My story with Bitcoin
(Useful resources below)I first heard about Bitcoin in 2016 thanks to a French YouTuber called Raj. I was under 16, too young to buy any, but I got so interested that I printed out a paper wallet which I still have today (empty). Back then, it wasn’t about investing or getting rich. It was about an alternative system of payment. A decentralised system, no middlemen, just people trading directly. Raj showed small shop owners in Paris accepting Bitcoin, and that felt like a quiet revolution. Meanwhile, the media painted it as some kind of 'criminal enabling tool', but to me, it was just people trying to own their own money. I'm not and never have been anti-government (governments are necessary), but I’ve always found interesting tools that give people more freedom and independence for themselves.
I bought my first Bitcoin in 2017 on Coinbase. Not much, almost nothing actually— but enough to feel like part of something. I wasn’t thinking about speculation, I just wanted to be part of the revolution. Of course, I wish I’d bought a good amount... seriously who doesn’t?! But it’s fine. What matters to me is what Bitcoin stands for. These days, many governments (in some parts of the world) are trying to ban it because they can’t control it. In the West, regulation is a double-edged sword: it can protect people & businesses, and prevent fraud and unlawful activities. But it also damages privacy for normal people. The blockchain is transparent, and that’s a problem when you don’t want people who you interact with to see your whole past and future transactions.
Bitcoin today is mostly seen as a speculative asset or a security, but not as much as a currency. But if we want it to grow, we need to use it like money: buy, sell, share, and 'evangelise' others. The “store of value” angle is powerful too: 21 million BTC max, no central bank printing more. While fiat prices change, 0.005 BTC is always 0.005 BTC. I believe we’ll see different cryptos serve different purposes. F.e Bitcoin for holding value, others like Nano for free and fast transactions, others for privacy (like Zcash), or for building smart contracts (like Ethereum).
In the end, I think Bitcoin should go mainstream. Not because it replaces the system, but because it gives people an option. I'm not anti-bank at all, I think they serve an important purpose, I just believe people should have tools available to be able to have full control over their own money. Especially in a world where cash is disappearing and everything’s being tracked, we need tools that protect individual freedom. That’s not rebellion, not being anti-system, nor any sort of political opinion: that’s just a simple human right, and a philosophy of life.