Bitcoin is a currency of love – Bitcoin Magazine
This is an opinion piece by Nozomi Hayase Ph.D., who has a background in psychology and human development.
From opposition to war to a social justice movement, activists have been engaged in countless hard battles. Their vigorous efforts, rather than bringing positive results, seem to keep them in perpetual struggle. Now a breakthrough in computer science has created a game changer. Bitcoin, through the empowerment of individuals, has begun to disrupt the world. In this article, I will show how bitcoin is a currency of love and how it inspires creative action in ordinary people, generating social change.
1969 “Bed-in for peace”: As a protest against the Vietnam War, newlyweds John Lennon and Yoko Ono invited the press to their bed at the Amsterdam Hotel. They demonstrated a new way of promoting peace.
Image source: Wikipedia.org
In 1971, in the midst of the Vietnam War, John Lennon released an inspirational song. “Imagine” asked people to imagine a world where people are united in peace. Later, with the message “Give Peace a Chance”, John and Yoko Ono argued for the importance of love, demonstrating it as the ultimate antidote to violence.
Over half a century since their plea for peace, the war game played by the few has accelerated. The ever-increasing pursuit of power by an exclusive group has extended hegemonic petrodollar dominance and provoked military action for control of resources. In the wake of the 9/11 tragedy, America’s war on terrorism, including the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, spread fear and hatred and made the world a more dangerous place.
Now these destructive forces continue with the geopolitical conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the increase of US military power through the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) across Europe.
Love as a potent force that can transform the world has been stifled in our society. This has to do with our existing monetary system and the economy it has built.
Money as debt
Fiat money is declared legal tender by government decree; it has no intrinsic value. This type of money is essentially a debt, in the form of an IOU. Its supply in circulation is controlled by the central banks, which lend people money against the obligation to pay back interest.
This debt-based money is used to create a highly consumerized economy that gives unfair advantages and benefits to those close to printing the money. By extracting energy and resources from hardworking people, the system fundamentally oppresses our hearts. It crushes our will to experience joy and love.
We see this in our relationship with our professions. For most, work has become something they are forced to do in order to maintain their livelihood. A majority of them engage in pointless 9-5 jobs, doing what they don’t like to do.
Furthermore, this centrally controlled monetary system led to what Andrew Ross describes as a “creditocracy”—a society in which the state serves the interests of a creditor class and traps the public in debt that they can never repay. From credit cards and student loans to medical expenses, people racking up massive debt have become indentured servants. Economic forces are used to suppress love as a source of creativity.
Satoshi’s gift to humanity
Fortunately, the invention (discovery?) of Bitcoin has unleashed a potent force that can overcome the forces of destruction in the world. At the creation of Bitcoin was the impulse of love, demonstrated by the actions of its mysterious creator, Satoshi Nakamoto.
When our actions come from our love for the act itself, we often expect nothing in return. We do things freely, not as dictated by external forces or by a sense of obligation, but engaging in that activity brings us joy and happiness. It has its own value. This feeling of love is a gift. It is not something we have created, but spontaneously arises in us. When we choose to act out of this love, we receive this gift given to us.
Satoshi worked tirelessly on a protocol with good money without compensation and without any guarantee of the outcome. Through his labor of love, engaged in his own activities of intrinsic worth, he discovered a gift to humanity.
Bitcoin, with its fixed supply limit, is a new class of asset-based money. The emergence of this new property opened new opportunities, where people can free themselves from the fabricated interest obligations imposed by the private banks.
In the debt-based money system, the recipients of money are borrowers who have received promissory notes for repayment. With Bitcoin, on the other hand, the recipients owe nothing. The act borne of love for the act itself, established by its creator, does not create a need for return in a recipient in the sense of “I owe you.” Such action does not incur debt. It creates a new course of action that does not bind individuals by the expectation and need for repayment.
Networked heart
Bitcoin opened a way to the heart. Inspired by Satoshi’s creation, people began to follow the impulse of love. Many took a leap of faith, left old fiat jobs and claimed the gift – to discover and develop their talents and skills. From developers and wallet providers to meme makers, people all over the world started devoting time and energy to adding value to this technology.
Through acts of love performed by individuals freely, coordinated through the consensus algorithm, a dynamic market is created. Synchronized with the rhythmic expansion and contraction of our heart, a new life has begun, producing one block to the next in 10-minute beats.
Bitcoin can be seen as our network heart that works 24/7 hours without interruption. Through our loving deeds, a new currency comes into circulation to generate the flow of economic activities. The power of love distributed over a network began to break the bondage of debt.
Now, over 13 years since the first bitcoin block was mined, a circle of giving started by Satoshi continues. The generosity of an early Bitcoin adopter and philanthropist (who wishes to remain anonymous) started the Bitcoin Beach project in a small mountainous country in Central America. Then the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, who recognized the importance of Bitcoin, took a huge political risk by making his country the first to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender.
Relentless optimism
Bukele’s brave move brought hope to the people of El Salvador. It gave ordinary people a chance to end the era of neoliberalism that had stolen their future. Courage was contagious. OG Bitcoiners Max Keizer and Stacy Herbert moved to El Salvador with relentless optimism. Together with Cory Klippsten, the founder of Swan Bitcoin and Bitcoiner Ventures, they launched El Zonte Capital, an investment firm facilitating hyperbitcoinization.
A creative couple, who have now become American expats, are betting on the victorious transformation of a country that has long been exploited by the International Monetary Fund working on behalf of American interests. They have organized educational events and workshops to help local people gain the skills and knowledge to claim their own individual sovereignty.
Keiser, who has reported from the front lines of the financial war, noted positive changes taking place:
In El Salvador, 70% of unbanked Salvadorans now have the ability to use bitcoin as money. Tourism grew by 82.8% in the first half of 2022. With increased prospects for economic growth, more and more El Salvadorians were forced to flee the country finds the way back home.
Give peace a chance
Bitcoin is the currency of love backed by our abundance. Love knows no boundaries. It crosses the different shapes and colors of national flags, transcends boundaries to touch people’s hearts.
Now a new game is underway. Samson Mow, the founder of gaming company Pixelmatic and former head of strategy at Blockstream, ignites a gaming spirit on a global level. With JAN3, a Bitcoin technology company focused on Bitcoin mass adoption, this peaceful diplomat engages nation-states to align incentives with Bitcoin to mitigate conflict and strengthen union.
Link to embedded video here.
“I want peace now. We can have peace if we want it now, John Lennon once told the world. He reminded us that all we have to do is awaken the power within ourselves.
We cannot fight to end war and stop the destruction of the world. We can only overcome violence by each of us generating our own creative power of love. Through a network of consensus fueled by our imagination, we can now give peace a chance.
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.
