What's up all! I'm curious how many of you fully live on a Bitcoin standard in the U.S. I know many cities and states tend to be more favorable towards Bitcoin, but here in Arizona, it is not easy at all. This is a very fiat state.
On btcmaps.org the only places that accept Bitcoin are ATMs and some jewelry stores. When you ask to tip in Bitcoin people say no, and nobody I have noticed here is open to accepting (with free Satoshis) or even willing to learn.
I earn most of my money in bitcoin, and pay many of my friends/farmers markets vendors in bitcoin - but that is about it. You can't buy gas, coffee, fast food/restaurants, or anything directly with BTC here.
The most I can say is I am probably on a 10% Bitcoin standard :) . How is it where you are? I know places like Nashville, Miami, and Austin are pretty friendly with it. In your area do you have any vendors that will let you pay in BTC? If so, what encouraged them to get on?
I think the best way to have a vendor accept bitcoin, is for them to be a bitcoiner. Would love to hear your thoughts, and I would love to be wrong!
The struggle is real. This used to bother me as well like where the heck is the adoption?!! But as long as you value your wealth in bitcoin then you are living on a bitcoin standard. If you dump fiat and hold bitcoin you are on the right path.
Also listen to bitstein on a podcast and also read his famous piece everyone is a scammer.
Once the masses know then people will naturally sell goods and services for bitcoin.
reply
Right, I'm not trying to move any mountains here haha. I think with month-over-month stability as well masses may flock - and put prices in Sats.
reply
Could take another 10 to 20 years
reply
Same in Canada. Hopefully this improves with time.
reply
I heard there’s a growing number of businesses in Vancouver accepting BTC.
reply
Yes I think they are doing much better than here in Ontario. @gnilma would know better than me.
reply
120 sats \ 1 reply \ @gnilma 22 Jun
The adoption is thanks to the great work being done by our local BitDevs and a local bitcoin company Coinos. Coinos actually has a 1 million sats bounty for local merchant on boarding, check it out.
I would say ultimately, the adoption in Vancouver is still a drop in a bucket; but relative to other cities, it is doing great.
Continue to use BTC Map to find local businesses that accept bitcoin, and if their business is useful to you, make it an effort to support them.
reply
I always try to frequent businesses in my area that accept bitcoin.
There’s no reason for them to remove the payment option because they remember that that one guy comes every other week and pays with bitcoin!
reply
As I always said: US will be the last place on Earth that will have full Bitcoin adoption. Why? Because US people are full of fiat mindset. They cannot live without thinking in fiat. NO MATTER WHAT MENTAL GYMNASTIC THEY TRY TO DO.
Bitcoin Standard means:
  • you earn in bitcoin
  • you spend in bitcoin
  • you save in bitcoin
  • you do not use any form of fiat
I live on Bitcoin standard from 2018, but was really hard to achieve that point. Why I was able to reach that level?
  • stacking hard all the years from 2012 and ongoing. Stacking is very important. if you do not have a certain amount of sats, it will be really hard to do the transition.
  • start earning only in Bitcoin. Rejecting fiat as payment method is very important. This stage is preparing your mindset, moving slowly towards a Bitcoin mindset. All the prices you will see around it will convert automatically in sats, your mind will slow not thinking anymore in fiat but in sats.
  • reduce slowly your spending habits. Spend sats only on things that really matter in your day to day life. You have to earn more than you spend (in sats not in fiat).
  • move away from any DEBT. Fiat means debt. Bitcoin means savings (credit). Once you are debt free, you will use your sats wisely.
  • all this time, try to convince as much as you can, local (mom&pop) shops, small merchants, help them to understand and use Bitcoin. Do not try to look for big shop chains adoption. Those are NOT interested in Bitcoin, is almost meaningless for them. Surround yourself with good people, good community, local producers that will accept your sats and will appreciate their real value.
  • final phase: close all your bank accounts. Yes, this is the ultimate phase that many cannot even imagine that is possible. It is possible IF YOU REALLY WANT IT. I did it myself in 2018 and from then I live only using Bitcoin. No more fiat.
  • buying online is also a good method. There are many places nowadays where you can order anything you need and pay directly with bitcoin.
I earn in Bitcoin. I spend in Bitcoin. Yes for all those curious, I pay rent and all utilities directly in Bitcoin. If you didn't find out that you can do it too, it means you are not looking into the right direction. I save in Bitcoin. YES, if you really want it, you can do it too ! It's all up to yourself to live free from fucking fiat world.
I wrote several guides about these aspects and you can consult them here:
reply
Thanks for the resources Darth. It's a journey, our local meetup here in Arizona is always discussing/thinking of ways to increase adoption as well. BTC Maps is where I frequent as well. It never hurts to ask to tip in BTC. The fiat mindset is engrained in everyone I know - they love what hurts them the most.
reply
The meetups are very important. If you can organize some, with few people you know, from your local community, it will help a lot. Just start with simple discussions and evolve slowly diving into more technical details once are more interested. Especially merchants.
Bitcoin adoption start from grass roots movements and not from top or bullshit saylors and etfs.
reply
In Spain the situation is similar, but I try to spend as much as I can on sats, for example, Bitrefill has helped a lot.
reply
Yes - Bitrefill comes in clutch! I used it in El Salvador a bit.
reply
Same in the Midwest. I guess we are early
reply
You're still lucky, in other countries its much harder!
Not complaining, won't do that even when I might do shit like flying to Vietnam to sell some for cash at the next peak, I plan to turn that into content :-)
Actually here in Asia its quite feasible to live on the gold standard, so that is what I've been doing during the bear market...
Yet despite all of this I still view my net worth in Bitcoin, with a sideways glance towards gold. Will try to stack more of that when we go parabolic, will be an interesting stunt including cash & maybe dark alleways hahaha
reply
I think there is problem everywhere except one or two countries.
reply
In my country all what you can do with Bitcoin - stack it on your wallet. Who knows, maybe this tough early adopt situation creates better future opportunities
reply
I really like your comment... despite not being in the United States, it seems incredible to me that in that state they believe more in fiat money than in BTC... I am in Peru and here no establishment or business accepts as a form BTC payment.. 🤦
reply
but i agree it is very hard
reply