This was first written as a thread on Twitter. After seeing many people reach out saying this was “eerily accurate” and that it really resonated with them, I decided to write this article so it doesn’t get lost in the Twitterverse and in the hopes that it helps someone.

Please learn from others’ mistakes.

Without further ado:

Step 1: You get tired of seeing everyone make money on “cryptocurrencies” and decide to have a look.

Step 2: You search for the “next Bitcoin” for them sick gainz.

Step 3: You are told the crypto space is much more than being the next Bitcoin. There are so many interesting projects that you just have to diversify.

Step 4: You get super triggered at toxic Bitcoin maxis and you make sure to tell them that we are all on the same boat. You keep thinking: if they don’t stop, they will drive everyone away.

Step 5: You get rekt (market-timing/taking on excessive leverage) or rug-pulled.

Step 6: In between your tears, you see Bitcoin’s price rising. You also see those so-called plebs cheering on and buying the dips (also buying the rips).

Step 7: You decide you HAVE to know why Bitcoin is different. Maybe you stumble upon The Bitcoin Audible podcast where Guy Swann reads awesome Bitcoin articles. Or maybe you start reading “The Bitcoin Standard” by Saifedean Ammous.

Step 8: You start liking what you are learning and decide to get back into the crypto game, but this time you only buy Bitcoin (just a little, to keep yourself interested).

Step 9: One podcast episode turns into hundreds. One book, turns into dozens. Your mind is racing.

Step 10: You buy Bitcoin with all the spare fiat you have, then go back to studying.

Step 11: You learn the importance of running a full node and withdrawing your Bitcoin from exchanges into cold storage where you control your keys.

Step 12: You’re browsing on Twitter and you see people wanting to buy crypto. You try to educate them, you tell them Bitcoin-only. Half of them say you’re closed-minded and the other half laugh at you saying you have boomercoin.

Step 13: You shrug it off and tell them they will learn the hard way.

Step 14: You realize you are super early. The world is asleep. They haven’t read Knut Svanholm’s books. So they don’t know that everything there is will be divided by 21 million (∞/21M).

Step 15: You become frugal, sell everything you don’t need and FOMO it into Bitcoin. After that you start DCAing.

Step 16: You see experts, academics, journalists, blue checks, and politicians spouting obvious lies about Bitcoin. You show them why they’re lying - you get called toxic.

Step 17:

You call out obvious scams - you get called toxic.

You try to show people why bitcoin-only is the way - you get called toxic.

toxic toxic toxic

Step 18: You see there’s no end to foolishness in sight, plus Bitcoin is getting attacked at all angles. You focus on protecting Bitcoin at all costs.

Step 19: You join your brothers and sisters in arms: The Plebs. You wear the title: Bitcoin Maximalist as an absolute honor. And tell the world:

Bitcoin is freedom money.

Bitcoin is fuck you money.

Many Bitcoin maximalists went through some variation of this path. You can either start from step 1 or skip directly to step 7.

Your choice.