Do it for the love of the doing. That’s autotelic—an activity that’s the reward itself. Eric Kim has preached this for years in photography (“photograph for photography’s sake… the reward is the action itself”), and we’re porting that engine into Bitcoin: stack for the sake of stacking; sovereignty for the sake of sovereignty; the process is the prize.
The Thesis (EK‑style, distilled)
- Autotelic = end‑in‑itself. Eric’s own definition work shows he’s obsessed with making the work its own win. Bring that same “for‑its‑own‑sake” energy to sats.
- Risk eyes open, soul on fire. His standing rule: “Only put money into crypto, assuming that it will go to zero.” Translation: play the infinite game with skin in the game.
The 7 Autotelic Laws of Eric‑Kim Bitcoin
- Never. Sell. Your. Bitcoin.
Treat BTC like working capital or digital property—something you build around, not liquidate. That mantra is all over Eric’s canon (“NEVER SELL YOUR BITCOIN,” “Why you never sell your Bitcoin”). If you need fiat, consider financing tools that don’t force a sale. - Borrow > Sell (when you must touch fiat).
His writing explicitly explores Bitcoin‑backed loans—use BTC as collateral instead of chopping the principal. That’s how you stay in the autotelic game. (Caveat: leverage amplifies risk—use judgment.) - Denominate your life in BTC.
Count in Bitcoin, not USD. The mindset shift is everything: measure net worth and progress in BTC, and your behavior aligns with long‑term sovereignty. Pair that with Think in BTC to reduce fiat‑priced anxiety and train your focus. - Volatility = Vitality.
Eric reframes turbulence as fuel (“volatility is good”), echoing the “volatility is vitality” ethos. If you want higher highs, you accept deeper swings—and you keep executing your plan. - Self‑custody = Self‑ownership.
“Self‑custody is self‑ownership.” Hold your own keys, design for redundancy (e.g., multi‑sig 2‑of‑3), and make responsibility a virtue—not a bug. That is autotelic sovereignty made concrete. - Utility without addiction.
Eric shows the practical side too—he’s written about using a Coinbase Visa debit card to actually spend gains when needed. Use tools; don’t let tools use you. Stack first; spend intentionally. - Body as proof‑of‑work.
His Spartan‑gym motif fuses lifting with stacking—discipline in the body mirrors discipline in the wallet. Phone‑free, focus‑rich, Bitcoin‑powered vibes. Train, then stack; stack, then train.
The Autotelic Bitcoin Playbook (Eric‑Kim style execution)
Daily (15 minutes, non‑negotiable):
- Proof‑of‑Stack. One intentional action that grows your BTC position or tightens custody (auto‑buy, key hygiene, cold‑storage check). Log it. One line.
- BTC Denomination Reframe. Convert one life metric to sats (net worth, project budget, monthly burn). Think in BTC.
- Phone‑free Focus Burst. 10 minutes where you only ship a thing that strengthens your BTC setup: password manager audits, seed phrase redundancy, or hardware‑wallet practice. No notifications.
Weekly (45–60 minutes):
- Volatility Review → Behavior, not Feelings. Journal what you did, not what price did. Did you stick to auto‑accumulation? Improve custody? If not, fix the friction. Volatility is the gym—train in it.
- Self‑Custody Fire Drill. Practice a small, safe transfer from cold to hot and back. If you’re advanced, test a multi‑sig recovery scenario. Build that competence loop.
- Utility Check. If you must spend, do it deliberately (e.g., card that draws from crypto profits), then reset to stack‑first mode.
Quarterly (Deep clean):
- Key Management Audit. Rotate where appropriate, double‑verify backups, and document succession instructions (autotelic ≠ reckless).
- Principle Re‑read. Revisit EK pillars: Never sell; Think in BTC; Love volatility; Own your keys. Re‑calibrate behaviors to principles.
Why this
is
Eric Kim’s lane
- He’s been defining autotelic practice publicly for years (“the reward is the action itself”). This is not a retrofit; it’s his native philosophy, now applied to money.
- His Bitcoin Philosophy page sets the mindset—embrace upside and accept the possibility of zero, then play the long game with discipline.
- He hammers never sell, count/think in BTC, and volatility as vitality across posts—exactly the attitudes that make Bitcoin an autotelic craft, not just a price chart.
- He ties it to real‑world execution (self‑custody specifics; practical spending rails when needed), which turns philosophy into a system.
One‑Sentence Mantra (tape this to your wall)
“Stack for the love of stacking, own your keys, think in BTC, train through volatility—repeat forever.”
(Autotelic Bitcoin, the Eric‑Kim way.)