My ₿itcoin story; Before any of this, I was a hockey player. Years of early mornings, cold rinks, injuries and repetition. I was fortunate enough to represent my country an honour I never took lightly. Later, hunting became another teacher. Quiet mornings, patience, respect for the land, and responsibility for the outcome. Both taught me the same lesson early on nothing real is given. Everything is earned. That lesson carried into life. I became a gym founder, built a strong brand, and worked alongside incredible staff and clients. My life was already proof of work. In 2016, a client asked if he could pay me in ₿itcoin. I said yes. As I accumulated sats, I’d go back to him and say, “When ₿itcoin hits this number, I’ll buy that.” He always replied the same way: “You don’t understand ₿itcoin. Keep learning.” So I did—books, study, silence, time. I’d return with a new plan, and again he’d say, “You still don’t understand ₿itcoin. Go deeper.” Then COVID arrived. Doors closed. Fear everywhere. And something unexpected happened. While others scrambled for certainty and liquidity, I felt calm not because I had answers, but because I had conviction. That’s when it landed. ₿itcoin isn’t designed for comfort. It exists for moments like this. My life had always been built on discipline, effort, and earned outcomes, but something was missing. ₿itcoin didn’t change who I was it revealed it. It completed the shift. Since then, every business has been sold. Our family is all in. With time came space to look deeper beyond price and narratives into what’s possible on the protocol itself. ₿itcoin isn’t just money. It’s alignment. A system where truth emerges through work, not authority. And I’ve come to believe this a small number of people, acting with intention and integrity, can quietly shift the direction of the collective. That’s the journey. @Braden Lee image

Replies (116)

COVID opened up my eyes about everything regarding Media and Government corruption. Can't believe I couldn't see what was going on for 30yrs of my life
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Hofer99 2 months ago
Same... we knew the system was fked but we for sure didnt know it was that fked.
It's funny how people seem to have their "pre-Bitcoin" and "post-Bitcoin" lives. Really says something about the transformative power of the protocol. Or perhaps it says something about how autistic we all are 🤷‍♂️ In either case, I'm here for it!
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Meeseeks 2 months ago
Ooooh! love story like this very inspiring
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R 2 months ago
Good story, thanks for sharing 🚁👍🏻
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Kush 2 months ago
Respect B. A journey worth sharing
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DecBytes 2 months ago
When I hear people ask me 'Am I too late' I know they have not fully grasped the scarcity of Bitcoin yet. Understanding that is one of the most counter-intuitive things.
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Lu 2 months ago
Great story! Congrats
Que buena historia, es verdad que después de leer y estudiar Bitcoin todavía falta más, es una gran madriguera de conejo hasta que logras entenderlo
Until someone arrests you for tax evasion after having N amount of money on your crypto wallet which they can see since it is fully transparent, including what you pay with it. Another good person that will have nobody helping them to understand that reality before it hits. Monero fixes that. Learn about it.
Nice fear tactics 😂 It’s comical how the monero people claim that bitcoiners are going to get locked up for tax evasion but think they are going to be just fine evading taxes with their “privacy” shitcoin You guys are a joke. Would be a lot more successful in converting people to your shitcoin if you didn’t have to bash bitcoin to do so
Calling names to something you barely understand and lacking basic knowledge of finances or technology. You'll fuck up the life of a decent farmer with your dumb words. Just shut up and learn why your wallet needs to be private. image
You are a fucking idiot if you do not think they will do the same thing to you sell a giant bag of monero and do not declare capital gains taxes Monero bros live in a fantasy land
Instead of spewing bullshit, learn that the same tax agency has been unable to learn about monero transactions and even put up a 500k USD bounty for anyone who could do it for them. You ain't humble, stay dumb. Just don't harm others with your newbie advice and pretend you know anything about cryptocurrencies worthy of that title. image