Nocoiners

Have you ever talked to a nocoiner about fiat before? I have, on many occasions. You see, I hate small talk, I would rather be absorbed in my own thoughts than mindlessly chatting. This is exacerbated by my not being very interested in professional sports (outside of combat/strength sports), and frankly I don't really care about the weather. I like to talk about things that I am passionate about, or at least interested in. This means if we are forced into a social interaction for longer than 15 minutes, odds are Bitcoin is going to come up.

Interestingly enough I have found that if I bring up Bitcoin, usually I will get someone's preconceived notion in response. More often than not this response is typically a soundbite from whatever normie media they consume. Most often its "Isn't that used to buy drugs/launder money" (as if Bitcoin could match the amount of USD that is used in those illicit activities). Less often I will hear something along the lines of "Oh yeah, I have some DOGE, or SHIB" (lol the power of memes). So I have learned that if I am to have a fruitful discussion about Bitcoin the best way to initiate the conversation is to ask them simply: "What gives the money in your bank value?". Typically it becomes apparent that the subject really doesn't understand what fiat currency is.

Fiat: the g(r)ift that keeps on taking

I will not go into a long diatribe on the evils of fiat currency at this time. It is safe to assume that if you are reading this blog right now you are likely already aware of the shortfalls of fiat. This isn't the problem. The actual problem is how few people do know what the pitfalls of fiat are. That said I believe the ground is ready. It is hard to have this conversation during good times, but look around, its not going too good for most. People are starting to suffer under inflation, and they don't fully understand why. Now is the perfect time to help people learn about not just Bitcoin, but the significance of decentralization.

What can be used as a currency?

I will stop here to say if you haven't read "The Bitcoin Standard" you should. I will be diving into Dr. Ammous' sequel "The Fiat Standard" soon enough. His work is very useful when trying to help explain this topic to nocoiners.

Once we go over what makes something a meaningful currency we can then get into the benefits of Bitcoin. First we must show them that they are being intentionally sabotaged by a small group of people for an outrageous benefit to said people. Then we show them why fiat doesn't actually have to be currency in the first place, and then we introduce them to the most perfect currency ever created. This is the way, savvy?

Understand that if you are already in Bitcoin, you are on the ark. Our job is to help get more people on the ark. It is fun to think about how this will all ultimately play out, but one thing is certain: The more Bitcoin exposure someone has now represents a distinct advantage over someone who only has USD. Whatever happens between now and mass adoption, the more people who make the switch now, the softer the landing will be. In my estimation at least. This is why I view the education and onboarding of new entrants into Bitcoin to be of maximum importance.

What about Stacks?

Glad you asked. Once the subject understands the value of Bitcoin, then they have to learn the value of smart contracts. What is Bitcoin if not just massive potential energy? If this is true then smart contracts are the catalyst that puts this energy into use. For me, I had to go the long way around to learn about smart contracts. Seeing as though this is 2022, it should be much easier to transition from Bitcoin = sound money to Stacks = smart contracts on Bitcoin. From there I think the Web3 piece can be discussed. I have not personally fully formed this piece for normie consumption yet. I'm working on it.

Education is an important part of what I will be putting my energy into. Most of that will be via this blog, and another that I am about to release:

jacksjournalism.btc

This will be an adjunct to this blog, which will remain my primary as it is a bit of a passion project for me. I especially enjoy speaking about issues that concern young men and couples. The jacksjournalism.btc account will focus more on news, education, and journalism. For example I will be chronicling a trip to Austin to learn about the locals understanding of Bitcoin, get their reactions to projects like Stacks and City Coins, and just do a bit of education if given the opportunity. I will also use that forum to give founders/teams the opportunity to talk about their various projects in the Stacks ecosystem. The idea will surely grow and get more refined over time, but you get the idea.

Thank you for reading as always. I don't have anything else to say for now. Until next time, Jack.