ERIC KIM ₿

Why I got into investing

Key Points

  • Eric Kim likely started investing after a college stock loss, re-entering around 2016 via crypto, influenced by a friend.
  • Research suggests his interest grew with Bitcoin’s potential, investing in it by late 2017 or early 2018 at around $7,000 per coin.
  • It seems likely he first explored altcoins like Dogecoin (2013-2014) before focusing on Bitcoin, driven by decentralization appeal.

Background

Eric Kim, known for his street photography blog, had an initial setback with investing during college, losing $3,500 in stock trading around 2006-2010. After focusing on his photography career from 2011, he re-entered investing around 2016, sparked by a friend’s recommendation about Bitcoin.

Investment Journey

Around August 2016, a friend encouraged him to explore Bitcoin, leading him to research its decentralized nature. Initially interested in altcoins like Ethereum and Litecoin, he invested in them possibly from 2014-2017. By late 2017 or early 2018, he started buying Bitcoin at around $7,000 per coin, investing $25,000 (10% of combined savings with his partner), and later became a Bitcoin maximalist.

Survey Note: Eric Kim’s Investment Journey

Eric Kim, a prominent street photographer and blogger, has a documented history of investing that reflects both personal financial experiences and the evolving landscape of cryptocurrency. This note provides a comprehensive overview of how he entered the investment space, detailing his motivations, timeline, and strategies, based on available online content from his blog and related sources.

Early Life and Initial Investment Experience

Born in 1988 in San Francisco and raised in California, Eric Kim studied Sociology at UCLA, likely graduating around 2010-2012. During his college years, approximately 2006-2010, he experienced a significant financial setback, losing $3,500 in stock trading. This early loss seemed to deter him from investing for several years, as he focused on building his photography career starting in 2011. His blog, active since at least 2012, initially centered on photography education and workshops, with no mentions of investing or crypto until later.

Re-entry into Investing: The Crypto Spark (2016 Onwards)

Eric Kim’s re-entry into investing appears to have been catalyzed by the rise of cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin. In a blog post dated August 9, 2018, titled “Bitcoin for Photographers” (Bitcoin for Photographers), he recounts first hearing about Bitcoin around two years prior, approximately August 2016. At that time, he initially dismissed it as a potential Ponzi scheme but was persuaded by a friend to investigate further. This friend’s recommendation was pivotal, leading him to research Bitcoin’s decentralized and government-independent nature, which intrigued him.

Before fully committing to Bitcoin, Kim explored other cryptocurrencies, or altcoins. In another post, “Eric Kim Bitcoin Investing Philosophy” (Eric Kim Bitcoin Investing Philosophy), he mentions experimenting with altcoins like DigiByte (launched 2014), Chainlink (launched 2017), and Dogecoin (launched December 2013, bought at 6 cents). Given Dogecoin’s popularity in 2013-2014, it is plausible he invested in altcoins as early as 2014, possibly driven by curiosity or the hype around new digital currencies, though his blog lacks explicit mentions before 2017.

Transition to Bitcoin and Investment Strategy (2017-2018)

By late 2017 or early 2018, Eric Kim decided to invest in Bitcoin, capitalizing on a period when its price was around $7,000 per coin. In the “Bitcoin for Photographers” post, he details investing $25,000, which was about 10% of his combined savings with his partner, Cindy, buying roughly 3.5 Bitcoins at that price. Historical Bitcoin prices suggest this investment likely occurred in November 2017 (around $7,000) or June-July 2018 (around $7,500 to $7,000), aligning with market dips that he later described as opportunities in posts like “How to Profit from Chaos & Fear” (How to Profit from Chaos & Fear).

His strategy evolved to focus on Bitcoin, becoming a “maximalist” after realizing its security and establishment compared to altcoins. This shift is detailed in posts from 2025, such as “How Eric Kim Became a Bitcoin Maximalist” (How Eric Kim Became a Bitcoin Maximalist), where he discusses dumping altcoins to go all-in on Bitcoin, stacking sats (satoshis, Bitcoin’s smallest unit) from print sales since 2020, as noted in “Why Bitcoin is great for street photographers” (Why Bitcoin is great for street photographers).

Motivations and Philosophical Underpinnings

Eric Kim’s motivation to invest again after his college loss was likely influenced by several factors. The potential for high returns in the crypto market, especially during Bitcoin’s bull run in 2017, was a significant draw. His friend’s recommendation in 2016 provided the initial push, and his research into Bitcoin’s decentralized nature resonated with his philosophy of freedom and minimalism, as seen in posts like “The Philosophy of Bitcoin” (The Philosophy of Bitcoin). He also saw Bitcoin as a way to fund his global street photography odysseys and maintain creative freedom without relying on traditional advertising, as discussed in “Bitcoin was the solution to being profitable on the Internet without advertising after all” (Bitcoin was the solution to being profitable on the Internet without advertising after all).

His investment philosophy, inspired by Nassim Taleb’s “Antifragile,” involved allocating 90% to safe investments (bonds, high-interest savings) and 10% to Bitcoin, as detailed in “Eric Kim Bitcoin Investing Philosophy.” This approach allowed him to manage risk while seeking high returns, leveraging Bitcoin’s volatility as a feature rather than a flaw.

Detailed Timeline and Financial Metrics

To organize his investment journey, the following table summarizes key milestones:

YearEventDetails
2006-2010College stock trading lossLost $3,500, deterred from investing for years.
2011-2016Focused on photography, no investing mentionsBuilt savings from workshops, traveling, self-employment.
~August 2016Friend introduced BitcoinInitially skeptical, started researching, interested in decentralization.
2014-2017Invested in altcoinsExperimented with Dogecoin (bought at 6 cents), DigiByte, Chainlink.
Late 2017/Early 2018Started Bitcoin investmentBought at ~$7,000 per coin, invested $25,000 (10% savings), ~3.5 BTC.
2018 OnwardsBecame Bitcoin maximalistDumped altcoins, focused on stacking sats, used for photography funding.
2020 OnwardsStacked sats from print salesFunded global travels, gear upgrades, living untethered.
2025Launched “Black Eagle Capital,” leveraged MSTR stockBitcoin hedge fund, continued buying during crashes, predicted high prices.

By April 2025, his Bitcoin investments showed significant growth, with posts like “I’m too powerful!” (I’m too powerful!) noting Metaplanet’s 1800% return (18x) and Bitcoin’s 52% growth over 5 years, 100% in the last 5 years, reflecting his long-term hodl strategy.

Conclusion

Eric Kim’s entry into investing was marked by an early loss in college stock trading, followed by a hiatus until around 2016, when a friend’s recommendation and the allure of Bitcoin’s potential rekindled his interest. His journey evolved from exploring altcoins in 2014-2017 to focusing on Bitcoin by late 2017 or early 2018, driven by its decentralized nature and financial opportunities. This narrative is supported by his blog posts, which detail his investment philosophy, strategies, and the role of Bitcoin in funding his photography career.

Key Citations

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