The story is also available on my substack blog here (EN and ES).
Listening to E60 of Citadel Dispatch about ₿-commerce (aka ₿itcoin Circular Economy), I remember a story that happen to me many years ago, in the beginnings of Bitcoin.
Why I will tell you that story?
Because is a very interesting story, first of all and also could be an example for many bitcoiners that can help Bitcoin adoption, slowly in their area. We will never succeed with Bitcoin if more and more merchants will not start using it. Banksters will never disappear if we still continue to use their shity fiat and be fiat slaves.
How it begins…
As you know, I am a OG bitcoiner, starting with Bitcoin early in 2012. So the next years I was just accumulating BTC and barely spending, for lack of adoption. I was a bit frustrated why people and in special merchants do not want to use bitcoin as a payment system. Not for getting rich or speculating, but simply as a form of payment.
The days of 2014-2016 were very calm in terms of price movement on the market, so was quite easy to use BTC as payment method. I was keeping all my savings in BTC from early years, but I always wanted to be able to spend them too.
So I started to look for places where to spend but those years 2014-2016 were very few places and in special grocery stores. Now, in 2022 is totally different.
I had near my home, on the same street, a small grocery store, run by a pakistani guy, very friendly, that knows me for years. You know, the regular grocery shop with all kind of things, always open.
Convincing the local shop owner to start accepting Bitcoin.
So I decided to start talking with Samir (the owner) about Bitcoin, economy, world situation, banksters etc. And he told me that he’s struggling to send money at home, back to his family, in Pakistan and India. He had some debts to pay, for a loan of that shop, house etc, life in general, like any of us.
Then I told him to try with BTC, to send BTC and his family to exchange it locally and pay the bills. He immediately was interested, when he heard that can send instant, with no fees and also can earn some extra money from the exchange.
I told him to ask his friends in Pakistan and India, where can they sell those BTC or simply find a local buyer for his BTC and pay his bills in exchange. He found some guys willing to do that, so without involving any ramp exchange intermediary.
Then I told him: I will pay all my shopping in your grocery store, with BTC. If I would need something that you don’t have it, I will request to you, you buy it from wherever you want and bring it to me. I will pay you all in BTC.
Deal done! He was happy to start like that, slowly accumulating BTC from my payments. I also show him how to buy more BTC when he have extra cash or need to send a bigger amount to his family.
Full adoption of Bitcoin
He printed also a big sign with “Bitcoin Accepted Here” and post it on the front door.
I helped him to open some wallets, those years we were using only few apps for that, Electrum and Mycelium. And I did a small training session by skype with his family, so they would know how to manage a BTC wallet locally.
I gave him extensive training sessions about securing his seeds, storing them in safe places, how to send/receive BTC, miner fees etc all the stuff related.
Was getting it quite fast and was handy with Mycelium mobile wallet. Same wallet have it imported into Electrum on his laptop and managing from there too.
Next month he offered me 10% discount on all my shopping for paying with BTC. I was happy to buy only from him, all stuff I needed, not just groceries. He even offered to pay my regular bills from his ban account, in exchange for my BTC.
Slowly after some time, I bring to his shop some of my friends that also had BTC. Some of them just wanted to test real life paying with BTC in a shop, for fun. Some of them come back more often to buy from him, just knowing that in this way will help him to sustain his family.
Samir was very happy! He always welcome me with a big smile and a hug, I was for him like a savior. He really get rid of those bloodsuckers extorting him huge sum of money from his remittances sent back to family.
Then I start a small meetup with more friends, in a local bar. Was just few of us, discussing about Bitcoin and stuff and we always went to Samir shop to buy beers and stuff with BTC. So I created for him a smal base of clients using BTC.
Many other of his clients looking at us like crazy people paying with some digits into their phones. Some of them asking what is all about, some just running away scared.
I’ve also printed some flyers with simple explanation about Bitcoin and people can grab them at the cashier. Few were interested… early years of Bitcoin were weird.
Happy ending
But then I moved out of that big city and my friend Samir was very sad that I will be gone. Was really sad yeah, leaving him alone, fighting the banksters. My friends were still visit him, but they weren’t so deep like me, into Bitcoin circular economy.
I was still talking with Samir for a couple of years, exchanging news, ideas etc. But slowly we forgot about each others, life goes on. I know that now he have a bigger shop, in another city, his family is with him, all his debts were paid and he still have some good amount of BTC from me.
I told him when I left: “Samir, keep at least 1BTC from me, to remember how you started and who helped you. You will remember my words and teaching”. I certainly know that he still keep that 1BTC, because I know and watch sometimes that BTC address. He didn’t move it, not even today. He’s a real HODLer now.
Conclusions
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Help those in need of your help that are near by you.
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You help them, they help you, both help Bitcoin.
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Find the local small shop near you and start small, find where is their need of Bitcoin, show them the path. People still are afraid of Bitcoin because of lack of knowledge and misleading TV news. Show them the real path.
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Don’t go to big shops, start with small ones, with bars, with groceries, those places where you go frequently and they know you better.
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Have patience with them, give them slowly basic information, don’t throw them a ton of technical documentation. Not everybody is meant to understand that. Find a simple way fit for each one of them.
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Don’t sell them Bitcoin, like an investment product to get rich! No, show them the real path to the light, how to get rid of banksters and be really free and get back your financial sovereignty back.
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Don’t be stingy scrooge with them, show your heart and caring, be humble, giving away some sats is not a big deal if you convince a merchant to start accepting. When they will understand it enough they will give you back 10x times.
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Today we have several apps and solutions. many more than back in those early years. Find the ones suitable for each one of them and help them how to use it. Be there when they need you, at least in the beginning when they still don’t know well how to use it. Their failure is your failure.
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Bitcoin is LOVE and sharing! Bitcoin is making good in this fucked up world.
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Let’s build that Bitcoin Circular Economy together. It’s the only way to win this fight for ultimate freedom. Let your greed out, we are here to FUCK THE BANKS, not to fuck each others.
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And don’t do shitcoining! IT’S A CAPITAL SIN! Please!