It was about 5 years ago when I first started learning about cryptocurrency and the blockchain. I remember hearing about it many times in the past and trying to learn about it, but I didn't, it would only confuse me. People were doing so many different things with crypto that it became hard to keep up and to understand.
I asked myself ''What's so special about it, is it not just like using online banking or PayPal''?
I truly could not wrap my head around it. I must say, this is coming from a newbie that still doesn't know much about the crypto world and all the potential uses of the blockchain.
The only thing that made a bit of sense to me was what the miners were doing. I thought it made sense to set up a rig, mine some crypto, and then cash in the profits for dollars. Otherwise, I had no other idea of how crypto could be used, earned, or spent.
I did not know and I thought I did not need to... until I did.
CRYPTOCURRENCY AND VALUE
Later in life, crypto became very attractive to me, mostly out of necessity. Something I have learned is that we place value in the things we want, but there is always an innate value in the things we need.
I needed a currency I could easily use anywhere I went without sacrificing my privacy, without needing permission from the government, and without having to pay crazy bank fees.
I needed to have control over the money I earned without the worry that my funds could be frozen because I supported the wrong civil rights movement, the wrong political party, or the wrong social platform.
I thought the idea of a digital currency, that the government couldn't inflate or steal from, was great. The concept of a digital currency that I could easily use without being tracked, every time I buy a beer or pay my phone, was amazing.
Cryptocurrency provided solutions to all my needs and I think that's where the real value of crypto lies: in it's utility, in it's usability, and in the freedom it offers.
All seemed perfect until I became more involved in the crypto world, I naively thought everyone there would be a believer in privacy as a human right. I believed everyone would be an advocate of freedom from government control, and a supporter of independence from centralized financial systems.
I was wrong and I have to say, I was a disappointed.
CRYPTOCURRENCY AND APPLIED ETHICS
I've seen so many threads about rug-pulls, dips and peaks, pumps and dumps, political endorsement, celebrity memecoins, and other scams. I can also see how these things hurt the community and the trust people have in cryptocurrencies.
Please keep in mind, this is not financial advice. This is just an expression of my point of view on certain things I've noticed in the crypto community. I have seen so much of this that I thought I'd share a bit of my opinions and maybe a few suggestions on these issues.
One of the things I don't always understand is why so many people in the crypto community get excited when a politician or government buys a ton of Bitcoin.
I really hope the excitement comes from crypto being better known and accepted worldwide. I truly hope it's not just because it pumps your bags. If that's the case, then you are still a slave to the system. If you push for government adoption of your crypto, just to raise the price so that you can sell high for dollars, then you're still a slave to fiat and consequently to the government.
Lets not forget that the more they have, the more they can control. They can easily use crypto as a way of stealing taxpayer money. They can decide to pull the rug anytime, and hit the blockchains with prohibitions, restrictions, and excessive regulations.
When it comes to government, I believe the less they are involved, the better things will be for the crypto community.
Another thing I don't understand is how so many people treat crypto as a stock to be traded or as a get-rich-quick scheme. Some people become obsessed with this. They're always focused on how high or low the price is, and they're always waiting for the right moment to buy or sell.
Some people are all about pumping their bags, without considering that when their bags pump and they sell, others lose. There is a transfer of wealth without the production of any value. This is not what we want, we want an exchange of wealth and value for the good of the whole ecosystem.
If my bags pumped I wouldn't sell for fiat or trade for stablecoins, I would just trade for another token that I know I can use to pay for stuff I need, and only if I needed more of it.
*After all, why would I want to trade the value of crypto for dollars that are losing purchasing power every day?
Why would I want to take value from the crypto community that I want to support and sell it off to the centralized banks?*
I just don't see what good that would do, or what true benefit there is in my crypto going up in value just to be sold off for fiat.
A BALANCE IN USING CRYPTO
In the few years I've learned about the blockchain I've realized that crypto is not just an asset to be traded, it is so much more than that!
I'm also not saying that it isn't good to invest and trade in crypto, I can see the allure of it all. However, I do believe there needs to be a balance in the way we use it and the way we earn it.
For example:
- Save some: Save your money in crypto, you could earn more APR than the bank could ever dream to pay!
- Hold some: Invest in more tokens for long term growth of value, but don't hoard what you don't need.
- Trade some: Your Bitcoin just peaked? Trade some for crypto you can use, not for fiat.
- Stake some: Support your favorite blockchains and projects, and earn rewards while you watch them grow.
- Earn some: Get paid in crypto by creating quality content or products, or by providing services that bring real value to the ecosystem. You want to earn by producing things that are of value, not by freely taking profits from the community.
- Spend some: Use crypto to pay for some of your bills, for everyday stuff, for personal debts, and for other things you need. Using crypto as currency is good for the ecosystem.
These are just some of the ways we can use crypto and I'm sure there are many more legitimate ways that we can earn and use crypto in a fair, honest, and responsible manner.
There is nothing better than a free market and the freedom to decide what we buy, where we buy, and what we sell, or where we sell. We should have total control of when and how we do those things, but anything we do should be done ethically.
IT MATTERS HOW WE USE CRYPTO
A healthy ecosystem will always have differences in opinions amongst its users, and that is a wonderful thing. We all have our own goals, our own projects, and our own plans. This means we will all use cryptocurrency in different ways. However, we must all share the desire to make the crypto community grow and thrive.
We must all want cryptocurrency to be adopted and accepted everywhere, we must all want to see, not just a profitable ecosystem in the short term, but a successful one in the long run.
If we use cryptocurrency the right way we will see mass adoption and its value will be at it's full potential. But If we continue to use it irresponsibly or unethically, the world will remain skeptical, and we will end up turning crypto into something even worse than fiat
We should use crypto as a way of achieving financial freedom and independence from oppressive governments and centralized banking systems that seek only to control our lives and milk our pockets.
We should hold crypto and all its benefits, as the new gold standard for financial systems worldwide. So next time you need to pay for something, try paying for it with crypto, try using crypto as currency. Little by little, step by step, we will make the difference.
I congratulate and salute all those who make an honest living working hard in the crypto world, and to all those pioneers who have gone far and beyond to abandon fiat and the centralized banking system.
You're all forging the path to something good and you're changing the world of for the better. I know it is not easy, but I know it is well worth it! So keep working hard at it!
Who else out there is earning crypto and using crypto as currency to pay their bills? Why do you use crypto, and how?
I'd like to hear about it, so let me know.
If you've read this far I extend my deepest gratitude. I will continue to write about my views towards crypto adoption and my journey in the world of crypto.
This blog is small at the moment, but there's great plans for the future. I will be working hard to bring interesting and useful content on subjects that concern our communities. I will be writing on subjects such as politics, cryptocurrency, gun control, civil rights, mental health, and more!
For all the curious minds that enjoy this kind of content, I invite you to show your support by following and sharing my blog with those who might find it to their liking.
I also encourage that you share of your own experience with cryptocurrency as we can all learn something new from each other.
Please feel free to leave your opinions, questions, and any suggestions in the comments section below.
Remember Lions stay safe, stay strong, and stay free!
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