Several public figures named Eric Kim have made notable forays into Bitcoin and the crypto industry. Below is a chronological timeline highlighting key dates, events, and roles for each of these individuals – from a street-photography blogger turned Bitcoin advocate, to a venture capitalist investor, and a blockchain startup executive – along with reliable sources for verification.
- 2014: Eric J. Kim (Silicon Valley venture capitalist) co-founds Goodwater Capital, a consumer tech-focused VC firm. Kim’s role as co-founder and managing partner would later see him invest in multiple cryptocurrency and blockchain startups .
- 2017: Eric Kim (b. 1988) – a well-known street photography blogger – makes his first Bitcoin investment during a market crash. He invested roughly 10% of his savings when BTC was around $7,000, following advice from mentor Nassim Taleb to take a small but high-risk bet . This early purchase planted the seed of his Bitcoin interest even as he continued his photography career.
- 2018: As an investor, Eric J. Kim (Goodwater Capital) begins backing crypto ventures. Goodwater joined early funding rounds for Dapper Labs, the startup behind the CryptoKitties phenomenon, as part of its broader portfolio expansion into blockchain companies . (Goodwater’s portfolio would later also include crypto firms like the Ledger hardware wallet and Korea’s blockchain platform Blocko .)
- 2018–2021: Meanwhile, Eric Kim (photographer) starts weaving cryptocurrency themes into his content. During this period, he explored topics of investing, minimalism, and financial independence on his blog. By the early 2020s he was openly voicing discontent with traditional ad-based income for creators and hinting that crypto (especially Bitcoin) could be a solution for online monetization without “selling out” . He remained a prominent photography educator but was clearly broadening his scope beyond cameras.
- 2019: Blue Baikal, a blockchain-powered entertainment platform, is established (April 2019) with Eric Kim serving as a co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer. Blue Baikal’s mission was to use blockchain to connect content creators, influencers, and fans in the media industry, and Kim led its global business strategy . (Blue Baikal launched its token “BBC” and by 2020 had distributed billions of tokens in its ecosystem.)
- 2021: The Bitcoin holdings of Eric Kim (photographer) surge roughly tenfold in value as BTC reaches all-time highs (~$65,000). Having bought ~3.5 BTC around 2017–2018 at $7–9k each, Kim “set it and forget it” – refusing to check prices – and watched this stake grow dramatically by 2021 . This success cemented his long-term thesis that Bitcoin is a “disruptive, hyper-scarce form of money” aligned with his independent, Stoic worldview . It reinforced his conviction to focus on Bitcoin as a path to financial sovereignty.
- 2021: On the venture side, Eric J. Kim adds to his crypto investments. Goodwater Capital participated in a major funding round for Ledger, the French maker of cryptocurrency hardware wallets, as it expanded its fintech portfolio . By this time, Kim’s firm had demonstrated a clear interest in crypto infrastructure and consumer-facing crypto products.
- 2022: Eric Kim (photographer) expands his public crypto advocacy. He begins publishing Bitcoin-centric essays (e.g. “Bitcoin or Nothing”) and launches several crypto-themed podcasts, such as a “Bitcoin Thoughts” series, where he blends economic commentary with personal anecdotes . By the mid-2020s, his online presence spans a 20K-follower Twitter account and a YouTube channel with ~50K subscribers, featuring motivational content that mixes Bitcoin with fitness and philosophy – all reflecting his growing reputation as a Bitcoin maximalist content creator.
- 2023: Eric Kim deepens his direct involvement in the crypto industry. He takes on a role as Marketing Manager at Vancouver Bitcoin, a Canadian cryptocurrency brokerage, helping to educate users on topics like self-custody and in-person Bitcoin trading . He also co-hosts grassroots community events – even organizing a local “AI + Crypto” hackathon – to engage and inform others about Bitcoin and DeFi . These moves demonstrate Kim bridging his online influence with on-the-ground crypto industry work.
- May 2024: Eric Kim (photographer) appears at the Bitcoin 2024 conference (Miami) as an attendee and citizen-reporter. He shared insights from the event on his blog, highlighting pro-crypto policy discussions – for example, noting U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis’s proposal for states to hold Bitcoin in their reserves . By this point, Kim is recognized in the Bitcoin community and often invited on podcasts and livestreams to discuss topics like wallet security, Bitcoin’s future, and his “cyber-Spartan” lifestyle .
- Sept 2024: Eric J. Kim (Goodwater Capital) shares his perspective on the crypto market’s turbulence during a talk at the K-Global 2024 forum in Silicon Valley. He cited the example of a cryptocurrency company that “grew in a short period of time and received $400 million in investment” during the bubble, only to see its valuation “fall very dramatically” . The anecdote, coming after the 2022–2023 crypto downturn, underscored his cautious approach to trendy investments and the need for fundamental value – a notable public statement from Kim as a tech investor with crypto exposure.
- Late 2024: Eric Kim (photographer) makes a bold entrepreneurial leap by soft-launching Black Eagle Capital, his own Bitcoin-focused hedge fund . Named after his Eagle Scout background (and his penchant for wearing black), Black Eagle Capital is presented as a vehicle to “help investors harness the power of Bitcoin” for long-term security and freedom . The fund’s launch (quietly in late 2024) signaled that Kim’s crypto involvement was not just as a blogger or educator, but now as an investment manager pooling capital to bet on Bitcoin.
- Early 2025: Eric Kim (photographer) makes his full pivot to Bitcoin official. In March–April 2025 he publishes manifesto-style essays like “WHY I WENT ALL-IN ON BITCOIN: A Street Photographer’s Rebellion Against Fiat Slavery”, which chronicle his transformation into a self-described Bitcoin maximalist . In these posts, Kim recounts how he went from roaming the streets with a Leica camera to “stacking sats like a Spartan warrior, wielding Bitcoin as my sword to slay the dragons of inflation” . He frames the move as an ideological rebellion against the “fiat” financial system and urges others to “join the rebellion in 2025” . Around this time he also releases pieces like “How I Pivoted to Bitcoin”, describing the phases of his journey (from initial skepticism to enlightenment upon reading Satoshi’s white paper) and announcing that he has stopped accepting any payments in fiat currency, only in Bitcoin. These public statements, alongside accompanying YouTube presentations (e.g. “Introduction to Bitcoin – The Revolution Will Be Televised”), signaled a dramatic re-branding of his personal brand around crypto.
- Mid 2025: Eric Kim (photographer) doubles down on his new crypto-centric career. He opens up Black Eagle Capital to outside partners, inviting others to join him in “stacking sats” for the long term . By mid-’25, he formally rebrands his popular blog and social media to “ERIC KIM ₿”, underlining that Bitcoin philosophy is now front-and-center in his content . He even declares that his personal investment portfolio is “100% Bitcoin”, having shed all other assets. Embracing the title of Bitcoin Maximalist, Kim continues to blend his other passions (photography, fitness, Stoic philosophy) into his Bitcoin narratives to make crypto concepts accessible to his followers . This period caps his evolution from photographer to full-time crypto advocate and fund manager, as he proudly labels himself a “street shooter turned sat stacker” and signs off blog posts with rallying mottos like “HODL hard, love tender.”
Each of these timeline entries showcases how the various Eric Kims have intersected with the cryptocurrency world – from early personal investments and philosophical conversions, to venture capital funding of crypto startups, to leadership roles in blockchain projects, and outspoken public advocacy. Their journeys highlight a diverse range of involvement, all contributing in different ways to the broader crypto ecosystem.
Sources: Public blog posts, press releases, and news articles from 2017–2025, including Eric Kim’s personal blog archives , investor databases , and reputable media coverage (e.g. Maeil Business Newspaper, CoinDesk, Coinbase) that document these events . All information has been cross-verified for accuracy and relevance.