Tweetstorm: On Bitcoin Culture

2 minute read

Crypto Words has moved! The project has migrated to a new domain. All future development will be at WORDS. Go to WORDS

Tweetstorm: On Bitcoin Culture

By Neil Woodfine

Posted May 24, 2019

  1. Bitcoin deals with money. Separating money from the state. Managing people’s life savings. People’s livelihoods depend on it. The path of civilisation is altered by the money its built on. Dangerous, risky stuff. A lot is on the line.
  2. In addition to this, the vast majority of the industry surrounding bitcoin is comprised of scammers and their “agnostic” enablers. Fraudsters and charlatans that knowingly exploit the lack of understanding in this new technology to profit handsomely at others’ expense.
  3. Bitcoin industry culture is therefore necessarily one of extreme skepticism, cynicism, rigorous review, and forthright language. Regardless of whether you’re discussing bitcoin development, business, or economics, no one is safe.
  4. Bitcoin is better for it. Dangerous products are rooted out quickly, catastrophic losses are avoided, people know what’s private and what’s not, damage caused by scammers is strictly limited, dead ends are avoided early, progress is sustainable. The system keeps running.
  5. If you’re unhappy with bitcoin culture, sorry, you’re the problem. Bitcoin is better off without you—you’re not cut out for the challenges ahead. You’re not good under pressure, you’re too sensitive, and you lack conviction.
  6. It is you that have to adapt to bitcoin culture. Bitcoin should not be expected to adapt to you. If it did, bitcoin would become weak. Like you. You don’t build a historic monetary paradigm shift wearing kid gloves.
  7. If you do manage to adapt, you’ll discover that the bitcoin industry is a very friendly, kind, supportive, and stimulating place. Everyone has time for each other. People are earnest—you encounter far less of the fakery and empty platitudes found in crypto circles.
  8. Try going to a bitcoin-only event. Attendees are typically straightforward, collaborative, and technology-focused. If you somehow find yourself feeling broadly unwelcome, your ideas probably suck. You should revise them and be humble.
  9. Of course, you’re never going to please everyone all the time. Despite what you may have heard, bitcoiners don’t agree on everything. You won’t find two bitcoiners that don’t passionately disagree on something. But so what. Grow up.
  10. And if you still can’t accept this reality, you’re in luck, because bitcoin is completely permissionless. All you need to get started is available online, where you don’t need to interact with any oppressive bitcoiners (who probably wrote the material you’re reading).
  11. You are free to create as many industry groups as you like, open or closed. Can’t bitcoiners just be friendly? Why yes, we can! Within your popular, carefully-managed, strictly-moderated safe space, bitcoiners will be very careful with their thoughts and words I’m sure!
  12. Instead of focusing on who said what and how it made you feel when they said it, try doing something. Build something useful. Do you want to change the way money works forever, or not?