We cannot deny that there's been a lot of hate and vitriol in the crypto space.
For example, we have the Bitcoiners who hate the "Shitcoiners". Likewise, there are the crypto people who loathe the "Bitcoin Maxis". Furthermore, many Ethereum people despise BSC people, Solana people, etc.
Finally, we have the "no-coiners", many of whom detest both Bitcoin and crypto in general, and constantly pray for its collapse.
Although unfortunate, all of this hate was fairly predictable, given that we're dealing with something as emotionally-charged as money, a subject that has caused war, family feuds, and divorces for millennia.
The Big Picture
We need to take a step back and realize why we're here in the first place.
Many of us got into Bitcoin and crypto after recognizing the problems with our current financial system. Namely that the debt is expanding exponentially, the elites are getting both richer and crazier, and the system simply isn't sustainable for future generations.
Despite our differences of opinion though, those of us who want to see real change in economics and finance need to find common ground.
El Salvador's Push
Making something obligatory that was supposed to be voluntary was a very controversial move made by Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele.
Instead of becoming the neutral money it was intended to be, Bitcoin became fairly politicized in El Salvador, due to its association with the controversial leader.
Even though the Bitcoin legal tender law was never really enforced here, businesses were technically required to accept it when a customer made the request.
That didn't sit well with the libertarians, who felt that Bitcoin and crypto should be something entirely voluntarily, and not enforced by some state authority.
Common Ground
That said, if Bukele had not made Bitcoin legal tender in El Salvador there would have been far fewer locals who would have been open to the idea of accepting Bitcoin as payment, or at least learning more about it.
We have to acknowledge that not everyone is a rebel, and that most of the population won't use Bitcoin or crypto voluntarily unless they know it has been permitted by their government, city council, or community leaders.
Rude vs Helpful Foreigners
Even though the Salvadoran government has officially authorized Bitcoin, I don't think foreign visitors should be demanding to pay with it, especially when a business is unwilling to accept it.
However, simply offering to pay with Bitcoin can sometimes lead to an interesting conversation with employees and business owners about Bitcoin and crypto fundamentals. In this way, we are gently planting a seed in the mind, and allowing it to grow organically.
Rather than demanding to pay with crypto, we should be encouraging more education about Bitcoin, doing our best to explain how it works, and describing the advantages and disadvantages of other cryptocurrencies.
Until next time...
Given something as emotionally-charged as money, it's no wonder that crypto has triggered many people over the years. But despite our emotions and differing opinions, we need to find common ground in order to succeed.
Bitcoiners and crypto people both have valid arguments. Legal tender laws have their pros and cons as well. Ultimately, the unsustainable debt-based financial system needs to be replaced, and that can only happen through our combined efforts.
If you learned something new from this article, be sure to check out my other posts on crypto and finance here on the Hive blockchain. You can also follow me on InLeo for more frequent updates.
Further Reading
- Inside the Minds Of No-Coiners, Bitcoin Maxis, and Shitcoiners
- More Articles About El Salvador