X-Wings - to Ewoks and Jar-Jar Binks tweeting “Mesa no likey Bitcoin”.
The enemy is not Ethereum, DOGE Coin, SHIB, Safemoon, HEX or any other crypto. To spend our time debating on which is better Bitcoin vs Ethereum, is mental masturbation. It adds no value to conversation. We declared war on the most powerful entity imaginable - the global financial system - and instead of taking the hill - and winning battles - we are pissing on each other’s cots at basecamp.
For those who have been involved in crypto since the early days (like me) - You have asked millions of people to put their money into a war that you and I started. Whether they chose Bitcoin or some other crypto is their choice. They are still on our side, fighting for a future we all agree is possible. Let’s not belittle them, dismiss them or worse yet - turn them against us.
It’s time we all accept our different Freedoms, and focus on the real enemy - the only one in the room trying to take our Freedom away.