Being a Peaceful Bitcoin Maximalist Warrior – Bitcoin Magazine
This is an opinion editorial by Nozomi Hayasea contributor at Bitcoin Magazine.
Recently, prominent venture capitalist, Nic Carter of Castle Island Ventures, was investigated on Bitcoin Twitter. He was piled on by Bitcoiners above controversy involves the firm’s investment in a company called Dynamic that uses a Web3 wallet platform.
In response to their outrage, Carter wrote an article titled “Setting the Record Straight. Or: A Eulogy for Bitcoin Maximalism.” There he criticized Bitcoin Maximalism as an ideology and claimed that a small group of people wrapped around it impregnated the Bitcoin space with a terrible disease. But is this true? What is Bitcoin Maximalism?
Pete Rizzo, editor of Bitcoin Magazine, wrote an excellent article on this question. He analyzed how the narrative developing around Bitcoin Maximalists is a cultural war. This narrative is the old system’s attempt to co-opt Bitcoin’s new money system that deviates from the speculative Wall Street casino economy.
Rizzo about defined Bitcoin Maximalists as a group that believes bitcoin is a computer science invention and is the only cryptocurrency that is decentralized. This is the critical value proposition that makes Bitcoin the world’s first non-governmental monetary system, and it is what sets it apart from all other cryptocurrencies.
Bitcoin Evangelism
Those who recognize Bitcoin’s special property known as proof of work have become ardent supporters of this technology. They talk enthusiastically about its importance regularly. The statements often have the following themes:
“Bitcoin is the hardest money ever created.”
“Bitcoin can end the Federal Reserve and stop their insidious money printing that steals our hard-earned value through taxes and inflation.”
“It will free humanity from the evils of central banks.”
With a passion that comes with religious fervor and fervor, Bitcoin maximalists go around spreading their message, hoping to appeal to their no-coiner families and friends. Just like the apostles of Jesus Christ who were challenged by those who do not want to worship Jesus, Bitcoin evangelism is also met with indifference and resistance.
From early in its development, Bitcoin has attracted critics and hatred. From economists and bankers to policy makers, those entrenched in the inheritance system saw it as a threat to their existence. They criticized Bitcoin with sensational media headlines depicting it as a Ponzi scheme and “too volatile to be a store of value.”
Die-hard Bitcoin followers took their missionary work to another level. They began to actively defend the protocol’s core values. Slowly, Bitcoin maximalism has emerged with sets of moral principles, such as the path of the peaceful warrior.
Formula for action
In exploring this moral code, I will turn to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the formula he laid out for engaging people in the struggle for civil rights. King didn’t live long enough to see the coming of Bitcoin, but if he were alive today, I think he would be a natural ally with Bitcoiners because he fought against the injustice and oppression inherent in the US petrodollar imperialist system. He would recognize and embrace the revolutionary power of technology that could abolish debt slavery and financial apartheid, and eradicate poverty and war.
In his fight for freedom, King drew inspiration from the gospel and used its guidance to overcome opponents who faced him. King looked at the teachings of Jesus that he gave to his disciples. It is summed up in one sentence as follows:
“Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” — Matthew 10:16
In one of his sermons, King decoded this wisdom that combines seemingly opposite qualities. By mixing the toughness of the snake and the softness of the dove, he created a formula for action, which he called “A tough mind and a tender heart.”
Tough mind
First, let’s look at the characteristics of a tough mind. King described it as “critical thinking, realistic assessment, and decisive judgment.” He said:
“The tough mind is sharp and penetrating, breaking through the crust of legend and myth and sifting the true from the false. The tough individual is wise and discerning. He [or she] has a strong, rigorous quality that creates firmness of purpose and solid commitment.”
He pointed out how individuals with a tough mind are rare, and that most people are willing to settle for half-truths. He noticed how soft people are gullible and easily influenced by advertising and the media.
Developing and training this tough mind is one of the essential codes of conduct for Bitcoin Maximalism. Many of those who claim to be maximalists engage in rigorous intellectual endeavors. They spend time and energy understanding the real innovation behind Bitcoin and how proof-of-work mining provides unique benefits that other chains do not have. We see this demonstration of a tough mind in the Bitcoin space.
When Nic Carter make a comment on proof of stake, applied cryptography consultant Peter Todd quickly invoked his lack of technical knowledge:
Bitcoin consultant and educator Giacomo Zucco also jumped in to bring clarity:
While influencers and scammers try to take advantage of newbies, individuals with a tough mind bring judgment. Adam Back, cryptographer and inventor of hashcash, who have warned on speculative altcoins, explained the fundamental difference between bitcoin and other coins:
Calls it is a “swarm of cyberhornets,” Michael Saylor recognized the Maximalists’ deployment of a tough mind that generates a kind of intelligence. While some see the value, others see it negatively. Those who have been challenged by the sharp minds of maximalists claim that they are mean and aggressive. They even coined the label “toxic maximalist.”
But this tough mind is only one aspect of Bitcoin Maximalism. In itself it is not complete. The path of the peaceful warrior requires creative synthesis with its opposite.
Fragile heart
After emphasizing the importance of a tough mind, King urged us not to stop evolving. He said: “Toughness without tenderness is cold and detached. It leaves one’s life as an eternal winter devoid of the warmth of spring and the mild warmth of summer.”
He described a hard-hearted person who lacks true compassion and concern for the pain and suffering of fellow human beings, reminding us to cultivate a tender heart.
Founder of Bull Bitcoin, Francis Pouliot, articulates qualities of Bitcoin Maximalists that are often not recognized:
It is a sense of moral responsibility and obligation to the public that drives many of the Maximalists’ actions:
With their tender hearts, Bitcoin Maximalists can help people identify scams and not become victims of scams:
Where Gigi points out that what is characterized as toxicity is an expression of love:
This “Satoshi love” transcends boundaries through people’s creative endeavors. Artists show great mastery of the power of the heart. Using their creativity, musicians, painters and meme makers gently invite people to open their minds and look at things in a new way, helping them question their preconceived notions of what money is:
Kindness and generosity of individuals push for the adoption of nation-states:
“High Priest of Bitcoin” Max Keizer and “fairy godmother” Stacy Herbert, who have been strong advocates of Bitcoin since its early years, are now expanding their mission to help people in El Salvador, the country that adopted a Bitcoin standard. The pair handed out a generous amount of bitcoin and met local people who had been harmed by gangs.
The path to decentralization
I hear many people in the Bitcoin community say that Bitcoin is like a teacher and that it helps them become a better person.
I see Bitcoin Maximalists as those who are inspired by Bitcoin and aim to maximize the values it represents. In this sense, I say that Bitcoin maximalism is not an ideology and a fixed thing. Rather, it is a process and a striving to become that individuals commit to and engage in of their own volition.
Bitcoin itself, embodies the creative synthesis of opposites: tough mind and tender heart. The core of the protocol is censorship resistance. It is the heart that accepts our radical differences.
Bitcoin is an open and inclusive network that does not discriminate against anyone. With the consensus principle, no one is forced to act against their own will. This “magic internet money” flourishes with diversity, while enforcing rules and maintaining the unity of a network. With a tough mind, knowledge of computer science and strong cryptography, Bitcoin defends the freedom of everyone and secures the network.
The era of modern central banking has brought much pain and suffering to our society. Now Bitcoin creates separation of money and state for the first time in history. It provides the opportunity for humanity to break away from the oppressive past.
As inflation accelerates coupled with increasing geopolitical conflicts, which destroy our economy, the world is rapidly moving into an abyss of chaos. In this dark sea, Bitcoin offers a lifeboat.
The need for Bitcoin adoption is increasing day by day. In the coming years, as Bitcoin gains more value, attacks on the network will intensify. Bitcoiners need to be vigilant and alert. At the same time, we must develop the capacity for empathy and understanding for those who have not yet seen the light on the other side.
Bitcoin is for everyone. The path to decentralization is paved through each of us engaging in the practice of Bitcoin Maximalism. We must become the peaceful warrior to build a path towards hyperbitcoinization, delivering freedom, justice and prosperity for all.
This is a guest post by Nozomi Hayase. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of BTC Inc. or Bitcoin Magazine.
