Lawyers wear cryptocurrency on their sleeve

by · April 7, 2023

Do you have Bitcoin ink? Many Bitcoin believers do. But what is the risk? What about privacy? And what happens if – one fateful day – Bitcoin crashes and burns to zero?

Cointelegraph spoke to Bitcoin (BTC) advocates to understand why they have permanently etched a Bitcoin logo, motif, equation or slogan on their skin. They have shown permanent solidarity with the decentralized movement, expressing their support for the Bitcoin protocol and the values ​​it represents.

Lawyers wear cryptocurrency on their sleeve
Taihuttu’s Bitcoin B tattoo. Source Taihuttu.

Didi Taihuttu, father of the “Bitcoin family,” explained that he blacked himself out the moment he went “all in on Bitcoin, as I thought it was a very important step in my life.” A familiar face among the crypto community, Taihuttu sold all his family’s possessions and slept in a campsite while the price of Bitcoin was in the four-digit territory with the “B” etched on his arm.

He now travels the world evangelizing Bitcoin, forearm on full display:

“Bitcoin changed my way of thinking about the world and decentralizing it.”

Anita Posch, another globe-trotting Bitcoin evangelist, has a lightning bolt tattooed on her forearm. IN Human B Bitcoin documentary, she said she would not explain that the lightning symbol (a nod to the Lightning Network) on her wrist is Bitcoin-related, but added “Bitcoin is my life” in follow-up comments.

TatumTurnUp and Erik Dale have the Bitcoin supply formula on their skin. Source: Tatum

TatumTurnUP (not his real name), the host of the Bitcoin show “Between Two Asics,” explained that he got the BTC supply formula tattoo because “It’s what proves scarcity.”

“Monetary scarcity is something we’ve been deprived of until Bitcoin, and the fact that I can write down what proves that there will only be a certain amount of Bitcoin is a pretty big deal.”

The tattoo on the biceps is a common one (but unfortunately not strictly speaking correct) formula for delivery of Bitcoin. He shared a warning with readers: “The end of Sigma may be the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced. Just a warning.”

But what about OpSec?

But isn’t it risky to advertise your love for a digital currency on your skin? OpSec, or operational security, is a military term the internet has hijacked. Among the crypto community, it refers to the public sharing of identity or defining features. And a Bitcoin tattoo can put a literal target on your back.

Erik Dale, whose tattoos are pictured in the tweet above, founded Norway’s “Northern Lightning” conference series. Dale told Cointelegraph that he was aware of the implications. His tattoos are “equations, no logos or tribal markers, for OpSec reasons.”

“Insiders should realize what they are, but not casual observers.”

Rikki, of content creators and investigators Bitcoin Explorers, joked: “We’re not particularly concerned about bad opsec.” He added another Bitcoin tattoo to his collection during a giveaway in Guatemala.

Poor OpSec can lead to doxing or public disclosure of people’s personal data. That’s why some Bitcoin advocates mask their online identities by using anonymous profiles on social media. Not so for Rikki and his partner Laura; they have their Bitcoin support on full display.

Rikki and Laura’s tattoos. “Stack Sats” means to save Bitcoin. Source: Ricky.

Piero Coen, co-founder of Guatemala-based Osmo Wallet, told Cointelegraph that Bitcoin is a “counterculture movement, and getting a tattoo related to it is a way to show our commitment to this movement.”

“It is like a badge of honour, showing that we are part of this group of ‘pirates’ who are challenging the traditional financial system and are convinced that we are going to change the world. “

Also, for Rikki and Laura, much of their lives already exist permanently on camera. Rikki explained:

“We’re Bitcoin content creators, which is why we chose to give up our privacy years ago. Also, it’s not just the slightly paranoid, scheming, pessimistic, terra plat-inclined Bitcoiners—it’s also us, the pretty, nice, the fun, cool and sex-loving bitcoiners!”

Laura put it even more succinctly in a recent tweet:

For Tatum, another content creator and a recognizable face in the Bitcoin space, “The value is teaching people about Bitcoin and networking through it, so it’s a constant battle with opsec.”

“At the bottom of it, I’m comfortable with my own security and what I do and don’t share, but ‘WHY I love Bitcoin’ is always going to be shared.”

Tatum walks around Bitcoin conferences wearing a bulletproof vest in a joking nod to operational security in the Bitcoin space.

Tatum interviews guests in a safety vest at Pacific Bitcoin 2022. Source: Tatum

But what if Bitcoin goes to zero?

Unlike tweets, open letters or business creations, Bitcoin tattoos are difficult to erase. They require commitment.

So what happens if the currency goes to zero, like many other failed projects from Terra to Celsius? Tatum explained, well, “sucks to me!”

“After I got it, I jokingly said, ‘Now I really hope it doesn’t go to zero or I’ll look like an idiot.’ But in reality, my tattoo is kind of why it will never go to zero. If one person finds value in Bitcoin, there will only be so many. So they want value.”

Billionaire Mike Novogratz’s tattoo of the failed Terra (LUNA) token is a perpetual reminder of the headiness and hedonism that comes with the crypto bull run. The tattoo remains on Novogratz’s arm, while LUNA is worth next to nothing, and its creator, Do Kwon, could face jail time. Fortunately, Novogratz says he learned from the experience saying investing “requires humility.”

Dale explained that he is prepared to live with the tattoos on his wrists, even if Bitcoin fails. He has committed to the end: “If I am wrong about this, I will carry that reminder every day. And if not, I can’t imagine a prouder badge to wear for the rest of my days.”

Related: Novogratz says LUNA tattoo is a constant reminder that investing ‘requires humility’

For Taihuttu, it is important to zoom out and focus on the bigger picture. Bitcoin is a long-term play:

“I think people who have tattoos of dollar signs or other fiat have a higher chance of going to 0.”

He is right; famous rappers and celebrities, including singer Kesha and actress Lena Dunham, have been inked with dollar sign tattoos. It is unlikely that they were asked if the dollar would go to zero before sitting in the tattoo chair.

Kesha’s dollar sign tattoo. Source: popstartats.com

On a sober note, Taihuttu explained that regardless of the Bitcoin movement underway, the large tattoo on his forearm represents “an incredible 10 years of my and my family’s life since 2013, the year I started mining Bitcoin.” And that’s more than enough reason to get Bitcoin ink.