John

Merry Christmas fellow Nostriches!

Wow! This has been such a crazy journey. I first heard about Bitcoin on some sales video promoting a trade bot for Bitcoin. Then Van Tharp (RIP) mentioned it in his monthly newsletter. This was either 2014 or 2015. Then I saw a Bitcoin accepted here sign the following year in Telluride. Hmmm… so maybe there’s something to this Bitcoin. Van Tharp then started to write a second newsletter about crypto. Mostly Bitcoin but mentioned other coins that he traded. So I started buying some. Right after the 2017 peak. I bought a little every chance I could. I then sold a 1/4 of a coin when it hit 50k which was more than my cost basis and let the rest run. Then the volatility happened. I stumbled across Andreas, then other Bitcoin podcasts. Breedlove and his series with Saylor, Jeff Booth, Jimmy Song, Max Hillebrand, and Preston Pysh to name a few. Then I discovered other podcasts with Lyn Alden, Lawrence Lepard, James Lavish, Alex Gladstein, who shed their light on the failing monetary system. Then I discovered Bitcoin twitter. Even though I started a twitter account when it first came out I never used it. Then it was Peter McCormack, Marty Bent, Ben and Nico, Knut, Scott Melker, NLW, Walker, and the list goes on. I want to thank you all, and those that I forgot to mention. You gave me hope in the fellowship of mankind. There were some grifters and I was very luck that I didn’t open an FTX account or fall for Mashinsky’s deal. However I could tell that this wasn’t just a bunch of people looking for a get rich quick scheme. This was a community like nothing I had ever seen. Along the way I was always concerned about my daughter’s future, but those concerns are fading. I have hope for her future now thanks to the Bitcoin community.

Happy thanksgiving everyone!