The American Bitcoin Revival Takes Root – Bitcoin Magazine
This is an opinion editorial by Evan Price, a software engineer of 15 years and advocate for privacy rights.
Americans love a good revival. A revival is religious fervor that spreads across the country, often leaving new churches and social movements in its wake. Revivals start with a deep and pervasive sense of dissatisfaction with the status quo. Then a few luminaries step forward and begin to preach a new and better way of believing and organizing. These early people preach to the masses and recruit followers. They take their message on the road and evangelize to as many people as they can reach.
In the wake of a revival, the social and legal landscape changes irrevocably. New churches are emerging and old ones are being forced to splinter, shrink and adapt. Laws are passed and social institutions are forced to count on a newly organized and dedicated constituency. Related social movements diverge and go their own way for social change. Eventually, the religious fervor dies down as everyone adjusts to the new reality of their country.
I believe we are in the early stages of another American revival. Unlike previous revivals, this one is not religious; it is monetary in nature.
I recently spent some time at Bitcoin Park in Nashville, Tennessee, getting to know other Bitcoin meetup organizers from across the US and Canada. We were invited by ODELL and bitkite to an event called Grassroots Bitcoin to collaborate and discuss how we can increase bitcoin adoption and support communities. I met dozens of other meeting organizers. We swapped stories and learned about each other’s motivations, goals and hopes.
We saw presentations covering a range of topics:
- Bitcoin as a tool for human rights.
- Bitcoin as a tool for small businesses.
- Strategies on how to grow your bitcoin hit, both technically and socially.
- Tools for self-contained cold storage.
- Tools and advice to help you buy, sell and manage bitcoin.
- How and why to work with politicians to promote our common goals.
You can listen to some of the discussions here.
There was an abundance of Bitcoin culture on display, from complementary pelican affairs to the ultimate Bitcoin social event: a steak dinner. I do not subscribe to all the beliefs espoused by Bitcoiners. For example, I drove hours to get my first COVID-19 vaccine, and I usually try to eat more vegetables than meat. But other common Bitcoin beliefs make perfect sense to me: Grow your own food and learn to shoot a gun because it could literally save your life one day. I believe a growing social movement requires a vibrant cultural identity and Bitcoin is no exception.
One thing that struck me about this group was the diversity of personalities and backgrounds on display. There were townspeople and country people; Christians, Muslims, Jews and Atheists. I saw brogrammers rubbing elbows and sharing meals with ranchers. There were HVAC repairmen, former police officers and flight attendants. Bitcoin really attracts men and women from all walks of life. Towards the end of the event, when a former pastor took the stage and declared that bitcoin is his new church, it dawned on me that we are in the early stages of another American revival. For a revival to catch on, it must appeal to a broad and deep cross-section of society. That’s exactly what I saw in Nashville.
Bitcoin’s social movement is small and vibrant, rooted in a deep unease and suspicion of the top-down forces at work in our society. I think there has been a sea change in recent years. Most of the meetings represented in Nashville were founded in the wake of the COVID shutdowns. I think our national response to the pandemic sparked a lot of skepticism that is now taking root at these meetings.
I’ve been a Bitcoiner longer than I like to admit. I’ve had many conversations with no-coiners and their reactions ranged from mild interest to visceral rejection. Over the years I stopped initiating these conversations. In the past week, my eyes have been opened to the fiery, passionate core of the movement. I have never spoken to a group of Bitcoiners with greater conviction or sense of purpose. I think we are turning a corner; there has never been a better time to seek out bitcoin fence sitters and give them the push they need to install a wallet and begin their journey.
Throughout the event, participants shared stories and photos of all the ordinary people they orange pilled. It became a badge of honor to persuade your waiter to download a bitcoin wallet and receive their first tip at rate. Bitcoiners are hungry for converts and they carry a very compelling message in times of high inflation and growing autocracy. I think of 2020 as a drought in American society. People were told where to go, how to behave and what to wear. For a freedom-loving population, in a country founded on the ideals of individual freedom, this kind of environment is bound to provoke a counter-cultural reaction. Bitcoin organizers are the tip of the spear of a growing social movement. I see a fire burning in these people, and they are carrying these embers to the masses one person at a time.
Forest fires always start small. If conditions are ripe, they grow at an exponential rate. Slow at first, but if you stop to pay attention, you’ll be surprised by the speed and intensity of the fire. After the fire is over, a new season of growth and renewal springs from the ashes. Don’t be caught off guard. Join us at your local Bitcoin meetup and let’s fix the root of so many problems in our society. Let’s fix the money.
One final note. I believe that America’s robust culture of individual freedoms uniquely positions us to be the home of Bitcoin. The home of freedom money. But this is far from guaranteed. To get there, we need support from politicians. A revival can be a powerful tool to accelerate political careers. Invite your political representatives to a Bitcoin meetup. Show them first hand the strength of this social movement. Talk to them about the challenges you face in trying to increase bitcoin adoption and how they can get your vote. They listen. Make sure they hear the right message.
This is a guest post by Evan Price. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of BTC Inc. or Bitcoin Magazine.
