Yo!
I am Nico, the host of Simply Bitcoin
At Simply our purpose is to guide people to thrive in an ever-growing future towards individuals claiming back full financial sovereignty with Bitcoin.
We are living through the separation of money and state. This transition can seem a bit chaotic, at times you can even see a bit dark. Everyday we try to make sense of it all and try to make you laugh a bit.
Our focus is on the day to day news, culture and awesome Bitcoin products
On Simply Bitcoin IRL we talk to some of the brightest minds in the industry
Check us out at: https://simplybitcoin.tv/
Happy to answer any questions any of you might have!
350 sats \ 1 reply \ @mf 5 Jan 2023
Why did you start SB and where do you see yourself in 5 years?
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Bitcoin gave me purpose again so I felt I needed to give something back. I do that by making Bitcoin content daily.
In 5 years hopefully still doing the same, I love making content!
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349 sats \ 1 reply \ @kr 5 Jan 2023
what are the most important lessons you’ve learned about how to approach bitcoin education?
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You have to give a reason for people to care. If you don’t give them a reason they won’t listen to what you are saying. You have to entertain and inform your viewers / listeners
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Perfect timing because I wanted to ask you something.
Gigi last year made this post about the language that we use in Bitcoin and the importance of how it shapes people's understanding of Bitcoin https://dergigi.com/2022/06/27/the-words-we-use-in-bitcoin/
I know on your show, you've talked about the "unhosted wallet" rules and how a "hosted wallet" is an oxymoron and the language used there is nothing more than a psyop.
I would like to start by pointing out that this psyop came first within the Bitcoin community (or rather service providers whose narritives the Bitcoin community repeated and perpetuated out of ignorance [as in not knowing something not as in willful ignorance])
A "hosted wallet" is a "custodial wallet" So my first question, isn't a custodial wallet, not a wallet at all, but rather an oxymoron?
And yet, look at us with our hosted wallets: https://www.walletofsatoshi.com/
What should we be calling these things instead? I've been calling them accounts.
Secondly, its been said here that muun does not expressly state that they are a lightning wallet, but I would point out that muun is a lightning wallet is perpetuated by the community.
Muun is a wallet sure. A "self hosted" wallet even, but its an on-chain wallet and that has resulted in the perception that the on-chain mechanisms of muun is representative on the lightning network. Now muun does take on the 0 confirmation risk of on-chain in order to swap your Bitcoin for LN (0conf LN swaps they're called), but it is representative on the fees of on-chain nontheless. I have seen the effect of this experience result in jaded users who think muun is lightning, muun charges these fees that they were already complaining about when it came to on-chain, and therefore lightning has failed.
I don't want to turn this into a speech about "don't use muun". Rather, I'd like to say "Lets clear up our language so that people understand what they are using"
So this question is, am I off my rocker, or do we need to clear up our language about what muun is? If I am off my rocker, what about Gigi's article did I misinterpret?
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Language is very powerful. What they are doing is trying to create words that are scary to nocoiners, to normalize “hosted wallets” those words make it seem like “hosted” is normal and “hosted” is abnormal. It’s important we stay on top of it and tell individuals that self custody is the norm.
I think muun is a great lightning wallet for pocket money but I do not think it should be used as a long term cold storage wallet.
Education is key here.
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I agree with you about the types of wallets. But keep in mind that SB show (Nico and Opti) is not a super technical education show, to be involved in such details about technicalities of a wallet app.
Consider it more as a "surface education show" where more pre-coiners are dropping to watch it. So this audience need more like general directions about Bitcoin and look more into technical guides on other sources.
That's why I am also in the SB telegram group, when I see some new bitcoin user I direct them to the right documentation.
Keep in mind: Simply Bitcoin podcast is not a crash course university about using bitcoin and wallets. Is more to keep the fight fighting with shitcoiners and do not let the new coiners going sideways into shitcoins.
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here is where you should drop the link to the 3 levels of Bitcoin banking for perspective
Darth the pre-coiners are exactly the type of user I'm talking about. The kinds of people who give up on Bitcoin because Bitcoin has all these technical issues and it reverses transactions sometimes (except it wasn't Bitcoin, it was Chivo)
and the people who complained about Bitcoin being slow and having high fees only to discover the lighting network also has high fees (except it doesn't, that was an on-chain fee from muun)
I personally feel lied to as well. I feel lied to by every person who told me muun was a lightning wallet. "Muun is a swap wallet" would have been honest, but "no that's too complicated" then maybe muun is too complicated.
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Yeah man, I feel you. Let's not convert SB show into a technical podcast. Is really complicated and would need more people involved, with good expertise in these technicalities.
Is not so easy to have an educational show, believe me, I am educating people for almost 8 years now. And you need a loooot of time to do that, step by step, taking them from zero and going up slowly.
The learning curve is not done with 2-3 episodes of a YT show. But yes, we can redirect the viewers to the right documentation, so they can read and learn more by themselves.
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you have created a nice archive of bitcon related content over the last couple years. thanks
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Playing devils advocate here:
What if bitcoin fails? What will you do?
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I’ll go down with the ship, I refuse to go back to a system that steals from me.
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Indeed, it is Bitcoin (freedom) or death.
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"I just take cash out"
Says anyone who hasn't looked at what is going on with the system we are all being robbed of our time through because they don't see, or hope, for another option.
Sometimes i feel like Rowdy Rodder Piper. This is literally the movie They Live. Except I don't chew bubblegum that often anymore.
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Dude, the sun is going to fail before Bitcoin does.
You just don't know enough about Bitcoin yet.
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😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
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hahaha
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Do you need any help with any part of SB, I use to work for a bitcoin company and am now just freelancing, from anything regarding coding (python), content, marketing or just advocacy and/or support in general? I'd be happy to volunteer :)
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Absolutely send me a DM on twitter!
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sent :)
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What's something you believe about Bitcoin that practically no one agrees with you on, including bitcoiners?
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This is a tough one. Hmm. I would say the Bitcoin price cycles are a lot more consistent than people would think.
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Do you think it stays that way forever?
What's the cycle structure in your eyes?
This feels like what I most often hear: halving -> supply shock -> price increase -> miners don't sell -> market gets super hot -> leverage -> market gets hotter -> leverage implodes -> market cools -> miners sell -> cycle bottom
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Yes but over time the volatility will decrease dramatically
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DarthCoin said give you a hard question. So here's mine. What happened to Phil and is he still working in the Bitcoin community in some capacity?
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He chose to leave Simply Bitcoin. We had a difference in vision. I wanted Simply to be the best Bitcoin media company and he wanted it to remain a podcast.
He is still making Bitcoin content.
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A hard one 😂 How many small merchants around you (where you live) you onboarded in the year 2022 ?
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Every business I go to regularly I badger them to accept Bitcoin. Slowly but surely they do.
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Nico, do you have any go-to informational resources, maybe even paper/pamphlets; which you give to a merchant?
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Good question, I always go off the cuff. If I do recommend content it’s what orange pilled me. Andreas Antonopoulos old lectures.
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not many here
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Do you engage BTC audiences differently on different social media platforms because they are of differing profiles?
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Good question. No Bitcoin serves as the common denominator. Even across cultures if you are a Bitcoiner we speak the same language even if you don’t understand what I’m saying.
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Wow you finally get onboard with SN!
  1. Are you going to post your bitcoin toxic rants, episodes and news on SN?
  2. Are you willing to make more fun the show? As I suggested once, to use LNbits streamer copilot where plebs can throw with sats and trigger some funny things. Please stop accepting fiat caca on Youtube chat. It doesn't fit with SB show profile 😂. You can even just throw a LN address in the video description and people can tip directly sats with Alby extension. Sir... promote BTC not fiat use.
  3. When SB show broadcast from El Salvador?
  4. What we can do, in your opinion, to get more normies onboard?
  5. In 10 years from now, do you still see people using fiat shitcoins?
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  1. Yes!
  2. Absolutely but you have to show me how
  3. Hahaha eventually
  4. Keep the content pressure on! More mainstream media appearances
  5. In 10 years? I think Bitcoin’s incentives will win the day but maybe there will still be some holdouts
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Another question, who are your favorite Bitcoin debaters? The studied, practiced warriors destroying FUD
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Saifedean and Cory are my picks. Cory is great at exposing scams and sh*tcoins and Saifedean at exposing the legacy financial system.
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Nico, would you have someone like this guy and debate him?
Pomp Bitcoin Debate With Michael Shellenberger https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaPyeM9s8CQ
I think it would be fun! I think Pomp (I know, he is a sold out and a shitcoiner, not a fan of him anymore) did a decent job but there is room to improvement 😂
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I think it’s a great idea to debate people who don’t like Bitcoin. Would love to potentially debate someone like that on Simply in the future.
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What's the most surprising thing you've learned doing Bitcoin news for so long?
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The ability of the news to influence people’s perception of the world which is why people should always do their own research and not rely on a single news source.
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Should Bitcoiners be more persuasive when explaining Bitcoin to noobs or should a practical usage like a tip card do more?
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You can only show the noob the bridge but they must cross it. Even if you try to be aggressive with people they still have to take action themselves. I think the more the money continues to break the more people will seek alternative. You can only do so much as a Bitcoin educator.
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When are you going to visit Argentina?
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Oh man. don’t have the time these days but I would love to go in the future. Love Latin America. I lived in the Dominican Republic and Colombia for a bit.
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I'm looking forward to that, you will be welcome with mate🧉 and asado🥩🍖, that is for sure!
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Hell yeah!
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What is your favorite Bitcoin company or product?
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Might be a little biased here but definitely Simply Bitcoin and Swan.
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