Bitcoin: A Journey from Doubt to Devotion
For many people, the journey into Bitcoin is more than just adopting a new currency; it's a paradigm shift, almost a transformation of beliefs. In this world of rapidly changing financial systems, Bitcoin stands apart, not just as a technology but as a philosophy—a way of life. This is how it felt to me, and it all started with an "Orange Pill" moment at the Collision Conference.
My Orange Pill Moment
At Collision, I was excited to share a groundbreaking project of mine: a Gold-Backed Stablecoin called the Afro Gold Dollar. In my mind, it was the perfect blend of innovation and stability, connecting the timeless value of gold to the digital currency space. But when I met Mr. Bitcoin himself, he didn’t share my enthusiasm. Instead, he just looked at me as though I’d missed the point entirely.
Curious but shaken, I started to ask myself some hard questions. Why did someone so deeply invested in the digital future of finance think this wasn’t the right path? Why was gold, a symbol of economic stability, suddenly not “good enough”? What I discovered sent me down a rabbit hole and changed my view on money forever.
Bitcoin’s Promise of Finite Value
The idea that there will only ever be 21 million Bitcoin is profound. Coming from Zimbabwe, I’ve seen firsthand the effects of unrestricted money printing. We called it "Gononomics" in honor of our former central bank governor, Gideon Gono. The hyperinflation was devastating; the value of money became meaningless because new money was printed without restraint. In some ways, watching inflation elsewhere now feels like a strange echo of those days. It’s as if Gideon Gono’s policies have become a cautionary tale, one that more developed economies could learn from.
In Bitcoin, I finally saw a solution. Unlike fiat currency, Bitcoin is finite. No one can "print" more Bitcoin to fund a war or bail out failing institutions. Simple economics dictates that a scarce resource, particularly one in high demand, will become more valuable over time. It’s hard to grasp at first, but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Bitcoin could become the safe haven, not unlike gold, but better—more secure, more transportable, and infinitely more accessible.
Digging Deeper: The Bitcoin Literature
At Mr. Bitcoin's suggestion, I picked up The Bitcoin Standard, a book that laid out Bitcoin’s history and its principles in an easy-to-understand framework. From there, I moved on to Bitcoin: Venice and Hijacking Bitcoin. These books didn’t just help me understand Bitcoin; they opened my eyes to the flaws in our current financial system and showed how Bitcoin could rectify these issues.
As I dug deeper, my excitement grew. This wasn’t just another financial asset or technology; Bitcoin felt like it had a moral purpose. It wasn’t just about wealth or innovation; it was about freedom, security, and fairness. The more I read, the more I realized that Bitcoin’s appeal was as much emotional as it was intellectual. I found myself going down the proverbial rabbit hole.
Bitcoin: The Religion of Money
At some point, I noticed that my passion for Bitcoin was starting to feel a lot like a religious conversion. Bitcoiners talk about the “Orange Pill”—a reference to the famous scene in The Matrix, where taking a red pill reveals a shocking but liberating truth. Once you’re “Orange Pilled” in the world of Bitcoin, there’s no going back. The layers of tradition and convention around money peel away, leaving the raw truth: that Bitcoin could change everything.
In the Bitcoin community, there are even figures who resemble religious leaders. Michael Saylor, for example, has become something of a Pope to Bitcoin believers. His conviction and strategic investments in Bitcoin have inspired countless others to adopt the asset with the same fervor. Cathy Wood of Ark Invest shares the faith; she’s on record predicting that Bitcoin could hit $1.5 million per coin. And then, of course, there’s the "Orange President" himself, whose conversion to Bitcoin surprised many but showed just how mainstream and powerful this belief in Bitcoin has become.
The Hope of a Bitcoin Future
It’s almost impossible to describe the allure of Bitcoin once you’ve gone through this journey. Suddenly, everything you took for granted about money and economics feels different. The potential impact of Bitcoin feels boundless—what if wars and economic inequality could truly be mitigated by a currency that nobody controls, one that empowers individuals rather than governments and corporations?
Bitcoin feels like the answer to so many of the world’s issues: from inflation to corruption, to the staggering economic disparities that so many face. Imagine a world where governments and central banks can’t just print money on a whim. Imagine a world where wealth isn’t something you’re born into but something you can build with the security that your assets are protected from inflation.
The Afro Gold Dollar and Bitcoin: Complementary or Contradictory?
Despite my newfound devotion to Bitcoin, I still see value in projects like the Afro Gold Dollar, which seeks to bring a stable, gold-backed currency to the digital world. But Bitcoin has taught me that the future of money may be much broader, much more complex than we realize. Combining Bitcoin’s scarcity with gold’s stability could open up new possibilities in global finance, particularly for regions like Africa, where financial instability has been a long-standing issue.
Perhaps the future isn’t a choice between Bitcoin or other assets, like gold, but a convergence of ideas. While Bitcoin stands as the ultimate hedge against fiat currency’s flaws, other innovations like stablecoins could play their part in creating a stable, accessible, and fair global financial system.
Final Thoughts
Getting "Orange Pilled" has been transformative. Bitcoin has shown me the possibility of a world where the rules of money are fair, transparent, and accessible to all. It’s not just a currency or an investment; it’s a movement, a way of life, and yes, even a belief system. From the lessons of Zimbabwe’s "Gononomics" to the global enthusiasm around Bitcoin, it’s clear that a financial revolution is underway. For those of us who have been Orange Pilled, there’s no turning back—only a future where money, freedom, and innovation come together like never before.
