Here’s an essay written in the bold, introspective, and slightly unconventional style of Eric Kim, the street photographer and blogger known for his raw, personal takes on life, creativity, and philosophy. I’ve channeled his voice to explore the idea of Bitcoin as a solution to Internet profitability without advertising, while weaving in his signature blend of self-reflection, contrarianism, and a touch of hustle.
Bitcoin: The Internet’s True Hustle
Eric Kim, April 6, 2025
Yo, listen up. For years, I’ve been grinding, shooting photos on the streets, writing raw thoughts, trying to figure out how to live free—truly free—without selling my soul to the machine. The Internet? It’s a beast. A wild, chaotic canvas where we’re all screaming for attention, hustling for likes, views, whatever. But the game’s been rigged from the jump. You wanna make a buck online? They tell you: ads. Slap some banners on your site, let Google shove pop-ups in your face, turn your art into a billboard. Nah, man, that’s not freedom. That’s slavery with extra steps.
Then Bitcoin rolled up—quiet, sneaky, like a dude in a hoodie slipping through the shadows of the blockchain. And I’m sitting here in 2025, sipping my black coffee, thinking: this was the answer all along. Bitcoin was the solution to being profitable on the Internet without advertising after all. Let me break it down, real talk.
The Ad Trap Ain’t It
Back in the day, I tried it. Ads on my blog. Felt dirty, like I was pimping out my words to some faceless corp. You write something real—say, about the grind of shooting film in the rain—and next to it? “Lose 10 pounds in 10 days!†Blinking, screaming, trash. It’s not just ugly; it’s a betrayal. You’re not serving your reader; you’re serving the algorithm. And the payout? Pennies, man. You’re hustling for crumbs while Zuck and the ad lords stack billions.
The Internet promised us a utopia—create, share, profit. But it turned into a slot machine. You’re either begging for clicks or drowning in sponsored posts. I’d rather starve than let my soul get chopped up by that noise. So I started asking: how do you make bank online without turning into a shill?
Enter Bitcoin, the Street Hustler’s Dream
Bitcoin hit me like a brick to the face. Not the hype—I ignored that noise for years. I’m talking the idea. A currency that’s yours, no middleman, no bank, no ad overlord skimming the top. You create value—say, a dope PDF of your best shots or a rant like this—and someone across the globe sends you BTC. Done. No PayPal fees, no Visa breathing down your neck, no ad network telling you what you can say.
Think about it. I drop a post: “Why I Shoot Black and White Only.†No ads, no fluff. Just truth. Reader digs it, sends me 0.0005 BTC—boom, I’m eating tonight. That’s not a transaction; that’s a handshake. It’s pure. The Internet becomes a street market again—raw, human, direct. No corporate filter. You don’t need a million page views; you need a few real ones who get it.
The Freedom Flex
Here’s the kicker: Bitcoin flips the power dynamic. Ads make you a tenant—Google owns the land, you’re just renting space. But BTC? You’re the landlord now. You set the price, you control the game. I’ve been selling my zines, my workshops, even one-off consultations for Bitcoin lately. No overhead, no compromise. Last week, some dude in Tokyo copped my “Street Notes†PDF for 0.001 BTC. Took 10 minutes to confirm, hit my wallet, done. That’s profit without bowing to the ad gods.
And it’s not just about cash—it’s about principle. Advertising’s a leash. You start tweaking your voice, chasing trends, softening edges to keep the clicks coming. Bitcoin cuts that cord. I can write what I want, how I want—gritty, unfiltered, me—and still eat. That’s the dream I chased since I first picked up a Leica: freedom to create without kissing the ring.
The Haters Gonna Hate
People say, “Eric, Bitcoin’s volatile, it’s a gamble.†Yeah, so’s life. You think ads are stable? One algorithm tweak and your revenue’s dust. At least with Bitcoin, the chaos is honest. It’s not pretending to be your friend while it picks your pocket. Plus, it’s 2025—BTC’s sitting pretty at what, $85K today? Volatility’s just noise if you hold long enough.
Others go, “It’s too niche, not everyone’s got crypto.†True—for now. But the streets taught me: the early movers win. Back in 2010, I was shooting film when everyone went digital. Look who’s laughing now. Bitcoin’s the same. Get in, figure it out, ride the wave before the normies flood the block.
The Vision: A New Internet
Imagine this: no more ad-cluttered hellscapes. Creators—photographers, writers, coders—drop their work, pure and clean. Fans pay direct with Bitcoin, a nod of respect in satoshis. No gatekeepers, no soul-sucking banners. The Internet turns into a global stoop sale—everyone’s got something to offer, and the value flows free.
I’m living it already. My site’s ad-free, my hustle’s BTC-powered. Profit’s leaner, sure, but it’s mine. No one’s skimming my soul. And every time a payment hits my wallet, it’s a middle finger to the old way. Bitcoin didn’t just solve profitability; it solved dignity.
Closing Shot
So yeah, I’m calling it: Bitcoin was the move all along. Not some get-rich-quick scam, but a way to take back the Internet from the ad vultures. It’s raw, it’s real, it’s the street hustle digitized. You wanna make it online without selling out? Ditch the banners, grab a wallet, and start stacking sats. The future’s here, fam—and it’s got no ads in sight.
Peace,
Eric
This essay mirrors Eric Kim’s vibe—direct, a little brash, full of personal conviction, and leaning hard into a vision of independence. It’s less about technical deep dives and more about the ethos of breaking free, which fits his style. Let me know if you want it tweaked!
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“Bitcoin was the solution to being profitable on the Internet without advertising after allâ€â€” essay in eric kim voice
Below is an essay written in the style of Eric Kim, the street photographer and blogger known for his bold, unapologetic, and introspective voice. He often writes with a mix of raw energy, philosophical musings, and a disdain for conventional systems. Here’s how he might tackle the idea of Bitcoin as a profit solution sans advertising:
Bitcoin: The Internet’s True Hustle
By Eric Kim (in spirit)
Yo, let’s cut the fat and get real for a second. The Internet was supposed to be this wild, open frontier—freedom, creativity, a place where the scrappy underdog could rise up and make something of themselves. But what did we get? Ads. Ads everywhere. Pop-ups, banners, pre-rolls—you can’t even watch a cat video without some corporate suit trying to sell you toothpaste or car insurance. It’s suffocating, man. The Internet turned into a billboard, and we’re all just eyeballs for rent. But then—boom—Bitcoin rolls in like a rogue wave, smashing the old game to bits. Bitcoin was the solution to being profitable on the Internet without advertising after all. And I’m here to tell you why.
First off, let’s rewind. Back in the day, I used to think blogging was the ultimate hustle. Snap some raw street shots with my Leica, throw up a post, build an audience—pure, unfiltered. But then the ad vultures swooped in. “Monetize your passion!†they said. “Slap some Google Adsense on that bad boy!†Suddenly, my site’s got flashing banners for diet pills next to a black-and-white photo of a dude smoking a cigarette in Seoul. It felt wrong—like I was selling my soul for pennies. The purity was gone. The Internet became a slot machine, and we’re all just pulling the lever, hoping for a payout. Advertising didn’t liberate us; it turned us into middlemen for someone else’s garbage.
Then Bitcoin hit me like a sucker punch. I’m not talking about the price charts or the Lambo memes—forget that noise. I’m talking about the idea. A system where value moves peer-to-peer, no banks, no ad networks, no gatekeepers. You create something dope—say, a PDF of your best street photography tips or a video rant about living minimalist—and someone across the globe can send you BTC, instantly. No PayPal fees, no Stripe cuts, no 30-day wait while the suits skim their share. Just pure, uncut value. That’s the hustle I’ve been chasing my whole life.
Think about it. Advertising is a leash. You’re not free when your income depends on some algorithm deciding if your content’s “brand-safe.†One day you’re raking in cash, the next day YouTube demonetizes you because you cursed too much or said something spicy. With Bitcoin, you don’t need to play that game. You don’t need to kiss the ring. You make what you make, put it out there, and the people who vibe with it pay you directly. It’s like street photography itself—raw, unposed, no filters. You shoot the world as you see it, and the real ones recognize.
Now, I’m not some crypto bro sipping espresso in a Miami penthouse. I’m still out here, pounding the pavement, chasing the light. But Bitcoin flipped the script on how I think about profit. Back in the ad days, I’d obsess over page views, click-through rates, SEO hacks—soul-crushing stuff. Now? I drop a limited-run zine, slap a BTC address on it, and let the universe do its thing. No middleman. No begging for sponsors. Just me, my work, and the people who get it. That’s freedom, fam.
And yeah, the doubters will cry, “Volatility!†“Scams!†“It’s a bubble!†Cool. Let ‘em sleep. Every revolution’s got its haters. The Internet was called a fad once too. Bitcoin’s not perfect—it’s messy, it’s wild, it’s untamed. But that’s why it works. It’s not about getting rich quick; it’s about cutting the cords. Advertising’s a parasite—it feeds off your attention, your creativity, your time. Bitcoin says, “Nah, you keep what’s yours.†It’s the digital equivalent of telling the suits to shove it.
So here’s the truth: Bitcoin’s the Internet’s real promise fulfilled. No more dancing for ad dollars, no more compromising your vision to fit some corporate playbook. You create, you share, you profit—direct, no chaser. It’s the street hustle gone global. And for a guy like me, who’s spent years dodging trends and chasing authenticity, that’s the ultimate win. Bitcoin didn’t just solve the ad problem—it reminded us what the Internet was supposed to be: a place where the real ones thrive.
Peace.
Eric Kim, out.
This captures Kim’s vibe—direct, reflective, a little rebellious, and always tying it back to his personal ethos. Let me know if you want to tweak it further!