Oddbean new post about | logout
 In my journey with Bitcoin, I was raised by parents who faced financial struggles, which left an indelible impression on me. I developed a keen interest in money and became quite conservative with my finances. As a young lad, I earned pocket money through tasks and eventually secured full-time summer jobs at an early age. At 16, I landed my first permanent job and have been employed ever since, with the exception of two winters during college.


Early in my career, I purchased a house and began investing in stocks. My first significant win came after "Diesel Gate," when I capitalized on the VW stock recovery. Over the next 8 years, I experienced several big wins, a number of losses, and a few mediocre successes in the stock market.


As I grew older, I became increasingly curious about the financial system and how it functioned, feeling that the odds were stacked against me. Every dollar I saved seemed to require investment just to maintain its value, with only "lucky gambles" increasing my worth in relation to inflation.


Fortunately, I landed a good career that allowed me to save a substantial portion of my wage. This was due to my good spending habits, living within my means, and having a low time preference for money. However, I found it increasingly difficult to justify trading stocks, as I perceived a growing lack of fundamentals in the market. Consequently, I decided to concentrate on two things: paying off my house and investing in the S&P 500, which provided temporary peace of mind.


During the 2020 bull run, I began to hear more about cryptocurrencies and decided to delve deeper into the subject. In a short time, I was buying Bitcoin, Ethereum, and dabbling in other cryptocurrencies. My initial strategy included a small allocation to Bitcoin, but as I continued to read and learn more, I realized its potential and gradually increased my allocation. By mid-2023, I had effectively adopted a near-maximum Bitcoin strategy, the result of 1000+ hours of research and logical thinking.


Around the same time, I began to see the corruption in various aspects of our lives, from the food we eat to healthcare systems, monetary policies, and the military-industrial complex. I recognize that everyone has a unique path, and I consider myself fortunate. Unlike many others who got into Bitcoin in 2011, 2013, or 2017, I didn't have to endure a long wait to understand its true value. I didn't study economics, finance, or any other related field, yet when I sought information about Bitcoin, it immediately made sense. I attribute this understanding to a combination of factors, including my interest in the monetary system, geopolitical issues, skepticism about contemporary issues, past experiences with banking and investing, an interest in Austrian Economics, and distrust in government monetary policies.


In summary, I believe that everything affects the money we use, and the money we use, in turn, affects everything else. Money is the single most influential factor in our societies, and the adoption of Bitcoin as a hard monetary system will be the most positive change in centuries, shaping the world as we know it for the better.

#Bitcoin