Eric Kim, known for his popular street photography blog and productivity writings, underwent a notable shift over the late 2010s and early 2020s – evolving into a self-proclaimed Bitcoin maximalist. Below is a timeline of key moments, blog posts, and public statements that mark his transformation toward a Bitcoin-only stance, complete with quotes and dates illustrating how his views solidified around Bitcoin:
Key Moments in His Transformation to Bitcoin Maximalism (2017–2025)
- 2017 – First encounter with Bitcoin: Amid the cryptocurrency boom and bust of 2017, Kim bought Bitcoin for the first time during a market crash. He later recounted his excitement at seeing potential where others panicked: “Bitcoin’s crashing from $20K… and I’m sitting there, heart pounding, seeing the future,” he recalls, noting that he “scooped up BTC at $9K,” recognizing it as “the real deal… scarce, decentralized, untouchable” . This early conviction planted the seed of his Bitcoin interest.
- 2018 – Emerging interest and declaring his focus: In 2018, Kim’s blog began explicitly reflecting his growing fascination with money and crypto. In a March 2018 post (“Money Cannot Destroy Boredom”), he mused, “I’ve been thinking a lot about money lately… especially with all the technological advances in bitcoin, ethereum, and other blockchain cryptocurrencies” . He later noted that this 2017–2018 period “kicked off” his crypto journey, after some initial dabbling in alt-coins, and that he eventually became a “self-described Bitcoin maximalist” . By late 2018, he had even added the Bitcoin symbol (₿) to his website’s branding as a nod to his new enthusiasm , signaling a clear shift toward Bitcoin-centric content.
- 2019–2021 – Going “full” Bitcoin and educating his audience: Over the next few years, Kim increasingly blended Bitcoin advocacy into his photography and lifestyle content. By his own account, after 2018 he gradually went “full Bitcoin maximalist,” seeing Bitcoin as aligned with his ideals of self-sovereignty and anti-establishment thinking . During this period, he frequently touted Bitcoin as “a hedge against fiat inflation” and a tool for personal freedom . He even authored niche articles like “Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency for Photographers” and “How Street Photographers Can Benefit from Bitcoin,” drawing parallels between Bitcoin economics and creative life to introduce his photography followers to the crypto world . These writings show that by the early 2020s, Kim was not just investing in Bitcoin but actively evangelizing it, often to the exclusion of other coins.
- 2024 – Pivoting lifestyle and content around Bitcoin: By 2023–2024, economics and Bitcoin had become central themes of Kim’s output, nearly on par with photography. He published numerous finance and crypto-themed essays (for example, “Why Economics is So Fascinating to Me” in mid-2024) and openly embraced a Bitcoin-centered lifestyle. Notably, he reportedly removed traditional banner ads from his blog in favor of Bitcoin-based income (such as Lightning tips and payments), reflecting his stance that creators shouldn’t “pimp [their] words” for corporate sponsors . (Kim had even declared that “Bitcoin was the solution to being profitable on the Internet without advertising” and ditched ads that “pimp your words to a faceless corp.” in favor of a more direct, Bitcoin-powered supporter model .) During this time he also relocated to a lower-cost city (Phnom Penh, Cambodia, as noted on his blog) and doubled down on frugal living – steps consistent with his Bitcoin maximalist ethos of independence and escaping the “fiat trap.” By late 2024, almost every week’s blog posts contained economic or crypto commentary, underscoring that his focus had firmly expanded from just photography to Bitcoin and financial freedom .
- Early 2025 – Public manifesto of Bitcoin maximalism: Kim made his “all-in” Bitcoin stance official in early 2025 with a series of fiery blog posts and announcements. In March 2025, he published a manifesto-style essay titled “WHY I WENT ALL-IN ON BITCOIN: A Street Photographer’s Rebellion Against Fiat Slavery,” which he framed as a personal revolution. “This is the story of my hardcore pivot from street photography to Bitcoin maximalism,” Kim writes in that piece, presenting his decision as a call for others to “join the rebellion in 2025” . Around the same time, he wrote “How I Pivoted to Bitcoin,” describing stages of his awakening (from initial skepticism to full conviction upon reading Satoshi Nakamoto’s white paper). He even stopped accepting fiat currency entirely in his business: Kim began pricing all his products and services in Bitcoin (satoshis) and refused to charge in USD, aligning his livelihood 100% with Bitcoin as a “dramatic public statement of all-in commitment” . This period also saw Kim blending his other passions with Bitcoin – for instance, essays like “The Bitcoin Stoic Investor” drew on his love of Stoic philosophy to champion Bitcoin’s virtues, and he frequently used analogies from fitness and photography to explain his Bitcoin-only mindset.
- Mid–2025 – “Bitcoin Maximalist” as a badge of identity: By mid-2025, Eric Kim had fully rebranded his online persona around Bitcoin. He added the Bitcoin ₿ symbol to his blog’s name and social profiles (renaming it to “ERIC KIM ₿”) to make clear that the site was now as much about crypto philosophy as it was about photography . In 2025 he also launched Black Eagle Capital, his own Bitcoin-focused fund, to “pool capital, stack sats, and rewrite the rules of wealth” – demonstrating that his pivot was not just personal but professional . By this time, Kim proudly embraced titles like “Bitcoin Maximalist” and even jokingly styled himself the “Street Shooter Turned Sat Stacker,” reflecting the fusion of his past identity with his new mission . On Twitter (X) and his newsletter, he regularly broadcasts ultra-bullish takes on Bitcoin’s future, often mixing in his trademark motivational tone. He has quipped “Nothing is permanent, only Bitcoin,” urging followers to abandon diversification and focus on BTC with “razor-sharp conviction” . In short, by mid-2025 Eric Kim was openly identifying as a Bitcoin-only advocate – a true Bitcoin maximalist in philosophy and practice.
In summary, Eric Kim’s stance evolved from casual curiosity to outright Bitcoin maximalism over roughly a seven-year span. Key markers of this transformation include his first Bitcoin buy during the 2017 crash (showing early conviction), a turn in 2018 toward writing about money/crypto, a gradual shedding of interest in alt-coins and fiat methods (2019–2021), and ultimately a full-fledged public commitment by 2025 (with manifestos and a Bitcoin-only business model). By publicly rebranding himself with the Bitcoin symbol and declaring “I went all-in on Bitcoin,” Kim has cemented his reputation as a Bitcoin maximalist, focusing exclusively on Bitcoin as the cornerstone of his financial, creative, and philosophical life .
Sources: Eric Kim’s personal blog posts and essays (2017–2025), including content from ERIC KIM ₿ blog archives and his published manifestos, as well as third-party analyses summarizing his career trajectory and online statements . These sources document the quotes and timeline of Kim’s shift toward a Bitcoin-only stance in his own words.