Bitcoin Education
My Bitcoin Story
I first encountered Bitcoin at Occupy Wall Street in 2011, but I thought it was some kind of useless video game money. I didn't take an interest in it until early 2014, after realizing that the value of one bitcoin had increased by 100 times in that short timespan. After a month of intense study, I realized that Bitcoin may be the most important innovation since the internet -- a new tool for personal empowerment that allows us to opt out of the wildly imbalanced and corrupt global financial and economic system. In essence, Bitcoin is a new language that humans can use to communicate value exchanges digitally, without relying on central bank- and government-issued currencies. It has the best qualities of gold and cash, and can be transmitted anywhere in the world, in minutes, without censorship or limits imposed by middlemen.
I decided to devote the next couple of years to co-founding a Bitcoin consultancy called Bit Consultants. Our business model focused on helping small businesses get set up to accept bitcoin payments, as well as providing education to the general public. We succeeded at setting up several local businesses, but unfortunately, several obstacles and infrastructure challenges created insurmountable challenges, and we closed the business.
However, I never lost faith in Bitcoin's potential to continue changing the world for the better; and indeed, in the past few years, it has established itself as the one of the world's best-performing assets, while its underlying innovative technology (the blockchain) has become the most over-used tech industry buzzword. I have continued to offer my services as a consultant through Phoenyx Enterprising, and offer monthly free education events.
Bit Consultants
Although we formally closed the business in 2017, we have continued to maintain the website and social media presence for educational purposes. On the website, you will find helpful free resources, such as:
- Glossary of Crypto Terms
- Storage and Security Guide
- Frequently Asked Questions
*Please note that the website is currently under construction and is not mobile responsive. We are working on it. :)
Current Education and Consulting
Every first Monday of the month, I offer a free Bitcoin 101 talk alongside the open-discussion Bitcoin meetup that I host in Portland, Oregon. My event is especially welcoming to beginners, to women and non-binary folk, and to marginalized groups. Several other Bitcoin meetups also happen monthly in the greater Portland area, and they can all be found here. The free talk on Bitcoin Basics covers:
- What is Bitcoin?
- A brief historical timeline
- What makes Bitcoin valuable?
- How you can get started (choosing a wallet, when/where to buy)
- Tips on how to avoid scams
- Resources for learning more
- Q & A
In addition to the monthly meetup, I occasionally organize other educational events, sit on panels, and speak at festivals and conferences. Please contact me if you're interested in having me speak at your event.
My background is primarily in global economic systems, and while I have devoted a large portion of my life to studying and following Bitcoin since 2014, I do not claim to be an expert and do not have an extensive technical depth of knowledge. However, I am happy to offer one-on-one or group consultations to help people learn about the best resources to get started. I am well-networked in the local community and can help people find answers to questions I may not be able to answer, myself.
Helpful Resources for Beginners
Beginner Resource Lists:
Andreas Antonopoulos:
Telegram Chat Groups:
Telegram is a free app for your Android, iPhone, and/or desktop. There are many communities there discussing various aspects of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. It's a great place to build community, keep up on relevant news, and ask questions!- Download Telegram on your smart device or your computer.
- Search for @BTC101 or t.me/BTC101 and click “JOIN.”
- Click on the heading to see other cryptocurrency chat groups you can join.