The Family BBQ No-Coiner: A Story We've All Lived

You know the one. Every family has one.

He's not quite family, not quite a stranger. The fringe family friend who hovers at events, drink in hand, waiting for his moment. And at a recent family gathering, my mothers birthday actually, my moment arrived, whether I wanted it or not.

He sidled over with the energy of a man who'd been rehearsing this conversation in the mirror.  Big smile

"So... you were wrong about Bitcoin then."

Not a question. A statement. Delivered with the quiet satisfaction of someone who thinks they've just won something.

I took a breath. "In what way do you think I was wrong?"

"It's dumped. It will never see $100k again.  You said it would go to millions"

Now, let's just pause here. At the time of this conversation, Bitcoin had done what Bitcoin always does, moved. Because that's what a living, breathing, globally traded asset does. It moves. But to this guy, any dip was a death. Every correction was a coffin nail. He'd clearly been storing this one up.

"You're wrong," I said, "but you'll always be wrong if you don't take the time to understand what Bitcoin actually is.  Price will go up forever, it's not a concern, but if you understood what Bitcoin is you'd realise it's more about freedom"

He didn't like that. The mask slipped slightly.

"So, you're changing your tune? You should've sold it," he said. "I got out."

I'll be honest. Something in me died a little.

"You actually sold it?"

"Yeah. Got out at the right time."

"And what did you sell it for? Fiat? Ever-devaluing, government-printed, inflation-riddled fiat?"

He straightened up. Here came the counterpunch and a weak one at that.

"No. Gold. Gold will always be the winner, it's a proven investment. Bitcoin isn't real. Gold is real."

Somewhere in my mind, I committed an act of violence upon him. I won't go into details. Thankfully, it stayed firmly in my imagination.

I tried. I genuinely tried. I gave him the lecture, hard money, scarcity, decentralisation, self-sovereignty, freedom from the system. I explained that gold, while a solid store of value, can be confiscated, is hard to transport, impossible to send across borders at the speed of light, and has been losing the monetary race to Bitcoin for over a decade.

It was like talking to a wall. A slightly smug, gold-worshipping wall.  And don't get me wrong, gold is fine if that's your thing.  But Bitcoin it is not.  Gold doesn't come close to what Bitcoin is.  We know this

But here's the thing, he didn't come over to learn. He didn't approach me because he was curious or open-minded or even genuinely concerned. He came over to gloat. To plant a flag, a golden one seemingly. To say I was right, you were wrong, collect his little victory, and walk away feeling superior.

There was no humility. No curiosity. No willingness to even consider that maybe, just maybe, he didn't have the full picture.

This is the no-coiner in his natural habitat.

Not the person who genuinely doesn't know about Bitcoin.  Those people are brilliant, they're orange-pill candidates, they deserve patience and good information.  And Satoshoes just released The Full Orange Pill High Tops which are ideal for sparking those conversations

But, no, this is the other kind. The one who did have exposure, did have the opportunity, and made a decision based on short-term price action and zero understanding of the fundamentals. And instead of sitting with that quietly, they need you to be wrong so they can feel right.

It's not about Bitcoin. It's never been about Bitcoin with these people. It's about ego.

Here's what I've learned after years of being a Bitcoiner:

You cannot orange pill someone who doesn't want to be orange pilled.

You can share the knowledge, explain the scarcity, walk them through the 21 million cap, talk about proof of work, the energy debate, the banking system, inflation, all of it. But if someone approaches the conversation looking for a fight rather than the truth, your words are going in one ear and out the other.

The best thing you can do? Stay calm. Stay confident. And let time do the talking.  Time is not this guys friend.  He doesn't know it yet, but he will

Bitcoin doesn't need me to defend it. It just needs to keep doing what it's been doing since 2009 and it will.  Existing, growing, surviving every "it's dead" headline, quietly consuming all in it's path while the doubters keep moving the goalposts.  But, Bitcoin is a network and it thrives even more with more people.  It doesn't need me to do anything but I owe it to Bitcoin to spread the word, get the message out there to as many as I can.  This is why I created Satoshoes in the first place, to spark those conversations

When you understand what Bitcoin is, you realise the sheer inevitability of it.  Price action doesn't matter, that's all temporary noise.  We know where it's going

---

He sold his Bitcoin for gold.

Yep, he exchanged Bitcoin for gold.

I genuinely hope he finds peace.  I look forward to him approaching me again over the years ahead.  Something tells me he might not be so keen to approach as the years slip on by

Stack sats. Wear The Message. We are all Satoshi. 🟠
(Maybe with the exception of dipshit fringe family guy)

Stack sats. Wear The Message.  Hodl the line
Satoshoes