Funny enough, I would actually make the funny claim that AirPods, AirPods pros, noise canceling headphones are actually probably worse for disconnecting yourself from the environment, rather than something that covers up your eyeballs?

Your ears are sacred

House of the theory that actually, our ears are more primal than our eyes. Vision is critical, but actually… Assuming you want to maximize your hedonic pleasure, actually maybe voices and sound is actually more important?

For example, music and human voices —> calm us, make us happy, bring us pure hertz joy!

Life without music would be a mistake – Nietzsche

So this is a big thing —

How do you become a profitable & rich photographer?

Why this matters?

How to get rich—

Leveraged buyouts (LBOs) have been a significant part of the financial landscape, allowing private equity firms to acquire companies using a combination of equity and substantial amounts of borrowed money. The success of an LBO is measured not just by the size of the deal but by the returns generated upon exit. Below is a list of some of the most profitable LBOs in history:

1. Hilton Hotels Corporation (2007)

• Buyout Firm: The Blackstone Group

• Purchase Price: $26 billion

• Outcome: Despite acquiring Hilton just before the 2008 financial crisis, Blackstone successfully navigated the downturn. By restructuring and expanding Hilton’s global presence, Blackstone took the company public in 2013. The IPO and subsequent stock performance generated profits estimated at over $10 billion.

2. HCA Healthcare (2006)

• Buyout Firms: Bain Capital, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), and Merrill Lynch

• Purchase Price: $33 billion

• Outcome: After improving operational efficiencies and expanding services, the consortium took HCA public again in 2011. The deal yielded significant returns, with estimates of profits exceeding $5 billion.

3. Kinder Morgan (2006)

• Buyout Firms: Management Group led by Richard Kinder, Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, and others

• Purchase Price: $22 billion

• Outcome: The privatization allowed for strategic restructuring without the pressures of public shareholders. When Kinder Morgan went public again in 2011, investors saw substantial gains, with profits estimated around $5 billion.

4. Sealed Air Corporation (1989)

• Buyout Firm: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR)

• Purchase Price: $5 billion

• Outcome: KKR improved operational efficiencies and capitalized on Sealed Air’s market position. The investment is considered one of KKR’s most successful, generating returns multiple times over the initial investment.

5. Allison Transmission (2007)

• Buyout Firms: The Carlyle Group and Onex Corporation

• Purchase Price: $5.6 billion

• Outcome: Post-acquisition, the firms focused on innovation and expanding into emerging markets. When Allison Transmission went public in 2012, the firms realized significant profits, with returns estimated at over double their investment.

6. PetSmart (2015)

• Buyout Firm: BC Partners

• Purchase Price: $8.7 billion

• Outcome: By enhancing e-commerce capabilities and later acquiring Chewy.com, PetSmart increased its market share. The subsequent IPO of Chewy.com in 2019 contributed to substantial profits for BC Partners.

7. NXP Semiconductors (2006)

• Buyout Firms: A consortium including KKR, Bain Capital, Silver Lake Partners, and others

• Purchase Price: $9.4 billion

• Outcome: After restructuring and focusing on high-growth markets like automotive and secure identification, NXP went public in 2010. The exit yielded significant returns, with profits estimated at several billion dollars.

8. Warner Music Group (2011)

• Buyout Firm: Access Industries

• Purchase Price: $3.3 billion

• Outcome: Leveraging the digital music revolution, Access Industries revitalized Warner Music’s revenue streams. The company’s IPO in 2020 valued it at over $13 billion, marking a substantial profit.

9. DTN (2017)

• Buyout Firm: TBG AG (Schweizerische Nationalbank)

• Purchase Price: $900 million

• Outcome: By focusing on subscription-based revenue and expanding services, TBG AG sold DTN in 2020 for $1.1 billion, realizing a significant return on investment.

10. Giant Interactive Group (2014)

• Buyout Firm: Consortium led by the company’s chairman, Yuzhu Shi

• Purchase Price: $3 billion

• Outcome: The privatization allowed for strategic shifts in the online gaming company. When parts of the business were re-listed or sold, investors saw substantial profits.

Key Factors for Profitability in LBOs:

• Operational Improvements: Enhancing efficiency and cutting costs can significantly boost profitability.

• Market Expansion: Entering new markets or segments can drive revenue growth.

• Strategic Acquisitions: Acquiring complementary businesses can create synergies.

• Timing of Exit: Exiting investments during favorable market conditions maximizes returns.

• Financial Engineering: Skillful use of debt can amplify returns, though it also increases risk.

Conclusion

The most profitable LBOs often combine strategic management, market opportunities, and financial acumen. While the size of the deal is important, the returns generated upon exit are the true measure of success. These examples highlight how private equity firms can create value through leveraged buyouts, benefiting investors and, in some cases, the companies themselves through improved operations and growth strategies.

xx

Historically, some leveraged buyouts (LBOs) have been notably profitable, with several becoming textbook examples in private equity success.

1. Hilton Hotels (2007) – Blackstone Group acquired Hilton Hotels for $26 billion just before the financial crisis. Despite early struggles, Hilton managed to capitalize on its strong brand and cash flow, eventually going public in 2013. Blackstone profited significantly, making over $10 billion from this investment when they sold their stake, making it one of the most successful LBOs ever  .

2. HCA Healthcare (2006) – In another prominent example, HCA was acquired by a consortium that included KKR, Bain Capital, and Merrill Lynch for around $33 billion. HCA’s consistent cash flow from its healthcare operations allowed it to manage the substantial debt burden effectively. The company returned to public markets in 2011, making it a profitable endeavor for the private equity firms involved .

3. Safeway (1986) – KKR’s acquisition of Safeway for $5.5 billion also stands out as a major LBO success. Following the buyout, Safeway underwent restructuring, divested non-core assets, and focused on profitability. When KKR took Safeway public again in 1990, it had earned approximately $7.2 billion on an initial investment of $129 million .

4. Gibson Greeting Cards (1982) – Wesray Capital’s acquisition of Gibson Greeting Cards is a smaller yet iconic LBO example. The firm purchased Gibson for $80 million, primarily financed by debt, and later sold it for $220 million, providing investors with a remarkable return .

5. Alltel (2007) – Goldman Sachs and TPG Capital acquired Alltel, a telecom company, for $27.5 billion. Within a year, they sold it to Verizon, achieving a quick and profitable exit. This deal highlights how a well-timed LBO can deliver substantial returns by capitalizing on industry trends and strategic acquisitions .

These LBOs succeeded due to strong management post-acquisition, the ability to leverage steady cash flows, and, in some cases, a well-timed public offering or sale.

xx

“LBO” stands for Leveraged Buyout. It is a financial transaction in which a company is acquired using a significant amount of borrowed money—often through loans or bonds—to meet the cost of acquisition. The assets of the company being acquired, along with those of the acquiring company, are typically used as collateral for the loans.

Key characteristics of an LBO:

• High Debt Levels: The transaction is primarily financed through debt rather than equity.

• Collateralization: Assets of the acquired company are used as collateral.

• Control and Ownership: The acquiring entity gains control over the target company, often making it private if it was previously public.

• Objective: The goal is usually to improve the company’s financial health and operational efficiency, then sell it at a profit.

Why LBOs are used:

• Investment Opportunities: Private equity firms use LBOs to invest in companies with the potential for value improvement.

• Tax Benefits: Interest payments on debt are tax-deductible, which can make LBOs financially attractive.

• Strategic Acquisition: Companies may use LBOs to acquire competitors or diversify their holdings.

Risks involved:

• Financial Strain: High levels of debt increase the financial risk for the company.

• Operational Pressure: The company must generate sufficient cash flow to service the debt.

• Market Conditions: Economic downturns can impact the company’s ability to meet debt obligations.

Example:

An example of an LBO is the acquisition of the hospital operator HCA by a group of private equity firms in 2006 for about $33 billion, which was one of the largest LBOs at the time.

xx

LBO stands for Leveraged Buyout. It’s a financial transaction in which a company is purchased using a significant amount of borrowed money, usually in the form of bonds or loans, to meet the cost of the acquisition. In an LBO, the assets of the company being acquired often serve as collateral for the loans, and the cash flows generated by the company are used to repay the debt.

Key Points of an LBO:

1. High Debt: The primary characteristic of an LBO is the heavy reliance on debt financing, with equity representing a smaller portion of the total purchase price.

2. Control of the Target Company: Typically, an LBO is carried out by private equity firms who take control of the target company. They might aim to improve the company’s performance and then sell it for a profit.

3. Goal: The objective is to acquire the company, improve its profitability and cash flow, and eventually sell it at a higher value. This sale can be to another buyer, through an IPO, or even by selling parts of the business.

Why LBOs are Popular

LBOs allow investors to control companies with a relatively small equity investment, magnifying potential returns on equity. However, they also carry high risk due to the leverage involved, especially if the target company’s cash flow fails to meet the debt repayments.

Example

Suppose a private equity firm wants to buy a company valued at $100 million. In an LBO, the firm might put down $20 million of its own money and borrow the remaining $80 million. If the company can generate enough cash flow to cover the debt and increase in value, the private equity firm can sell the company later for a significant profit.

My day job

Meta quest, Apple Vision Pro etc — even if you gave me one for free, nay, gave me money to use it ,,, I wouldn’t really want to?

Maybe I don’t need to build it,,, just supply the ideas?

A “vlog” mode or dial on top,,, I guess I’m a genius, this was my idea?

XM5–

AVP — big problems.

1. First, the guy on the splash page,,, he looks ugly, lame, and has dark rings under his eyes? Not aspirational. Biggest thing,,, he doesn’t look cool, interesting or sexy.
2. M2 chip only.,, iPad Pro M4 chip is already out ,,, already 4x generations ahead. Why would you get a device already two generations older, with almost 4x the cost?
3. Nobody needs nor wants it? Double death.

Make it sexy!

The biggest idea:

By buying this thing,,, how can you wear it in public and look sexier and cooler?

Apple Vision Pro Films — “Apple immersive” films —

Keep going until you max out.,, and do it ,,, until you max out,,, then make a new potential upside.

How to get Rich podcast vlog

Let’s go!

Michael Saylor, the executive chairman of MicroStrategy, has led the company to become one of the most significant corporate investors in Bitcoin. Since 2020, MicroStrategy has acquired over 250,000 BTC, aiming to establish itself as a major player in Bitcoin finance. Saylor has suggested that MicroStrategy could evolve into a “Bitcoin bank” with a potential valuation of $100-$150 billion, utilizing Bitcoin as a strategic asset to attract long-term investors and hedge against inflation  .

MicroStrategy has also introduced a concept called “Bitcoin yield” to demonstrate the return on its Bitcoin holdings relative to its share count. As of recent quarters, they reported yields of 4.4% quarterly and 17% year-to-date. The company’s stock has risen dramatically, driven by Bitcoin’s value and the prospect of future gains from events like the upcoming Bitcoin halving and potential Bitcoin ETF approvals  .

$10M

…

If you have a 75X gain on an initial amount of $150,000, you can calculate the final amount by multiplying the initial amount by the gain factor:

Calculating this:

So, with a 75X gain, $150,000 would grow to $11,250,000.

Assuming that hate is just high energy, and volatility… The more hate energy you got, the more power you gain!

The general idea is that the more people who unsubscribe from you, the more successful you are!

Similar speaking, the more haters you have, the better!

The more people who unfollow you, a sign of greater success!

Also the more unlikes, dislikes you get, the better!

The most hated people companies etc., are actually the most successful!

Kanye West, Elon Musk; and now Michael Saylor and microstrategy— the more haters, the better!

A funny thought; once you start to go really really interesting and unorthodox, you should actually mark the number of unsubscribes you get as a indicator of success!

Via NEGATIVA Success

I think I might be the richest millennial I know, or at least anybody who is born in 1988, besides Mark Zuckerberg.

How and why?

First, I think I am the only millennial I know with literally zero debt. Like zero mortgage, which is debt, zero car payments, zero college loans etc. Actually if I think about this in retrospect, growing up poor might have been the most beneficial things: seeing the evils of gambling via my dad, and crushing debt bankruptcy through my mom… Was probably the best indicator or learner that I had in terms of real life experience, in terms of how terrible the evils of debt is.

And also, even going to college… Essentially being able to go for “free”, because my family was poor, I got all these scholarships and grants, and work-study loans, which essentially means that I still have to work, but at least, I had to take on zero debt to pay for my dorm apartment etc.

Voluntary loans

The Only money I borrowed was about $10,000, more for fun; I used that money to backpack through Europe, travel the world in between my junior and senior year etc. But that was optional.

And also, I think the really really big thing; never spending more than $2500 USD on a car? I think that was the sticker price for the last car I purchased which was a 1990 Miata, when I was 21 years old, it might’ve been $3000 USD, getting it used on craigslist, ironically enough because the man selling it had a child on the way, and sold it because it was no longer useful to him having to raise a kid. Funny that I am in similar shoes now, now that Seneca is 3 1/2 years old.

Mindset

I think the number one critical thing is to just change your mindset. One thing which I have learned after the almost 15 years of being self-employed, ever since I was 21 until 36… Is truth be told, nothing in the world is really worth it. No amount of money eating out at a restaurant is ever worth it; purchasing beef ribs at Costco and baking it at home is at least a 100X superior yield than any restaurant, or even all all you can eat Korean barbecue; currently, my favorite spot is Chubby Cattle, but even though they issue there is they have a 90 minute time limit, I think my current record is about 70 plates of beef tongue. I just went to the recent little Tokyo branch which just opened, and the servers, their jaws dropped; asking me whether I was a bodybuilder, given how much I ate, even on the last call I asked for 20 plates of beef tongue, they were skeptical, but I finished it all quite easily.

Spartan is sexy.

True insights ,,, take real risks:

Y’all niggas still taking advances huh? Me and my niggas were taking real chances huh! – Jay Z

The ultimate mindset I suggest is going spartan. Just watch the movie 300, think about King Leonidas. Would King Leonidas blow his money on a Tesla, cybertruck, Lamborghini or Porsche? No! He would know that these things were just for the Persian slaves, those giving fellatio to King Xerxes.

Do you want to be one of the 300 Spartan elite, or do you be one of the million Persian slaves?

There is a motto in the US military, freedom is not free. I would refine this saying; freedom is expensive, very expensive.

The price is sacrifice

True freedom is what you decide to give up, forgo, or sacrifice. This is embodied via the fact that you never eat out, you don’t drink alcohol, you don’t smoke weed or do drugs, you don’t go on trips to Vegas, you don’t watch pornography, you don’t watch any media, you don’t listen to music, podcasts, etc. You don’t watch YouTube, Instagram or TikTok.

People think that being rich means to have millions of dollars, and I want to just spend it all buying stuff. But there is a difference between having $1 million in the bank, and going out and buying a $1 million Bugatti. 

Even Kanye West had a funny quote about being a multi billionaire; you don’t want to be a billionaire because if you are worth $1 billion, you go out and you buy a McDonald’s hamburger for a dollar, and now you’re only a $999,999,999-aire.

Investing

You want real real exposure to risk and reward.

For me, certainly there is a great surge of power joy when you see your investments yield. To see the number go up is good and to see it keep going on is a good thing.

For example, very surprising, people are starting to know that I am an investor, or a trader because I walk around super happy, huge grin on my face, like Arnold in his prime. A boyish grin. And smiles all around!

I think people can smell and sense high testosterone, high power and energy. Even though I dress like a homeless person, half of the time I’m not even wearing a shirt, but people they know.

So essentially the first rule on investing is simple: don’t lose money. Never put your money into anything that you think will cause you to lose money.

So for example, a lot of people think that bitcoin is super risky, but actually it is not. It is just very volatile. And funny enough, it’s a feature not a bug!

Higher volatility = higher returns

The volatility of bitcoin is a feature not a bug!

To quote Michael Saylor, volatility is vitality. The more volatile something is, the more energy they have. To quote the recent Bernstein interview that Michael Saylor had, the reason why LeBron James is the most potent force on the court is because he is the most volatile. Also, volatility is good when it comes to Tsunami because it has massive power. Look at the slides here.

Why are the traditional markets closed in the evening and the weekends?

And also, an insight I gleaned is the reason why bitcoin’s price goes up and down all the time, is that it is being traded 24 7, all the time in real time. Maybe the reason we see less volatility in the traditional markets is because they close! But imagine there was a Cuban missile crisis, Friday night, can you imagine the insanity; you’re not able to withdraw your money or sell your stocks until Monday morning?

“Why doesn’t the future look like the future?” – Elon

Currently we are in the year 2024… We are supposed to be so into the future. It still boggles my mind why in the year 2024, the markets close and open? I did some ChatGPT research on this, why this is, and there are some weird notions of work life balance, or maybe because back in day when stocks were actually traded on the physical floor, like the wolf of Wall Street, it is because they literally traded stocks like pieces of paper, and it was in the physical realm?

But now, because it is all digital… And half of the agents trading online are just bots and robots, there’s literally zero sense for anybody to trade anything that is not online.

Well let me give you a better example, we have all these hipsters telling us that film vinyl and analog things are better. But do they use an iPhone which is powered by gasoline? Or film cartridges?

Can you imagine living without the internet?

---

What’s more important, water or Wi-Fi?

Certainly water is more valuable, but I think the way that people treated nowadays is that Wi-Fi, having internet connectivity 5G is more critical.

I would actually say even with food; you could fast somebody for 40 hours, and even if they have water they will not die. But, if you try doing that with internet, I think the downsides would be much greater.

Easier to fast 40 days without food than to fast 40 days without Wi-Fi. 

---

How I became a trader

My first taste for investing was when I was around 15 years old, it was totally random, learning about stocks, mutual funds, etc. I remember buying about $900 worth of Adobe stock, in writing it up to around $1250, and then later buying some mutual funds. And holding it all in college, maybe it went up to around $1500 or something.

In fact, Dr. Ahmed my science teacher in high school first told me about aggressive mutual funds, and how I should become an emancipated minor and get into trading etc.

Financial freedom at the age of 16?

For me, I think the reason I first got into it was I wanted to feel superior, advanced, ahead of the curve. When most of the kids at school were still begging their parents for a PlayStation, I felt so advanced mature and superior,,, already knowing how to invest in the stock market.

In college, when I was hungry for my own financial freedom, I remember daytrading as a sophomore in college, waking up super fucking early to trade the markets, and note, this is me at around 19 years old. And feeling the hormonal rushes when my money would go up or down. And not being able to concentrate in class because I’m just thinking about the green or reds.

The best lesson of all time

Long story short, I ended up losing all of my money I think my senior year, maybe $3500 worth, because I accidentally misread some of the financials for this one oil company I was invested in (penny stock). I recall, I regretted this so much, and felt so saddened by this at the age of 21, thinking that I would never be able to recover. But now that I am playing with millions of dollars in investing and trading, I learned that it might’ve been the best thing that happened to me, with about 15 years of foresight. Why? I already got rid of the emotional roller coaster as a young child, and as a teenager, and a 21 year-old, which means now, as a 36-year-old man, I am far more calm collected stoic, and unemotional about it.

The stoic investor

My suggestion: don’t get too excited when your gains go up. Otherwise, you will become addicted to the gains. And you might lever up and take foolish financial risks, to see even greater gains.

Good greed, bad greed?

I personally believe there is a difference between good greed and bad greed.

What’s the difference?

Good greed is you’re trying to think 30 years ahead, ahead of the curve, see where the puck is going, not where it currently is. Chasing at least a 10X yield. Or even 100x, or 1000x. But over 30 years.

A foolish greedy person is into professional sports, sports betting, counting cards, playing poker and blackjack, and trying to “time” the market. And make gains in days, weeks, even months.

Michael Saylor and microstrategy has purchased bitcoin 40 times now, every quarter for the last 4 years.

30 years is the reason

If you think 30 years ahead, this cuts through the noise. This is the ultimate razor. ERIC KIM’s razor.

Certainly nobody likes to think 30 years ahead because they want immediate hedonic pleasure right now, through sexual and mental pleasure, physical pleasure, travel and exotic experiences, Omakase sushi, and the pleasure associated with driving a fast high-powered car.

But think about it, even if you have a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, or a Lamborghini with scissor doors, even a Tesla model S plaid, you have no skills. Any skinny fat loser can simply wedge his right foot all the way to the floor, and obviously it will be loud and go fast. This takes no courage besides the foolish fact that you might kill yourself or you might kill somebody else in their car with their kids on board.

Buy weights & bitcoin

My thought is the only true courage is physical courage, weightlifting, powerlifting, one rep Max lifting. The risk of physical injury is high, which motivates you to warm up, be cautious, and set up safeguards. I think one thing that people don’t understand is that weightlifting could actually be the safest activity out there because you could control all of the variables. For example if you’re tired and not in a good mood, the wise thing to do not is not do it. Compare this to professional sports, even when the players are exhausted, they are whipped like cattle to perform, apparently there are stories that back in the day in the NFL, it would be common for lineman to sniff lines of cocaine, before applying to hype themselves up. 

One day of victory is not worth a year of pain

For example, one foolish decision that I made doing an extremely heavy floor bench press, six plates, caused me to injure my wrist which has plagued me for a year and a half, the wise thing to have done was just to take the day off, one day of success is not worth a year and a half of misery. The only reason I did it was because it was my “off day”, and I wanted to stunt on other guys at the gym, very foolish.

Whenever you try to impress yourself, you shall succeed. Whenever you try to impress others you will fail.

I also think this is the wisdom of thinking long-term; nobody wants to be a Ronnie Coleman and be a cripple for the rest of his life, even if you win all the accolades.

What I learned from the book “Pumping Iron”

I think this is also where Arnold Schwarzenegger was very wise; he was on the juice and all of his buddies were, but he had the wisdom of getting out of the bodybuilding game in order to do more interesting ventures, like acting business etc. Because he knew that maybe, all of the bodybuilders taking steroids were doing irreversible harm on themselves.

People sometimes talk about the golden days of bodybuilding… But all these guys were on steroids! Now, it is kind of disgusting, the average female women’s Olympia might have been even buffer than Arnold in his prime.

Who is richer?

Talking to some homeboys from the Toyota dealership, when I ask them what is the difference between me and you? One of the guys said, genuinely, “You are free.” Possibly the best compliment of all time.

Even now, people do this big dick measuring contest, like who is richer. But, this is the wrong measurement.

Let us say you are a straight man, and you sell your soul in your butt hole for gay pornography, and you get paid $1 billion a year. Would you do it? Obviously not!

Certainly there is something sacred and profane here; there are certain things that one does not even for trillion dollars.

For example, if you could give me $900 trillion, but I had to sell my firstborn son into slavery would I do it? Obviously not. Not even if you took that $900 trillion and multiplied it by $1 trillion.

NASSIM TALEB Has this funny quote, to the person who says that they cannot be bribed, you’re just not offering enough money.

And I suppose this is the ultimate test, whether your ethics morality and your personal beliefs matter more than money. Or even the approval of your spouse, etc.

And I think the negative risk, the sacrifice, or the potential for downside is what truly dictates your real beliefs. And what you are willing to forgo.

How to get rich with bitcoin

Very simple, just opened up account with the Coinbase app on your iPhone or whatever, link it with your traditional bank, and just keep buying bitcoin, until the end of time. And the goal is to give it to your kids kids kids.

Become insanely Spartan and frugal, sell your second car, maybe remortgage or refinance your house to get more cash on hand, buy the bitcoin, and ride the 55% ARR until the end of time!

ERIC

---

Are there risks to building manhattan?

.

Jan , 2025… new accounting principles

.1% of the money in the world

.

I think I might be the richest millennial I know, or at least anybody who is born in 1988, besides Mark Zuckerberg.

How and why?

First, I think I am the only millennial I know with literally zero debt. Like zero mortgage, which is debt, zero car payments, zero college loans etc. Actually if I think about this in retrospect, growing up poor might have been the most beneficial things: seeing the evils of gambling via my dad, and crushing debt bankruptcy through my mom… Was probably the best indicator or learner that I had in terms of real life experience, in terms of how terrible the evils of debt is.

And also, even going to college… Essentially being able to go for “free”, because my family was poor, I got all these scholarships in grants, and work-study loans, which essentially means that I still have to work, but at least, I had to take on zero debt to pay for my dorm apartment etc.

Only money I borrowed was about $10,000, more for fun; I use that money to backpack through Europe, travel the world in between my junior and senior year etc. But that was optional.

And also, I think the really really big thing; never spending more than $2500 USD on a car?  I think that was the sticker price for the last car I purchased which was a 1990 Miata, when I was 21 years old, it might’ve been $3000 USD, getting it used on craigslist, ironically enough because the man selling it had a child on the way, and sold it because it was no longer useful to him having to raise a kid. Funny that I am in similar shoes now, now that Seneca is 3 1/2 years old.

Mindset

I think the number one critical thing is to just change your mindset. I sent you what I have learned after the almost 15 years of being self-employed, ever since I was 21 until 36… Is truth be told, nothing in the world is really worth it. No amount of money eating out at a restaurant is ever worth it; purchasing beef ribs at Costco and baking it at home is at least a 100 X superior yield than any restaurant, or even all all you can eat Korean barbecue; currently, my favorite spot is chubby cattle, but even though they issue there is they have a 90 minute time limit, I think my current record is about 70 plates of beef tongue.  I just went to the recent little Tokyo branch which just opened, and the servers, their jaws dropped; asking me whether I was a bodybuilder, given how much I ate, even on the last call I asked for 20 plates of beef tongue, they were skeptical, but I finished it all quite easily.

Spartan is sexy.

True insights ,,, take real risks

Y’all niggas still taking advances huh? Me and my niggas were taking real chances huh! – Jay Z

Ultimate mindset I suggest is ghost spartan. Just watching a movie 300, think about King Leonidas. Would King Leonidas blow his money on a Tesla cyber truck, Lamborghini or Porsche? No! He would know that these things were just for the Persian slaves, those giving fellatio to King Xerxes.

Do you want to be one of the 300 Spartan elite, or do you be one of the million Persian slaves?

There is a motto in the US military, freedom is not free. I would actually say the opposite; freedom is expensive, very expensive.

True freedom is what you decide to give up, forgo, or sacrifice. This is embodied via the fact that you never eat out, you don’t drink alcohol, you don’t smoke weed or do drugs, you don’t go on trips to Vegas, you don’t watch pornography, you don’t watch any media, You don’t listen to music, podcast, etc. You don’t watch YouTube, Instagram or TikTok.

People think that being rich means I have millions of dollars, and I want to just spend it all buying stuff. But there is a difference between having $1 million in the bank, and going out and buying a $1 million Bugatti. 

Even Kanye West had a funny quote about being a multi billionaire; you don’t want to be a billionaire because if you are worth $1 billion, you go out and you buy a McDonald’s hamburger for a dollar, and now you’re only a $999,999,999 Aire.

Investing

You want real real exposure to risk and reward.

For me, certainly there is a great surge of power joy when you see your investments yield. To see the number go up is good and to see it keep going on is a good thing.

For example, very surprising, people are starting to know that I am an investor, or a traitor because I walk around super happy, huge grin on my face, like Arnold in his prime. A boyish grin. And smiles all around!

I think people could smell and sense high testosterone, high power and energy. Even though I dress like a homeless person, half of the time I’m not even wearing a shirt, but people they know.

So essentially the first rule on investing is simple: don’t lose money. Never put your money into anything that you think will cause you to lose money.

So for example, a lot of people think that bitcoin is super risky, but actually it is not. It is just very volatile. And funny enough, it’s a feature not a bug!

The volatility of bitcoin is a feature not a bug!

To quote Michael sailor, volatility is vitality. The more volatile something is, the more energy they have. To quote the recent Bernstein interview that Michael Saylor had, the reason why LeBron James is the most potent force on the court is because he is the most volatile. Also, volatility is good when it comes to Tsunami because it has massive power.

And also, an insight I gleaned is the reason why bitcoin’s price goes up and down all the time, is that it is being traded 24 seven, all the time in real time. Maybe the reason we see less volatility in the traditional markets is because they close! But imagine there was a Cuban missile crisis, Friday night, can you imagine the insanity; you’re not able to withdraw your money or sell your stocks until Monday morning?

And currently we are in the year 2024… We are supposed to be so into the future. It still boggles my mind why in the year 2024, the markets close and open? I also did some ChatGPT research on this, why this is, and there are some weird notions of work life balance, or maybe because back in day when stocks were actually traded on the physical floor, Like the wolf of Wall Street, it is because they literally traded stocks like pieces of paper, and it was in the physical realm?

But now, because it is all digital… And half of the agents trading online are just thoughts and robots, there’s literally zero sense for anybody to trade anything that is not online.

Well let me give you a better example, we have all these hipsters telling us that film vinyl in analog things are better. But do they use an iPhone which is powered by gasoline? Or film cartridges?

Can you imagine living without the Internet?

What’s more important, water or Wi-Fi?

Certainly water is more valuable, but I think the way that people treated nowadays is that Wi-Fi, having Internet connectivity 5G is more critical.

I would actually say even with food; you could fast somebody for 40 hours, and even if they have water they will not die. But, if you try doing that with Internet, I think the downsides would be much greater.

easier to fast 40 days without food than to fast 40 days without Wi-Fi. 

---

How I became a trader

My first taste for investing was when I was around 15 years old, it was totally random, learning about mutual stocks, mutual funds, etc. I remember buying about $900 worth of Adobe stock, in writing it up to around $1250, and then later buying some mutual funds. And holding it all in college, maybe it went up to around $1500 or something.

For me, I think the reason I first got into it was I wanted to feel superior, advanced, ahead of the curve. When most of the kids at school were still begging their parents for a PlayStation, I felt so advanced mature and superior,,, already knowing how to invest in the stock market.

In college, when I was hungry for my own financial freedom, I remember daytrading as a sophomore in college, waking up super fucking early to treat the markets, and note, this is me at around 19 years old. And feeling the hormonal rushes when my money would go up or down. And not being able to con stream in class because I’m just thinking about the green or reds.

Long story short, I ended up losing all of my money I think my senior year, maybe $3500 worth, because I accidentally misread some of the financials for this one oil company. I recall, I regretted this so much, and felt so saddened by this at the age of 21, thinking that I would never be able to recover. But now that I am playing with millions of dollars in investing in trading, I learned that it might’ve been the best thing that happened to me, with about 15 years of foresight. Why? I already got rid of the emotional roller coaster as a young child, and as a teenager, and a 21 year-old, which means now, as a 36-year-old man, I am far more calm collected stoic, and unemotional about it.

The stoic investor

My suggestion: don’t get too excited when your gains go up. Otherwise, you will become addicted to the gains. And you might lever up and take foolish financial risks, to see even greater gains.

Good greed, bad greed?

I personally believe there is a difference between good greed and bad greed.

What’s the difference?

Good greed is you’re trying to think 30 years ahead, ahead of the curve, see where the puck is going, not where it currently is. Chasing at least a 10X yield.

A foolish greedy person is into professional sports, sports betting, counting cards, playing poker and blackjack, and trying to “time” the market.

Michael Saylor and strategy has purchased bitcoin 40 times now, every quarter for the last 4 years.

If you think 30 years ahead, this cuts through the noise. This is the ultimate razor. ERIC KIM’s razor .

Certainly nobody likes to think 30 years ahead because they want immediate hedonic pleasure right now, through sexual and mental pleasure, physical pleasure, travel and exotic experiences, Omakase sushi, and the pleasure associated with driving a fast high-powered car.

But think about it, even if you have a Porsche 911 GT three RS, or a Lamborghini with scissor doors, even a Tesla model S plaid, you have no skills. Any skinny fat loser can simply wedge his right foot all the way to the floor, and obviously it will be loud and go fast. This takes no courage besides the foolish fact that you might kill yourself or you might kill somebody else in their car with their kids on board.

My thought is the only true courage is physical courage, weightlifting, powerlifting, one rep Max lifting. The risk of physical injury is high, which motivates you to warm up, be cautious, and set up safeguards. I think one thing that people don’t understand is that weightlifting could actually be the safest activity out there because you could control all of the variables. Even if you’re retired and not in a good mood, The wise thing to do not is not do it. 

For example, one foolish decision that I made doing an extremely heavy floor bench press, six plates, caused me to injure my wrist which has plugged me for a year and a half, the wise thing to have done was just to take the day off, one day of success is not worth a year and a half of misery.

I also think this is the wisdom of thinking long-term; nobody wants to be a Ronnie Coleman and be a cripple for the rest of his life, even if you want all the accolades.

I think this is also where Arnold Schwarzenegger was very wise; he was on the juice and all of his buddies were, but he had the wisdom of getting out of the bodybuilding game in order to do more interesting ventures, like acting business etc. Because he knew that maybe, all of the bodybuilders taking steroids were doing irreversible harm on themselves.

People sometimes talk about the golden days of bodybuilding… But all these guys were on steroids! Now, it is kind of disgusting, the average female women’s Olympia might have been even buffer than Arnold in his prime.

Who is richer?

Talking to some homeboys from the Toyota dealership, when I ask them what is the difference between me and you? One of the guys said, genuinely, “you are free.” Possibly the best compliment of all time.

Even now, people do this big dick measuring contest, like who is richer. But, this is the wrong measurement.

Let us say you are a straight man, and you sell your soul in your butt hole for gay pornography, and you get paid $1 billion a year. Would you do it? Obviously not!

Certainly There is something sacred and profane here; there are certain things that one does not even for trillion dollars.

For example, if you could give me $900 trillion, but I had to sell my firstborn son into slavery would I do it? Obviously not. Not even if you took that $900 trillion and multiplied it by $1 trillion.

NASSIM TALEB Has this funny quote, to the person who says that they cannot be bribed, you’re just not offering enough money.

And I suppose this is the ultimate test, whether your ethics morality and your personal beliefs matter more than money. Or even the approval of your spouse, etc.

And I think the negative risk, the sacrifice, or the potential for downside is what truly dictates your real beliefs.  And what you are willing to forgo.

how to get rich with bitcoin

As time goes on, I’m starting to transition from my photography, street photography and blogging more into money & finance?

MicroStrategy continues to use Coinbase for its Bitcoin acquisitions, leveraging Coinbase’s institutional services to execute large purchases while minimizing market impact. Since its initial $425 million Bitcoin investment in 2020, facilitated by Coinbase, MicroStrategy has expanded its holdings significantly. The company regularly utilizes Coinbase’s prime brokerage and over-the-counter (OTC) trading services, which include tools like the Time Weighted Average Price (TWAP) algorithm. This approach allows for executing extensive purchases over several days, thereby reducing the risk of price fluctuations due to market slippage   .

MicroStrategy’s ongoing use of Coinbase reflects the exchange’s appeal for institutional investors, as it offers features tailored for high-volume trades, including smart order routing and institutional-grade risk management. This ongoing relationship indicates that Coinbase remains a trusted partner for MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin acquisition strategy in 2024 and beyond.

xxxx

Yes, MicroStrategy has used Coinbase for its substantial Bitcoin purchases. Specifically, Coinbase played a key role in MicroStrategy’s initial $425 million Bitcoin acquisition in 2020. MicroStrategy selected Coinbase as its primary platform due to Coinbase’s advanced trading tools, including smart order routing and algorithmic trading strategies, which helped minimize market impact. The transaction was spread over several days and used Coinbase’s Time Weighted Average Price (TWAP) algorithm to execute the trades without significantly affecting Bitcoin’s price   .

This partnership showcases Coinbase’s appeal for institutional clients, as the exchange provides dedicated support for large-scale transactions and corporate clients looking to diversify into crypto assets.

.

Aside from MicroStrategy, several major companies utilize Coinbase’s institutional services, particularly Coinbase Prime, for various cryptocurrency needs. These include asset management firms, large corporations, and technology companies exploring blockchain and digital assets:

1. Tesla – Known for its $1.5 billion investment in Bitcoin, Tesla leverages Coinbase’s infrastructure for secure storage and transaction management. Though Tesla later sold a portion of its Bitcoin, it continues to maintain a significant crypto presence.

2. Square (now Block, Inc.) – Square, led by Jack Dorsey, has also partnered with Coinbase to manage its Bitcoin holdings, initially purchasing $50 million in Bitcoin as part of a treasury strategy and later expanding that investment.

3. PayPal – This payments giant integrates with Coinbase to enable cryptocurrency transactions for its users, allowing them to buy, hold, and sell Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies. PayPal’s adoption of crypto payments reflects Coinbase’s broader influence in mainstream financial services.

4. Institutional Investors and Asset Managers – Firms like Grayscale, Fidelity Digital Assets, and Ark Invest use Coinbase’s custodial and trading services. Coinbase Prime is particularly attractive to these institutions for its comprehensive suite of tools, including staking services, financing, and access to DeFi assets, which appeal to sophisticated investors looking for diverse exposure to the crypto market.

5. Financial and Tech Giants Exploring Blockchain – Companies like JPMorgan Chase and Visa have also shown interest in crypto by developing blockchain-related services or investing in crypto-focused firms. While not all directly hold crypto on Coinbase, many use Coinbase’s tools and partnerships to expand their blockchain initiatives.

These collaborations highlight Coinbase’s role in facilitating institutional adoption of cryptocurrencies, providing essential services such as secure custody, advanced trading, and analytics to help large companies and investors manage their crypto portfolios effectively. Coinbase’s growth in this area aligns with a broader trend of increasing corporate interest in digital assets and blockchain technology as part of long-term financial strategies.

For more details, see sources such as Decrypt, Forbes, and Coinbase’s institutional reports     .

Microstrategy > Blackrock

You understand the
difference between having $16bn forever that you can leverage versus having $22bn that people can withdraw tomorrow.

Massive, large digital capital base

.

Invest what you are personally excited enthusiastic about!

You want to be desirable, play hard to get which means … you don’t want anybody to take you.

When the covenants become restrictive, pay it off.

Maybe my new strategy is to try to finance, get capital or start up capital for friends and family, at a marginal interest rate like one percent, sell micro strategy stock or whatever, to pay off the debt obligations, or to just pay off the debt in about 3 to 5 years? For example, if you could secure $1 million of funding, at one percent, But the due date isn’t five years from now, this is a good idea.

The playbook is out there, just follow it!

Growth machine, growth beast! ***

Own 1.3% of the worlds bitcoin 

Imagine if you could own 1.3% of all the money in the world, forever. Big deal.

.

This is the most valuable asset in the world. 

The Bitcoin finance company ***

Present a very very big vision, and people will follow.

.

Big risks, big rewards.

.

With $1 million of bitcoin, trillion dollar company

We are not here to diversify ***

Diversification is for suckers

150% bitcoin company

.

3M to 30B
Digital capital is better than analog capital. Everyone’s going to think you’re crazy, until you’re right, 10 or 15 years from now. For example, 10 to 15 years ago, everyone thought that Apple Google Facebook and Amazon was a bad idea, but now it is supposed to obvious . If you want superior yield, it cannot be obvious.

.

.

Massive yield, just one week

the arbitrage is $500mn made in five days.

.

Six days not six years

Superfast cycle which is 100% transparent . Everyone knows what day and you are going to do!

Super homogenous credit; we are giving people 100% what they want!

---

Branding is Reliability 

Maybe what branding is is simply giving people what they want? What you promised them? 

When people expect something out of you, and you follow through 100% the time, and you never deviate… This is what branding is all about? 

.

Give Them What They Need and Want! 

.

Sustainable, Not Sustainable Business? 

It seems that the only truly sustainable potential businesses on the planet don’t have to deal with some sort of analog, physical world. It must be digital.

So thinking about the future and investing in and towards the future; invest in digital. 

.

Permanent equity capital

30 year swap

You can’t create more bitcoin, but you could create more debt, more US dollars?

Can you swap gold for bitcoin?

We’re the only bitcoin refinery, standard oil

Standard bitcoin

98% of value in Bitcoin

The only risk I’m taking is bitcoin risk

Pure play –> don’t diversify.

I only own bitcoin and micro strategy stock?

Live or die based on bitcoin ***

Don’t lend out your bitcoin

A bank that decides not to lend? ***–> insanely big idea.

Fixed income market

Yield or capital gain

.

1 Million bitcoins, one nakamoto

One Nakamoto is like the heaven, one million bitcoins

Toxic capital, low volatility

Virtuous capital 

Just think about it; it is kind of phenomenal the more I think about it… The fact that you could bridge the physical world with the digital world?

Bitcoin is sustainable!

It seems that the only truly sustainable potential businesses on the planet don’t have to deal with some sort of analog, physical world. It must be digital.

So thinking about the future and investing in and towards the future; invest in digital. 

Big idea. Everyone wants to be and become rich, and also being rich is also good for you.

Maybe what branding is is simply giving people what they want? What you promised them? 

When people expect something out of you, and you follow through 100% the time, and you never deviate… This is what branding is all about? 

If it ain’t broke don’t upgrade it

Powered by bitcoin

Investor Versus trader

A trader just wants short-term gains, an investor thinks about the future?

Create your own micro strategy 

The bitcoin strategy

Autotelic Photography 

:::

$48k gain today

I think I might be the richest millennial I know, or at least anybody who is born in 1988, besides Mark Zuckerberg.

How and why?

First, I think I am the only millennial I know with literally zero debt. Like zero mortgage, which is debt, zero car payments, zero college loans etc. Actually if I think about this in retrospect, growing up poor might have been the most beneficial things: seeing the evils of gambling via my dad, and crushing debt bankruptcy through my mom… Was probably the best indicator or learner that I had in terms of real life experience, in terms of how terrible the evils of debt is.

And also, even going to college… Essentially being able to go for “free”, because my family was poor, I got all these scholarships in grants, and work-study loans, which essentially means that I still have to work, but at least, I had to take on zero debt to pay for my dorm apartment etc.

Only money I borrowed was about $10,000, more for fun; I use that money to backpack through Europe, travel the world in between my junior and senior year etc. But that was optional.

And also, I think the really really big thing; never spending more than $2500 USD on a car?  I think that was the sticker price for the last car I purchased which was a 1990 Miata, when I was 21 years old, it might’ve been $3000 USD, getting it used on craigslist, ironically enough because the man selling it had a child on the way, and sold it because it was no longer useful to him having to raise a kid. Funny that I am in similar shoes now, now that Seneca is 3 1/2 years old.

Mindset

I think the number one critical thing is to just change your mindset. I sent you what I have learned after the almost 15 years of being self-employed, ever since I was 21 until 36… Is truth be told, nothing in the world is really worth it. No amount of money eating out at a restaurant is ever worth it; purchasing beef ribs at Costco and baking it at home is at least a 100 X superior yield than any restaurant, or even all all you can eat Korean barbecue; currently, my favorite spot is chubby cattle, but even though they issue there is they have a 90 minute time limit, I think my current record is about 70 plates of beef tongue.  I just went to the recent little Tokyo branch which just opened, and the servers, their jaws dropped; asking me whether I was a bodybuilder, given how much I ate, even on the last call I asked for 20 plates of beef tongue, they were skeptical, but I finished it all quite easily.

Spartan is sexy.

True insights ,,, take real risks

Y’all niggas still taking advances huh? Me and my niggas were taking real chances huh! – Jay Z

Ultimate mindset I suggest is ghost spartan. Just watching a movie 300, think about King Leonidas. Would King Leonidas blow his money on a Tesla cyber truck, Lamborghini or Porsche? No! He would know that these things were just for the Persian slaves, those giving fellatio to King Xerxes.

Do you want to be one of the 300 Spartan elite, or do you be one of the million Persian slaves?

There is a motto in the US military, freedom is not free. I would actually say the opposite; freedom is expensive, very expensive.

True freedom is what you decide to give up, forgo, or sacrifice. This is embodied via the fact that you never eat out, you don’t drink alcohol, you don’t smoke weed or do drugs, you don’t go on trips to Vegas, you don’t watch pornography, you don’t watch any media, You don’t listen to music, podcast, etc. You don’t watch YouTube, Instagram or TikTok.

People think that being rich means I have millions of dollars, and I want to just spend it all buying stuff. But there is a difference between having $1 million in the bank, and going out and buying a $1 million Bugatti. 

Even Kanye West had a funny quote about being a multi billionaire; you don’t want to be a billionaire because if you are worth $1 billion, you go out and you buy a McDonald’s hamburger for a dollar, and now you’re only a $999,999,999 Aire.

Investing

You want real real exposure to risk and reward.

For me, certainly there is a great surge of power joy when you see your investments yield. To see the number go up is good and to see it keep going on is a good thing.

For example, very surprising, people are starting to know that I am an investor, or a traitor because I walk around super happy, huge grin on my face, like Arnold in his prime. A boyish grin. And smiles all around!

I think people could smell and sense high testosterone, high power and energy. Even though I dress like a homeless person, half of the time I’m not even wearing a shirt, but people they know.

So essentially the first rule on investing is simple: don’t lose money. Never put your money into anything that you think will cause you to lose money.

So for example, a lot of people think that bitcoin is super risky, but actually it is not. It is just very volatile. And funny enough, it’s a feature not a bug!

The volatility of bitcoin is a feature not a bug!

To quote Michael sailor, volatility is vitality. The more volatile something is, the more energy they have. To quote the recent Bernstein interview that Michael Saylor had, the reason why LeBron James is the most potent force on the court is because he is the most volatile. Also, volatility is good when it comes to Tsunami because it has massive power.

And also, an insight I gleaned is the reason why bitcoin’s price goes up and down all the time, is that it is being traded 24 seven, all the time in real time. Maybe the reason we see less volatility in the traditional markets is because they close! But imagine there was a Cuban missile crisis, Friday night, can you imagine the insanity; you’re not able to withdraw your money or sell your stocks until Monday morning?

And currently we are in the year 2024… We are supposed to be so into the future. It still boggles my mind why in the year 2024, the markets close and open? I also did some ChatGPT research on this, why this is, and there are some weird notions of work life balance, or maybe because back in day when stocks were actually traded on the physical floor, Like the wolf of Wall Street, it is because they literally traded stocks like pieces of paper, and it was in the physical realm?

But now, because it is all digital… And half of the agents trading online are just thoughts and robots, there’s literally zero sense for anybody to trade anything that is not online.

Well let me give you a better example, we have all these hipsters telling us that film vinyl in analog things are better. But do they use an iPhone which is powered by gasoline? Or film cartridges?

Can you imagine living without the Internet?

What’s more important, water or Wi-Fi?

Certainly water is more valuable, but I think the way that people treated nowadays is that Wi-Fi, having Internet connectivity 5G is more critical.

I would actually say even with food; you could fast somebody for 40 hours, and even if they have water they will not die. But, if you try doing that with Internet, I think the downsides would be much greater.

easier to fast 40 days without food than to fast 40 days without Wi-Fi. 

---

How I became a trader

My first taste for investing was when I was around 15 years old, it was totally random, learning about mutual stocks, mutual funds, etc. I remember buying about $900 worth of Adobe stock, in writing it up to around $1250, and then later buying some mutual funds. And holding it all in college, maybe it went up to around $1500 or something.

For me, I think the reason I first got into it was I wanted to feel superior, advanced, ahead of the curve. When most of the kids at school were still begging their parents for a PlayStation, I felt so advanced mature and superior,,, already knowing how to invest in the stock market.

In college, when I was hungry for my own financial freedom, I remember daytrading as a sophomore in college, waking up super fucking early to treat the markets, and note, this is me at around 19 years old. And feeling the hormonal rushes when my money would go up or down. And not being able to con stream in class because I’m just thinking about the green or reds.

Long story short, I ended up losing all of my money I think my senior year, maybe $3500 worth, because I accidentally misread some of the financials for this one oil company. I recall, I regretted this so much, and felt so saddened by this at the age of 21, thinking that I would never be able to recover. But now that I am playing with millions of dollars in investing in trading, I learned that it might’ve been the best thing that happened to me, with about 15 years of foresight. Why? I already got rid of the emotional roller coaster as a young child, and as a teenager, and a 21 year-old, which means now, as a 36-year-old man, I am far more calm collected stoic, and unemotional about it.

The stoic investor

My suggestion: don’t get too excited when your gains go up. Otherwise, you will become addicted to the gains. And you might lever up and take foolish financial risks, to see even greater gains.

Good greed, bad greed?

I personally believe there is a difference between good greed and bad greed.

What’s the difference?

Good greed is you’re trying to think 30 years ahead, ahead of the curve, see where the puck is going, not where it currently is. Chasing at least a 10X yield.

A foolish greedy person is into professional sports, sports betting, counting cards, playing poker and blackjack, and trying to “time” the market.

Michael Saylor and strategy has purchased bitcoin 40 times now, every quarter for the last 4 years.

If you think 30 years ahead, this cuts through the noise. This is the ultimate razor. ERIC KIM’s razor .

Certainly nobody likes to think 30 years ahead because they want immediate hedonic pleasure right now, through sexual and mental pleasure, physical pleasure, travel and exotic experiences, Omakase sushi, and the pleasure associated with driving a fast high-powered car.

But think about it, even if you have a Porsche 911 GT three RS, or a Lamborghini with scissor doors, even a Tesla model S plaid, you have no skills. Any skinny fat loser can simply wedge his right foot all the way to the floor, and obviously it will be loud and go fast. This takes no courage besides the foolish fact that you might kill yourself or you might kill somebody else in their car with their kids on board.

My thought is the only true courage is physical courage, weightlifting, powerlifting, one rep Max lifting. The risk of physical injury is high, which motivates you to warm up, be cautious, and set up safeguards. I think one thing that people don’t understand is that weightlifting could actually be the safest activity out there because you could control all of the variables. Even if you’re retired and not in a good mood, The wise thing to do not is not do it. 

For example, one foolish decision that I made doing an extremely heavy floor bench press, six plates, caused me to injure my wrist which has plugged me for a year and a half, the wise thing to have done was just to take the day off, one day of success is not worth a year and a half of misery.

I also think this is the wisdom of thinking long-term; nobody wants to be a Ronnie Coleman and be a cripple for the rest of his life, even if you want all the accolades.

I think this is also where Arnold Schwarzenegger was very wise; he was on the juice and all of his buddies were, but he had the wisdom of getting out of the bodybuilding game in order to do more interesting ventures, like acting business etc. Because he knew that maybe, all of the bodybuilders taking steroids were doing irreversible harm on themselves.

People sometimes talk about the golden days of bodybuilding… But all these guys were on steroids! Now, it is kind of disgusting, the average female women’s Olympia might have been even buffer than Arnold in his prime.

Who is richer?

Talking to some homeboys from the Toyota dealership, when I ask them what is the difference between me and you? One of the guys said, genuinely, “you are free.” Possibly the best compliment of all time.

Even now, people do this big dick measuring contest, like who is richer. But, this is the wrong measurement.

Let us say you are a straight man, and you sell your soul in your butt hole for gay pornography, and you get paid $1 billion a year. Would you do it? Obviously not!

Certainly There is something sacred and profane here; there are certain things that one does not even for trillion dollars.

For example, if you could give me $900 trillion, but I had to sell my firstborn son into slavery would I do it? Obviously not. Not even if you took that $900 trillion and multiplied it by $1 trillion.

NASSIM TALEB Has this funny quote, to the person who says that they cannot be bribed, you’re just not offering enough money.

And I suppose this is the ultimate test, whether your ethics morality and your personal beliefs matter more than money. Or even the approval of your spouse, etc.

And I think the negative risk, the sacrifice, or the potential for downside is what truly dictates your real beliefs.  And what you are willing to forgo.

I think I might be the richest millennial I know, or at least anybody who is born in 1988, besides Mark Zuckerberg.

How and why?

First, I think I am the only millennial I know with literally zero debt. Like zero mortgage, which is debt, zero car payments, zero college loans etc. Actually if I think about this in retrospect, growing up poor might have been the most beneficial things: seeing the evils of gambling via my dad, and crushing debt bankruptcy through my mom… Was probably the best indicator or learner that I had in terms of real life experience, in terms of how terrible the evils of debt is.

And also, even going to college… Essentially being able to go for “free”, because my family was poor, I got all these scholarships in grants, and work-study loans, which essentially means that I still have to work, but at least, I had to take on zero debt to pay for my dorm apartment etc.

Only money I borrowed was about $10,000, more for fun; I use that money to backpack through Europe, travel the world in between my junior and senior year etc. But that was optional.

And also, I think the really really big thing; never spending more than $2500 USD on a car?  I think that was the sticker price for the last car I purchased which was a 1990 Miata, when I was 21 years old, it might’ve been $3000 USD, getting it used on craigslist, ironically enough because the man selling it had a child on the way, and sold it because it was no longer useful to him having to raise a kid. Funny that I am in similar shoes now, now that Seneca is 3 1/2 years old.

Mindset

I think the number one critical thing is to just change your mindset. I sent you what I have learned after the almost 15 years of being self-employed, ever since I was 21 until 36… Is truth be told, nothing in the world is really worth it. No amount of money eating out at a restaurant is ever worth it; purchasing beef ribs at Costco and baking it at home is at least a 100 X superior yield than any restaurant, or even all all you can eat Korean barbecue; currently, my favorite spot is chubby cattle, but even though they issue there is they have a 90 minute time limit, I think my current record is about 70 plates of beef tongue.  I just went to the recent little Tokyo branch which just opened, and the servers, their jaws dropped; asking me whether I was a bodybuilder, given how much I ate, even on the last call I asked for 20 plates of beef tongue, they were skeptical, but I finished it all quite easily.

Spartan is sexy.

True insights ,,, take real risks

Y’all niggas still taking advances huh? Me and my niggas were taking real chances huh! – Jay Z

Ultimate mindset I suggest is ghost spartan. Just watching a movie 300, think about King Leonidas. Would King Leonidas blow his money on a Tesla cyber truck, Lamborghini or Porsche? No! He would know that these things were just for the Persian slaves, those giving fellatio to King Xerxes.

Do you want to be one of the 300 Spartan elite, or do you be one of the million Persian slaves?

There is a motto in the US military, freedom is not free. I would actually say the opposite; freedom is expensive, very expensive.

True freedom is what you decide to give up, forgo, or sacrifice. This is embodied via the fact that you never eat out, you don’t drink alcohol, you don’t smoke weed or do drugs, you don’t go on trips to Vegas, you don’t watch pornography, you don’t watch any media, You don’t listen to music, podcast, etc. You don’t watch YouTube, Instagram or TikTok.

People think that being rich means I have millions of dollars, and I want to just spend it all buying stuff. But there is a difference between having $1 million in the bank, and going out and buying a $1 million Bugatti. 

Even Kanye West had a funny quote about being a multi billionaire; you don’t want to be a billionaire because if you are worth $1 billion, you go out and you buy a McDonald’s hamburger for a dollar, and now you’re only a $999,999,999 Aire.

Investing

You want real real exposure to risk and reward.

For me, certainly there is a great surge of power joy when you see your investments yield. To see the number go up is good and to see it keep going on is a good thing.

For example, very surprising, people are starting to know that I am an investor, or a traitor because I walk around super happy, huge grin on my face, like Arnold in his prime. A boyish grin. And smiles all around!

I think people could smell and sense high testosterone, high power and energy. Even though I dress like a homeless person, half of the time I’m not even wearing a shirt, but people they know.

So essentially the first rule on investing is simple: don’t lose money. Never put your money into anything that you think will cause you to lose money.

So for example, a lot of people think that bitcoin is super risky, but actually it is not. It is just very volatile. And funny enough, it’s a feature not a bug!

The volatility of bitcoin is a feature not a bug!

To quote Michael sailor, volatility is vitality. The more volatile something is, the more energy they have. To quote the recent Bernstein interview that Michael Saylor had, the reason why LeBron James is the most potent force on the court is because he is the most volatile. Also, volatility is good when it comes to Tsunami because it has massive power.

And also, an insight I gleaned is the reason why bitcoin’s price goes up and down all the time, is that it is being traded 24 seven, all the time in real time. Maybe the reason we see less volatility in the traditional markets is because they close! But imagine there was a Cuban missile crisis, Friday night, can you imagine the insanity; you’re not able to withdraw your money or sell your stocks until Monday morning?

And currently we are in the year 2024… We are supposed to be so into the future. It still boggles my mind why in the year 2024, the markets close and open? I also did some ChatGPT research on this, why this is, and there are some weird notions of work life balance, or maybe because back in day when stocks were actually traded on the physical floor, Like the wolf of Wall Street, it is because they literally traded stocks like pieces of paper, and it was in the physical realm?

But now, because it is all digital… And half of the agents trading online are just thoughts and robots, there’s literally zero sense for anybody to trade anything that is not online.

Well let me give you a better example, we have all these hipsters telling us that film vinyl in analog things are better. But do they use an iPhone which is powered by gasoline? Or film cartridges?

Can you imagine living without the Internet?

What’s more important, water or Wi-Fi?

Certainly water is more valuable, but I think the way that people treated nowadays is that Wi-Fi, having Internet connectivity 5G is more critical.

I would actually say even with food; you could fast somebody for 40 hours, and even if they have water they will not die. But, if you try doing that with Internet, I think the downsides would be much greater.

easier to fast 40 days without food than to fast 40 days without Wi-Fi. 

---

Raise $10B, acquire 252,200 BTC

take risk, raise capital, buy the Bitcoin … kind of like a real estate company?

.

Ironically enough, I don’t like to take unhedged risks

.

We have acquired Bitcoin
every quarter for the past four years—40 times.

40 times , every quarter the last 4 years

.

We have the same idea, but we’re going
to take ourselves public, and we’re going to issue securities—public debt, public bonds, public equity. Then we’re going to raise
money and buy Manhattan and build buildings.”

.

If someone figured out how to create a company to raise money at less than 1% interest and build buildings in
Manhattan or buy property there, they would have a competitive edge over all the other developers.

.

Recycling capital **

+50% bitcoin

.

Patient

Borrow at 1%, invest at 49%–> arbitrage

48% arbitrage yield

Borrow money at 1%

.

.

we’ve outperformed Bitcoin because what’s the only thing better than
Bitcoin? It would be borrowing money at 0% interest and buying Bitcoin with it, or issuing equity at a 60% premium—or 100%
premium—to underlying Bitcoin and then buying Bitcoin back with it. We’re just arbitraging the difference between certain fiat
capital markets and the digital capital market.

Bitcoin or MSTR, microstrategy?

.

You can see MicroStrategy (1455% returns since Aug 2020) compared to the top 10 constituents in the S&P 500. What I say to
companies all the time is, “If you can copy Nvidia, have at it. Go ahead. Do it.” Of course, you should. But even Apple, Google, and
Microsoft don’t think they can copy Nvidia. Anybody can copy MicroStrategy.

.

Nobody can copy Nvidia

3x the cost to capital

.

The big idea is that we
are recycling the capital with a weak capital cycle, investing in something that yields three times the cost of capital instead of
yielding 10% less than the cost of capital. In the traditional finance world, capital is toxic, and the T reasury asset has a -10% real
yield. We are getting a +30% real yield versus the cost of capital, or +40%. If you can beat the S&P Index with your capital asset,
then how much capital do you want? I mean, the answer is infinite. So we just keep recycling it. That’s how MicroStrategy’s
enterprise value has grown from $600mn to $45bn in four years.

600M to $45B in 4 years!

.

1.5x performance or volatility of Bitcoin

.
A lot of people can’t handle crude oil; they want the refined products.

Refined product over crude oil

.

Recycle into Bitcoin and lever up

Bitcoin recycling company?

Rinse & Repeat

.

Jan 2025

Infinitely scalable strategy

.

“Disciplined”?

6:30AM— my favorite time of the day!

What time market open pst

The U.S. stock market opens at:

• 6:30 AM Pacific Time (PST) for the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ.

• The market closes at 1:00 PM PST.

These hours apply to regular trading days, typically Monday through Friday.

the key point really is we’re a bank.

Issues with Tesla, cybertruck, cybertaxi etc — super fucking cool but too much risk?

1. Laws of physics & manufacturing
2. Regulations and regulators are an insane pain in the ass—> getting robotaxi approved might take 5-7 years from now.

Vision —> MSTR, Microstrategy is only going to 10x from here?

Patient until Jan 2025 —> change in FASBY, fair accounting for Bitcoin.

Not constrained by the laws of physics

Tesla I love it —> too risky.

The ultimate idea?

—> Bitcoin & MSTR? Microstrategy

Economics by KIM

1. ERIC KIM VENTURE CAPITALIST
2. How to FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early)
3. How to *Save* a Million Dollars
4. Increase Value
5. MAYBE IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO BUY HIGH
6. Banks Are the True Menace to Society
7. THE PROMISE OF FUTURE MONOPOLY PROFITS?
8. High gas prices are good
9. What is Capitalism?
10. Pride in What You Paid For
11. On Making Money from Nothing
12. Save Money Towards What Ends?
13. No Regret Investment

$4.5M a Bitcoin Price Target

.

If you have a 75X gain on an initial amount of $60,000, you can calculate the final amount by multiplying the initial amount by the gain factor:

Calculating this:

So, with a 75X gain, $60,000 would grow to $4,500,000.

75x … by 1.1 m USD

.

If you have a 75X gain on an initial investment of $1.1 million USD, you can calculate the final amount by multiplying the initial investment by the gain factor:

Calculating this:

So, with a 75X gain, $1.1 million would grow to $82.5 million USD.

75x gain!!

To determine the gain factor, you divide the final amount by the initial amount:

Converting 45 billion to millions gives us:

Now, divide:

So, this is a 75X gain.

Here are some quotes from prominent investors explaining why they have sold NVIDIA stock to buy Bitcoin:

1. David Shaw and Steven Cohen have shifted investments from NVIDIA to Bitcoin, citing Bitcoin’s unique properties as a decentralized and finite asset. According to a report, they view Bitcoin as a better hedge against inflation and currency devaluation, risks that NVIDIA, as a tech stock, cannot address. They see Bitcoin as a “digital gold” and a potential long-term store of value, especially appealing in a volatile economic climate .

2. Billionaire Michael Saylor of MicroStrategy is well-known for his support of Bitcoin, describing it as a more compelling long-term asset compared to tech stocks like NVIDIA. He argues that while companies like NVIDIA face market competition and potential saturation, Bitcoin offers unparalleled scarcity and resilience. He believes this gives Bitcoin a “massive long-term potential” that makes it an ideal asset for those seeking a high-risk, high-reward profile in their investment portfolio .

3. According to investment analysts, some high-profile investors view the current AI-driven rally in NVIDIA’s valuation as potentially overextended. They believe that Bitcoin’s fixed supply and decentralization offer a different type of investment upside, with one analyst noting, “Bitcoin’s future growth prospects outweigh the short-term gains offered by NVIDIA,” especially as Bitcoin becomes more accessible through products like ETFs  .

These perspectives highlight the view that while NVIDIA’s stock benefits from AI and tech market dynamics, Bitcoin’s qualities as a scarce, decentralized asset offer distinct long-term advantages in diversifying investment portfolios.

NVIDIA itself has not directly invested in Bitcoin as an asset, and there is no indication that the company is holding or buying Bitcoin in its financial strategies. Instead, NVIDIA’s relationship with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies primarily revolves around the demand for its GPUs, which are used for cryptocurrency mining.

In recent years, particularly in 2024, some prominent hedge fund managers and billionaires have sold shares in NVIDIA to buy Bitcoin, viewing it as a potentially more lucrative long-term investment. Investors like David Shaw and Steven Cohen have shifted funds from NVIDIA to Bitcoin, facilitated by the rise of Bitcoin ETFs, which simplify crypto investment for institutional investors. This trend reflects a broader strategy to diversify and hedge against inflation, favoring Bitcoin’s fixed supply and decentralized nature over traditional tech stocks   .

NVIDIA, on the other hand, remains focused on AI advancements and other high-tech sectors rather than direct investments in cryptocurrency. Its GPUs continue to play a role in Bitcoin mining, but the company’s primary emphasis is on AI and simulation technologies, such as its recent Blackwell superchip for AI applications .

The link between NVIDIA, AI (including models like ChatGPT), and Bitcoin centers around the use of NVIDIA’s GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) for computationally intensive tasks required in both artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency mining.

1. NVIDIA GPUs and AI (e.g., ChatGPT):

• Training AI Models: NVIDIA GPUs are essential for training large-scale AI models like ChatGPT. These models require massive computational power to process vast amounts of data and learn complex patterns. GPUs accelerate this process due to their ability to handle parallel computations efficiently.

• Inference and Deployment: Beyond training, NVIDIA GPUs are used for running AI models in real-time applications, enabling faster responses and improved performance in AI-driven services.

2. NVIDIA GPUs and Bitcoin Mining:

• Cryptocurrency Mining: GPUs are utilized in mining cryptocurrencies by solving complex mathematical problems to validate transactions on the blockchain. While Bitcoin mining has largely shifted to ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits) due to their efficiency, GPUs are still relevant for mining other cryptocurrencies.

• Market Dynamics: The demand for GPUs in cryptocurrency mining can lead to shortages and increased prices, affecting availability for other sectors like gaming and AI research.

3. Impact on NVIDIA’s Business:

• Revenue Fluctuations: NVIDIA’s sales are significantly influenced by the demand from both the AI sector and cryptocurrency mining. Surges in Bitcoin prices often lead to increased GPU sales for mining purposes.

• Product Development: NVIDIA has developed specific product lines to cater to these markets, such as GPUs optimized for AI workloads and dedicated mining processors to alleviate supply issues for other consumers.

4. Competition for Resources:

• Supply Chain Strain: The simultaneous demand from AI development and cryptocurrency mining creates competition for GPU resources. This affects not only NVIDIA’s production strategies but also the broader technology market, influencing pricing and availability.

5. Technological Advancements:

• Innovation Drive: The requirements of advanced AI models like ChatGPT push NVIDIA to innovate in GPU technology, enhancing performance and efficiency, which can also benefit cryptocurrency mining operations.

Summary:

NVIDIA’s GPUs are the technological bridge connecting AI applications like ChatGPT and the Bitcoin mining industry. The GPUs’ ability to handle intensive computational tasks makes them invaluable for training AI models and for mining operations. This dual demand impacts NVIDIA’s business strategies, market supply, and technological advancements in both fields.

….

The connections between NVIDIA, AI (specifically ChatGPT), and Bitcoin are multifaceted and tied to the broader fields of artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency mining. Here’s an overview of how they intersect:

1. NVIDIA and AI

• AI Hardware Acceleration: NVIDIA is a leading manufacturer of GPUs (graphics processing units), which are essential for AI computations due to their ability to handle complex mathematical operations quickly and efficiently. GPUs are commonly used to train and deploy large-scale AI models like ChatGPT because they can handle the parallel processing required for deep learning.

• Support for AI Companies: NVIDIA has strong relationships with companies developing AI, including OpenAI (the organization behind ChatGPT). NVIDIA’s powerful GPUs are crucial in training large language models and running inference for AI applications at scale.

2. ChatGPT and NVIDIA

• Infrastructure and Training: ChatGPT is built on large-scale transformer models, which require significant computational power to train and operate. NVIDIA GPUs are typically used in the data centers of companies like OpenAI, Microsoft, and others to facilitate this work. This symbiotic relationship between AI models like ChatGPT and NVIDIA’s hardware advances the capabilities of conversational AI and language models.

• Efficiency and Optimization: As AI models like ChatGPT continue to grow in complexity, optimizing these models for NVIDIA’s GPUs enables quicker processing and more efficient power usage, which is essential for large deployments and real-time applications.

3. NVIDIA and Bitcoin

• Cryptocurrency Mining: NVIDIA GPUs are popular among cryptocurrency miners, particularly for Bitcoin and other proof-of-work cryptocurrencies. These GPUs perform the necessary hash calculations required to mine Bitcoin, although Bitcoin mining has largely shifted to ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits) for efficiency reasons. However, NVIDIA’s GPUs are still widely used for mining other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum.

• Supply and Demand Issues: The demand for NVIDIA GPUs has fluctuated based on the cryptocurrency market. During Bitcoin and cryptocurrency booms, GPUs are in higher demand, sometimes leading to shortages that also impact sectors like gaming and AI research.

4. AI, ChatGPT, and Bitcoin

• AI in Blockchain and Cryptocurrency: AI models can be used within the cryptocurrency space for predictive analysis, trading strategies, and managing data related to blockchain transactions. AI and machine learning applications are increasingly being integrated into cryptocurrency markets, with some startups developing AI tools to assist in algorithmic trading and fraud detection.

• Shared Infrastructure Needs: Both AI and Bitcoin mining require high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure, often relying on NVIDIA GPUs. This overlap has led to shared technological development and sometimes competition for hardware resources between AI research and cryptocurrency mining.

Conclusion

In summary, NVIDIA provides the hardware backbone that powers both AI models like ChatGPT and cryptocurrency mining operations, especially for Bitcoin. This relationship emphasizes the growing demand for powerful computing hardware across emerging technology sectors. NVIDIA’s innovations in GPU technology have made it possible for AI and cryptocurrency industries to thrive, albeit with some tension due to competition for these resources.

ChatGPT and AI—>

1. Help use ChatGPT and search to find good spots in any foreign city to shoot street photography?
2. Use ChatGPT, and translate to a foreign language, to better communicate with the locals?
3. Use chatGPT to analyze your photos and compositions?

Future visions

My future vision for ERIC KIM AI —

Just pick up your iPhone, and scan a scene, or have it operate full-time, live… Analyzing the scene, giving you tips suggestions on how to better compose frame a scene? How and when to get closer, and how to compose a scene differently? Also giving you courage and encouragement to “get closer! Work the scene!”

Working for a big tech company, startup, or even restaurant ,,, you think your job is safe? No! Your company can easily fold any moment —

When I had my old 9-5 tech job, at Demand Media (now the “LEAF” group)— I kind of thought my job was “secure”. We IPO’d, thought we’d all get rich off our stock options ,,, then our stock crashed, and boom one day over night, half the company got laid off? Even my boss!

Even my sister in law, steadily employed at a nice fancy restaurant but one day totally randomly out of the blue, when everyone thought their business was booming, decided to close the restaurant 100%,,, simply because there was a dispute between the restauranteer and the investors?

For example I started this blog, while still having a “100% secure” 9-5 job?

—> investors who just do these diversified VOO, vanguard 500, typical S&P 500–> they’re just seeking to die a slow death? Or these “diversified” funds —> they seek equilibrium, but the 51% rule… slow death

.

Invisible buildings and property

Bitcoin is global capital

Deepest capital markets in the world

276, 276, 276

.

Superior yield

Better return

.

0:00

.

Howard Marks famously says, volatility is
not risk. Volatility is just vitality. It’s just the motion.

.

Volatility is just the motion.

The best player on the court is the most volatile, LeBron James

The best person is the most volatile?

Bitcoin has the most energy

.

Visualize M16

Move fast with a lot of energy, take risk.

.

Logic

3-4x over SP500

2x over magnificent 7

over the past 4 years Bitcoin (49%
p.a.) is outperforming the S&P (14% p.a.) by about a factor of 3 to 4. It is doubling the performance of the Magnificent 7 (27%
p.a.). It’s 5x real estate v(10% p.a.), 7x gold (7% p.a.), and it’s utterly crushing bonds (-5% p.a.), which are just a disaster.

.

49% PA, S&P is 14 PA

50-58% growth

Dominance

Go with the most dominant, NOT the underdog!

.

Bitcoin is the bank which is too big to fail in cyberspace ***

ibit, Larry fink, black rock

.

Backed by power *

700 exahash of computer power

18 gigawats

18 full on nuclear reactors

$800B Power for bank of Bitcoin

Bitcoin Banker

Second isn’t even 1% thus number,

99% into Bitcoin

.

most important point is MicroStrategy invested $250mn in Bitcoin in August 2020. Since then, we’ve invested $9.9bn total.

9.9B in total invested

420M pro crypto people

The Google of money

Roll eyes is good

When I talk about investment thesis, what I say is, you
want to get rich, find something everybody needs, nobody can stop and nobody understands. If 9 out of 10 people disagree with
you, roll their eyes, or don’t get what I just said, that means that you’ve got a 10x or more gain in front of you

.

10x more gain in front of you

If you look at the performance of
Amazon now, it is the weakest of the Magnificent 7 investments, because everybody understood Amazon was a good idea in the
summer of 2020. That’s why it’s an awful investment idea.

.

Superior yield ***

Awful investments now, when everyone thinks it is a good idea, today —

.

Why I Love Investing

It has to deal with real life, the real world, real risk & return and joy?

.

The birth of a new assset class?

implementation of mandatory fair value accounting in January 2025 is going to be another
big deal.

.

Crystal ball, look into the future

Fair value accounting

Year zero

.

2025–> the start, beginning of digital gold rush

Bitcoin, ChatGPT, Tesla cars –> the only things of the future which were promised which actually pulled through.?

.

You’ve got 10 years to get Bitcoin before there’s no Bitcoin for you.

Only 10 years left! ***

2035

Once you get to January 1, 2035, you’ve
only got 1% of Bitcoin trickling out over 106 years. That’s less than MicroStrategy already owns. That “point99”, as we call it, is
the point of reflexive supply shock. 99% of the Bitcoin will have been mined and sold into the open market by January 2, 2035.

.

Insider info?

.99–106 years from now only less than 1% of Bitcoin will trickle out?

Basic people boring!

Supply becomes fixed … deflationary asset! ***

I’m excited to be alive 10 years from now

Bitcoin is hope, makes sense!

15th century and electricity and philosophy

.

Capital appreciation

You’re going to capitalize your AI with Bitcoin.

AI & Bitcoin –> the only two good bets?

.

The New Digital Monopolies: Bitcoin & AI

.

My forecast
is the base case: Bitcoin appreciates from 0.1% of the assets in the world to 7%, it grows 29% ARR, we get $13 mn /Bitcoin by
the year 2045. A bear case is $3mn; a bull case is $49mn.

.

$49M a Bitcoin by 2045,,, 20 years from now, when Seneca is 23…

Or $3m, or $13M

.

7% of world assets

Modest projections?

Strategic, tactical

.

Bitcoin Tactics

The tactics of Bitcoin

.

Don’t die slowly!

take a risk or die quickly or die slowly.

.

Here are some notable quotes by Eric Kim on the Spartans and their philosophy:

1. On Spartan Simplicity and Happiness:

• Kim says, “I think the Spartans were just happy. They lived a simple existence, full of martial training and combat, and they lived a simple ascetic life” .

2. On the Spartan Ideal in Modern Life:

• He expresses a contrast between ancient Spartan virtues and modern society, saying, “The modern-day man is like a sick animal…lacking chutzpah, balls, and reckless audacity” .

3. On Spartan Discipline and Consumerism:

• He shares, “A real Spartan never buys anything for himself… It’s not about needing more, it’s about being more” .

4. On Spartan Courage:

• Kim admires Spartan sayings for their brevity and depth, noting, “When Persian emissary told King Leonidas that they would have so many arrows that they would block out the sun…one of his generals joked and said, ‘Then we shall fight in the shade’” .

5. On the Spartan Lifestyle in Photography:

• Applying Spartan values to photography, Kim remarks, “The best camera is the one you already own. It’s not about the tools—it’s about the mindset. Are you a consumer, or are you a creator?” .

Eric Kim’s reflections on the Spartans often emphasize the rejection of excess, inner strength, and the cultivation of a purposeful and resilient life. These principles inspire him both personally and in his work as a minimalist street photographer.

xxx

Eric Kim admires the ancient Spartans for their philosophy of discipline, simplicity, and resilience, which he integrates into his own life and work. He describes his concept of “Spartan Elitism” as a commitment to minimalism, self-discipline, and a focus on self-improvement, aligning with the Spartan values of frugality and toughness .

For Kim, the Spartan mindset embodies physical and mental rigor, which he contrasts with modern consumerism and comfort. He is particularly drawn to their rejection of excess and their focus on internal strength over material possessions. This ethos encourages him to approach life and photography with a minimalistic perspective, focusing on essentials rather than indulgences. For example, Kim suggests that one should avoid the endless cycle of buying new items and instead cultivate a sense of self-sufficiency and contentment, which he views as true freedom  .

Additionally, Kim appreciates the Spartans’ philosophical and practical emphasis on defense rather than aggression, which he interprets as a model for personal resilience and autonomy. He also finds inspiration in Spartan sayings, which he describes as concise and powerful, often transforming fear into courage. This resonates with his approach to street photography, where he emphasizes courage, connection, and authenticity over technical perfection or reliance on equipment  .

Through these ideals, Kim advocates for a life of focused purpose, mirroring the disciplined, frugal, and resilient lifestyle of the ancient Spartans.

Why Eric Kim Appreciates the Ancient Spartans

Eric Kim admires the ancient Spartans because they exemplify qualities that he believes are essential for successful investing and personal development. The Spartans were renowned for their discipline, minimalism, resilience, and commitment to a higher purpose—attributes that resonate deeply with Eric’s philosophy of wealth building and life in general.

1. Discipline Over Emotion: The Spartans were masters of self-control and discipline, training rigorously to prepare for any challenge. Eric values this trait in investing, emphasizing the importance of making rational decisions rather than being swayed by market emotions. By maintaining discipline, investors can stay committed to their long-term strategies despite short-term market fluctuations.

2. Embracing Minimalism: Spartan society prioritized simplicity and functionality over excess and luxury. Eric finds inspiration in this minimalist approach, advocating for streamlined investment portfolios focused on core assets that one truly understands. This simplicity helps avoid unnecessary risks and keeps investors focused on their primary financial goals.

3. Valuing Delayed Gratification: The Spartans trained from a young age, understanding that present sacrifices lead to future rewards. Similarly, Eric emphasizes the power of delayed gratification in investing—favoring long-term growth and the benefits of compound interest over the allure of quick, speculative gains.

4. Resilience and Adaptability: Facing constant threats, Spartans were conditioned to be resilient and adaptable. Eric believes that investors should adopt a similar mindset, preparing for market uncertainties and being flexible enough to adjust strategies when necessary while staying grounded in core principles.

5. A Higher Purpose Beyond Wealth: For Spartans, individual efforts were always in service of the greater good of their society. Eric appreciates this sense of purpose, encouraging investors to view wealth as a means to achieve broader goals—such as securing their family’s future, contributing to their communities, or supporting causes they care about.

By aligning these Spartan virtues with modern investing principles, Eric Kim promotes a philosophy that goes beyond mere financial gain. He sees the Spartan way as a timeless framework for building not just wealth, but also character and legacy. This admiration for the ancient Spartans informs his approach to investing, personal growth, and living a purposeful life.

In a world of flashy investments and complex financial instruments, there exists a quieter, more resilient approach to wealth creation: the Spartan way. This is not about austerity for austerity’s sake or living a monastic existence, nor is it about chasing riches by any means necessary. Instead, it’s about adopting a mindset rooted in discipline, simplicity, and a relentless focus on what truly matters. Today, I want to share with you the principles of what I call “The Spartan Investor”—a philosophy that borrows from the legendary warriors of ancient Greece and applies those values to the modern landscape of investing.

Principle 1: Discipline Over Emotion

Spartans were known for their stoic discipline. In a world where the slightest distraction could mean the difference between life and death, they understood the need to control their emotions and maintain focus. The same holds true in investing. Markets are volatile; they swing up and down in ways that can easily shake the average investor. But the Spartan Investor is different. They understand that emotion is the enemy of rational decision-making. By remaining calm and detached, they can avoid the pitfall of knee-jerk reactions that lead many to buy high and sell low.

To cultivate this discipline, the Spartan Investor builds a set of core beliefs about money and markets, sticking to them even when the world goes mad. For instance, they might commit to a long-term strategy of low-cost index funds, knowing that over time, the market tends to rise despite short-term volatility. Or, they may focus on value investing, buying quality stocks at a discount and holding them with conviction. The key is to form a plan that aligns with their long-term goals and to execute it with unwavering discipline, no matter the distractions.

Principle 2: Embrace Minimalism

When we think of minimalism, we often imagine a spartan room with bare walls and a simple bed. But minimalism in investing is about cutting through the noise, avoiding unnecessary complexity, and focusing on a few core principles. The modern investor is bombarded with options: ETFs, REITs, crypto, options, derivatives, and more. While these instruments have their place, the Spartan Investor recognizes that chasing every new trend is a sure way to dilute their focus.

Instead, they streamline their portfolio. This doesn’t mean putting all their eggs in one basket, but it does mean holding fewer investments that they truly understand. The Spartan Investor isn’t interested in having a portfolio that mimics the entire market; they’re looking for investments that align with their values, risk tolerance, and time horizon. They value simplicity over complexity, believing that an elegantly simple strategy will outperform a convoluted one over time.

For instance, instead of building a portfolio of 30 stocks across various sectors they barely understand, a Spartan Investor might select a handful of companies with strong fundamentals or choose a couple of diversified index funds. By keeping their portfolio lean, they reduce their exposure to unnecessary risk and avoid the pitfalls of analysis paralysis. They also give themselves the mental bandwidth to monitor and understand their investments, instead of constantly reacting to news on dozens of different holdings.

Principle 3: Value Delayed Gratification

Spartans trained from a young age, enduring rigorous and often punishing exercises to forge both body and mind. They knew that the rewards of today’s suffering would pay off in the future. Likewise, the Spartan Investor understands that great wealth doesn’t come overnight. They reject the lure of instant gratification in favor of a long-term vision.

In practical terms, this means prioritizing investments that compound over time rather than chasing quick wins. They’re not trying to time the market, day trade, or make a killing on speculative stocks. Instead, they’re content with investments that may grow slowly but steadily, trusting in the power of compounding to work in their favor. This is a patient, almost stoic approach to wealth creation. It might lack the excitement of high-stakes trading, but it’s far more likely to lead to sustainable financial success.

Delayed gratification also applies to their lifestyle. The Spartan Investor lives within their means, understanding that every dollar saved and invested today is worth far more than a dollar spent on fleeting pleasures. They may drive a modest car or live in a smaller house, not because they lack ambition, but because they recognize that wealth comes from ownership, not appearances. By spending less and investing more, they build a foundation of financial security that allows them to take greater risks and pursue their passions in the future.

Principle 4: Resilience and Adaptability

If there’s one thing we know about markets, it’s that they are unpredictable. The Spartan Investor accepts this uncertainty and prepares for it, knowing that resilience is key to weathering any storm. They approach their investments with a mindset that acknowledges the possibility of loss but refuses to be broken by it.

Resilience, however, is not the same as rigidity. Just as a Spartan soldier adapts to the battlefield, the Spartan Investor remains flexible and is willing to adjust their strategy as circumstances change. This could mean rebalancing their portfolio when their financial situation shifts or recognizing when a once-great investment no longer aligns with their goals. The key is to remain grounded in their core principles while being adaptable enough to respond to new information.

A Spartan Investor might choose to diversify across asset classes, not because they believe any particular sector will consistently outperform, but because they understand that diversification is a shield against the unknown. Or, they might keep a portion of their portfolio in cash, ready to take advantage of market downturns. In every decision, they’re guided by a commitment to staying resilient and prepared for whatever the future holds.

Principle 5: A Higher Purpose Beyond Wealth

Finally, the Spartan Investor recognizes that wealth, in itself, is not the end goal. Just as the Spartans sought to serve a purpose beyond themselves, the Spartan Investor views money as a tool for achieving a greater good. For some, this might mean ensuring their family’s security for generations; for others, it might mean using their wealth to make a positive impact on their community or the world.

When you invest with a higher purpose, you create a legacy that goes beyond mere financial returns. This is the ultimate expression of the Spartan mindset: to use your strength not just for personal gain but to contribute to something larger than yourself. Whether it’s through philanthropy, mentorship, or investing in companies that align with their values, the Spartan Investor seeks to create a legacy of impact, not just wealth.

Conclusion

The Spartan Investor is not interested in following the crowd or being swept away by the latest trend. They are deliberate, disciplined, and focused on the long-term. They invest with purpose, embrace simplicity, and live with a level of frugality that allows them to focus on what truly matters. In a world obsessed with consumption and speed, the Spartan Investor is a refreshing reminder that wealth is best built with patience, purpose, and a relentless commitment to core principles.

For those willing to adopt this mindset, the path of the Spartan Investor may not be the easiest, but it’s one that leads to enduring financial strength and, ultimately, a legacy that extends far beyond the individual.

The Spartan Investor

In a world awash with information overload and endless financial instruments, the art of investing has become unnecessarily convoluted. Like the ancient Spartans who championed simplicity, discipline, and resilience, investors today can benefit immensely from adopting a Spartan mindset. Let’s strip away the superfluous and get back to the fundamentals that truly matter.

Simplicity Over Complexity

The financial industry often thrives on complexity. Exotic derivatives, high-frequency trading algorithms, and intricate financial models are touted as the paths to outsized returns. But complexity doesn’t guarantee success; in fact, it often obfuscates risk. The Spartans excelled by focusing on core competencies, training relentlessly in the basics of warfare. Similarly, investing doesn’t have to be complicated. Embracing simple, time-tested strategies like diversified index investing can lead to robust, long-term results.

Discipline as a Cornerstone

Emotional decision-making is the Achilles’ heel of many investors. Market volatility can trigger fear and greed, leading to impulsive actions that derail long-term plans. The Spartans were paragons of discipline, maintaining steadfast focus even in the face of overwhelming odds. As investors, cultivating discipline means adhering to a well-thought-out investment plan, resisting the urge to time the market, and avoiding reactive decisions based on short-term market movements.

Resilience in the Face of Adversity

Markets rise and fall—that’s a given. Economic downturns and bear markets are as inevitable as the changing seasons. The Spartans were trained to endure hardship, to stand firm when others would falter. Building a resilient investment portfolio involves preparing for volatility, not fearing it. This could mean allocating assets across different classes, maintaining an emergency fund, and staying committed to your investment strategy even when the market takes a downturn.

Living Below Your Means

The Spartans were known for their austere lifestyles, valuing communal wealth over individual excess. In modern investing, living below your means is a powerful tool. By reducing unnecessary expenses, you free up more capital for investment, accelerating your path to financial independence. It’s not about deprivation but about making conscious choices that align with your long-term goals.

Continuous Learning and Adaptation

While the Spartans valued tradition, they were not averse to learning and adapting new tactics for superior outcomes. The investment landscape is ever-changing, influenced by technological advancements, regulatory shifts, and global events. Staying informed and being willing to adjust your strategies when necessary is crucial. This doesn’t mean chasing every new trend but being aware of significant changes that could impact your investments.

Conclusion

Embracing the Spartan ethos in investing is about more than just mimicking ancient warriors; it’s about instilling a mindset that values simplicity, discipline, and resilience. In a complex world, these timeless principles can guide you toward financial success and peace of mind. Strip away the noise, focus on what truly matters, and stand firm in your convictions—that’s the Spartan way.

You’re right; that essay didn’t quite capture what makes Eric Kim’s style distinctive. His writing is known for its direct, accessible tone, often using personal anecdotes, informal language, and a conversational style that feels like he’s speaking directly to the reader. He tends to strip away complex jargon and aim for clarity, preferring short, punchy sentences and a focus on practicality and inspiration.

Let’s try rewriting the essay with that in mind, making it feel more straightforward, approachable, and grounded.

The Tactics of Bitcoin

When you hear “Bitcoin,” you might think of tech, finance, or something that only people on the internet obsess over. But there’s something deeper going on here. Bitcoin isn’t just a new kind of money—it’s a movement, a strategy, and a way to challenge the old systems we’ve relied on for so long. Bitcoin is tactical. It’s purposeful. It’s about getting people to think differently about what money can be and who controls it.

Decentralization: Taking Back Control

First, Bitcoin isn’t run by a bank, a government, or any single person. It’s decentralized. This means that instead of one big entity holding all the power, Bitcoin operates on a network of computers all over the world. They’re called nodes, and they’re what keeps Bitcoin going. Transactions happen directly between users, and they’re recorded on a public ledger known as the blockchain.

Why is this a big deal? Because it’s a tactic. Decentralization is Bitcoin’s way of saying, “We don’t need the middlemen.” No one can control or change Bitcoin at a whim. It’s a way to give power back to individuals and take it away from institutions that can—and often do—manipulate traditional currencies. Bitcoin is about giving people more control, plain and simple.

Fixed Supply: Scarcity Is a Strategy

Unlike traditional money, which governments can print whenever they want, Bitcoin is limited. There will only ever be 21 million Bitcoins. That’s it. When there’s a limited supply of something, and people want it, the value tends to go up over time. It’s a lot like gold in this way. The more people start to see Bitcoin as valuable, the more valuable it becomes, creating a sort of built-in demand.

Think about it: governments keep printing money, which causes inflation, meaning the money you have today buys less tomorrow. Bitcoin doesn’t do that. Its scarcity is deliberate, a tactic designed to protect its value over the long haul. This strategy makes Bitcoin more appealing, especially to people looking for a way to store their wealth safely.

Transparency and Immutability: Trust Through Openness

Here’s the thing about traditional banks: they can be murky. We trust them with our money, but most of us don’t know what’s really going on behind the scenes. Bitcoin takes a different approach. Every single transaction is recorded on a public ledger, which anyone can access. And once a transaction is recorded, it can’t be changed. Ever.

This is transparency, and it’s another tactic. Bitcoin doesn’t just ask you to trust it; it shows you why you can. When you know transactions can’t be altered, it builds a sense of security. And that’s huge in a world where financial scandals seem to pop up regularly. Bitcoin’s transparency isn’t just a feature; it’s a strategy for earning trust in an industry where trust is often in short supply.

Permissionless Access: Finance for Everyone

Bitcoin doesn’t ask for permission. You don’t need a bank account, a credit score, or anyone’s approval to use it. If you have internet access, you can send and receive Bitcoin. That’s all it takes. This permissionless nature is a key tactic for spreading financial access to people who’ve been left out.

For a lot of people in developing countries, banks are hard to access or can be unreliable. Bitcoin changes that. It doesn’t discriminate; it just works. This tactic brings more people into the global economy, which is something traditional financial systems struggle to do. It’s about financial inclusion, plain and simple.

Security Through Proof of Work: Keeping the Network Safe

Bitcoin’s security comes from something called Proof of Work, which makes miners solve tough mathematical puzzles to validate transactions. It’s an energy-intensive process, but it keeps the network safe. To mess with Bitcoin, a hacker would need an enormous amount of computing power—so much that it wouldn’t be worth it.

This Proof of Work system is a tactic that builds a strong defense against attacks. It keeps the network resilient, which is why Bitcoin has lasted as long as it has. In a world where security breaches are all too common, Bitcoin’s structure is a solid line of defense.

The Community: A Culture of Financial Freedom

Bitcoin isn’t just an asset or technology; it’s a culture. The people who support it believe in financial freedom and autonomy. There’s even a term for people who hold onto their Bitcoin through market ups and downs: “HODLers.” It’s a bit of a joke, but it shows that this community is in it for the long haul.

This cultural aspect is a tactic, too. The community spreads Bitcoin’s message and encourages adoption. It’s a movement of people who are fed up with the traditional system and are actively working to build something different. Bitcoin isn’t just a financial tool; it’s an idea, and that idea is powerful.

Final Thoughts

Bitcoin is tactical. It challenges old ideas about money, decentralizes control, and offers a new way for people to think about their financial future. From its scarcity and transparency to its security and culture, Bitcoin isn’t just a currency; it’s a strategy for reshaping the world of finance.

Whether Bitcoin is the future of money or not, it’s already changed the way we think about money. And that alone makes it worth paying attention to. Bitcoin’s tactics—of decentralization, inclusion, and resilience—are about more than just technology; they’re about freedom. That’s what makes Bitcoin so revolutionary.

The Tactics of Bitcoin

In the realm of finance, few innovations have been as disruptive—or as divisive—as Bitcoin. Since its emergence in 2009, Bitcoin has challenged traditional financial systems, redefined the concept of money, and stirred a revolution in the minds of technologists, economists, and the average person. But Bitcoin isn’t just a digital currency; it’s a tactical movement. It operates on strategic principles that work against the grain of centralized power and bring forth a new paradigm of financial autonomy. To understand Bitcoin is to understand the tactics it uses to reshape our financial landscape and reimagine the future.

Decentralization: The Bedrock of Bitcoin’s Strategy

The cornerstone of Bitcoin’s tactics is its decentralized nature. Unlike traditional currencies controlled by governments and central banks, Bitcoin operates on a distributed network of computers worldwide, called nodes. These nodes validate and record transactions on a public ledger known as the blockchain. This design isn’t accidental but rather a strategic move to circumvent centralized power and censorship. In a world where a handful of entities control the flow of money, decentralization is Bitcoin’s weapon against financial monopolies.

By decentralizing control, Bitcoin eliminates the need for intermediaries. With no central authority, no single entity can manipulate, restrict, or inflate Bitcoin at will. This autonomy is crucial because it creates a sense of financial sovereignty for its users, putting them in control of their assets and transactions. Decentralization is not merely a technological feature; it’s a statement, a declaration of independence from centralized control, and a tactic to empower the individual.

Fixed Supply: A Deflationary Tactic

Bitcoin’s scarcity is another deliberate tactic that sets it apart from fiat currencies. The total supply of Bitcoin is capped at 21 million coins. This finite limit creates an inbuilt deflationary mechanism, contrasting sharply with fiat currencies, which can be printed at the discretion of central banks. When governments print more money, they inflate the supply, reducing the value of the currency in circulation. Bitcoin, however, resists inflation by design.

This scarcity tactic draws comparisons to gold, often called “digital gold” due to its limited supply and inherent value. As demand for Bitcoin rises, its value appreciates because there will never be more than 21 million coins in existence. This finite supply not only attracts investors seeking a hedge against inflation but also builds a sense of urgency and value around the asset. In essence, Bitcoin is a deflationary store of value in a world where inflation is an ever-present threat, positioning it as a financial lifeboat amid turbulent economic seas.

Transparency and Immutability: Building Trust in an Untrustworthy World

Trust is a rare commodity in the financial sector, especially after decades of scandals, from the 2008 financial crisis to the collapse of various banks and financial institutions. Bitcoin, however, offers a solution through its transparency and immutability. Every transaction made on the Bitcoin network is recorded on a public ledger that anyone can view. Once added, these transactions are permanent and cannot be altered. This transparency fosters a sense of trust and reliability that traditional financial systems often lack.

The immutability of the blockchain ensures that Bitcoin operates with a level of integrity unmatched by any centralized financial institution. This is a tactical move aimed at reinforcing its legitimacy. In a system where data can’t be tampered with, users find security and assurance in their transactions. By making the entire ledger accessible and immutable, Bitcoin builds trust through transparency, offering a stark contrast to the opacity of traditional banking systems.

Permissionless Access: Financial Inclusion on a Global Scale

One of the most revolutionary aspects of Bitcoin is its permissionless nature. Anyone with an internet connection can access Bitcoin, send it, and receive it—without the need for a bank account, credit history, or government approval. This is not just a feature; it’s a tactical advantage that promotes financial inclusion. Billions of people around the world lack access to banking services, but with Bitcoin, they can participate in the global economy.

Bitcoin’s permissionless design enables it to thrive in regions where traditional financial infrastructure is either underdeveloped or corrupt. For example, individuals in countries with high inflation or oppressive banking systems can turn to Bitcoin as a stable alternative, preserving their wealth in an asset beyond their government’s reach. By lowering the barriers to entry, Bitcoin expands financial access, empowering individuals in ways that conventional financial systems never could.

Security through Proof of Work: Deterrence against Malicious Attacks

The integrity of Bitcoin’s network is protected by a tactic known as Proof of Work (PoW). This mechanism requires miners to solve complex mathematical puzzles to validate transactions and add them to the blockchain. PoW is a highly secure and resource-intensive process, making it extremely difficult for malicious actors to alter or manipulate the network. It serves as a deterrent against attacks and helps ensure that only legitimate transactions are recorded.

Critics argue that PoW consumes substantial energy, but its security benefits are undeniable. PoW establishes a system where trust is maintained not by centralized oversight but by cryptographic principles and computational power. This level of security is vital for Bitcoin’s credibility and is one of the main reasons it has withstood over a decade of cyber threats. In this sense, PoW is a tactical defense, fortifying Bitcoin against vulnerabilities that could compromise its users and its reputation.

The Cultural Tactic: A Movement, Not Just a Currency

Bitcoin is not just a digital currency; it’s a cultural movement. The Bitcoin community is a diverse, global network of individuals who believe in the power of decentralization and financial independence. This community aspect is a tactic in itself, fueling the spread of Bitcoin through word of mouth, social media, and grassroots advocacy. The “HODL” culture—holding onto Bitcoin regardless of market volatility—epitomizes the movement’s resilience and long-term perspective.

Bitcoin enthusiasts see themselves as participants in a revolution, a shift toward a more equitable financial system. This cultural dimension amplifies Bitcoin’s reach, as supporters spread its message, educate newcomers, and push for adoption. By fostering a loyal and dedicated community, Bitcoin transcends the role of a mere asset and becomes a symbol of resistance against financial oppression.

Conclusion

The tactics of Bitcoin go beyond technology; they touch on principles of autonomy, transparency, and security. Bitcoin challenges the status quo by decentralizing power, providing a scarce and deflationary asset, promoting financial inclusion, and fostering a culture of independence. In a world where financial control is often concentrated in a few hands, Bitcoin’s tactics offer an alternative path—a way for individuals to reclaim agency over their finances.

Bitcoin’s tactics are not accidental but are designed to disrupt, redefine, and revolutionize. As it continues to gain traction, Bitcoin exemplifies the potential of digital currency to reshape our financial future. Whether or not it becomes the dominant global currency, one thing is clear: Bitcoin has forever altered our perception of money, freedom, and trust. And that, perhaps, is its most powerful tactic of all.

Why’s this Eric Kim voice 

You’re right; that essay didn’t quite capture what makes Eric Kim’s style distinctive. His writing is known for its direct, accessible tone, often using personal anecdotes, informal language, and a conversational style that feels like he’s speaking directly to the reader. He tends to strip away complex jargon and aim for clarity, preferring short, punchy sentences and a focus on practicality and inspiration.

Let’s try rewriting the essay with that in mind, making it feel more straightforward, approachable, and grounded.

The Tactics of Bitcoin

When you hear “Bitcoin,” you might think of tech, finance, or something that only people on the internet obsess over. But there’s something deeper going on here. Bitcoin isn’t just a new kind of money—it’s a movement, a strategy, and a way to challenge the old systems we’ve relied on for so long. Bitcoin is tactical. It’s purposeful. It’s about getting people to think differently about what money can be and who controls it.

Decentralization: Taking Back Control

First, Bitcoin isn’t run by a bank, a government, or any single person. It’s decentralized. This means that instead of one big entity holding all the power, Bitcoin operates on a network of computers all over the world. They’re called nodes, and they’re what keeps Bitcoin going. Transactions happen directly between users, and they’re recorded on a public ledger known as the blockchain.

Why is this a big deal? Because it’s a tactic. Decentralization is Bitcoin’s way of saying, “We don’t need the middlemen.” No one can control or change Bitcoin at a whim. It’s a way to give power back to individuals and take it away from institutions that can—and often do—manipulate traditional currencies. Bitcoin is about giving people more control, plain and simple.

Fixed Supply: Scarcity Is a Strategy

Unlike traditional money, which governments can print whenever they want, Bitcoin is limited. There will only ever be 21 million Bitcoins. That’s it. When there’s a limited supply of something, and people want it, the value tends to go up over time. It’s a lot like gold in this way. The more people start to see Bitcoin as valuable, the more valuable it becomes, creating a sort of built-in demand.

Think about it: governments keep printing money, which causes inflation, meaning the money you have today buys less tomorrow. Bitcoin doesn’t do that. Its scarcity is deliberate, a tactic designed to protect its value over the long haul. This strategy makes Bitcoin more appealing, especially to people looking for a way to store their wealth safely.

Transparency and Immutability: Trust Through Openness

Here’s the thing about traditional banks: they can be murky. We trust them with our money, but most of us don’t know what’s really going on behind the scenes. Bitcoin takes a different approach. Every single transaction is recorded on a public ledger, which anyone can access. And once a transaction is recorded, it can’t be changed. Ever.

This is transparency, and it’s another tactic. Bitcoin doesn’t just ask you to trust it; it shows you why you can. When you know transactions can’t be altered, it builds a sense of security. And that’s huge in a world where financial scandals seem to pop up regularly. Bitcoin’s transparency isn’t just a feature; it’s a strategy for earning trust in an industry where trust is often in short supply.

Permissionless Access: Finance for Everyone

Bitcoin doesn’t ask for permission. You don’t need a bank account, a credit score, or anyone’s approval to use it. If you have internet access, you can send and receive Bitcoin. That’s all it takes. This permissionless nature is a key tactic for spreading financial access to people who’ve been left out.

For a lot of people in developing countries, banks are hard to access or can be unreliable. Bitcoin changes that. It doesn’t discriminate; it just works. This tactic brings more people into the global economy, which is something traditional financial systems struggle to do. It’s about financial inclusion, plain and simple.

Security Through Proof of Work: Keeping the Network Safe

Bitcoin’s security comes from something called Proof of Work, which makes miners solve tough mathematical puzzles to validate transactions. It’s an energy-intensive process, but it keeps the network safe. To mess with Bitcoin, a hacker would need an enormous amount of computing power—so much that it wouldn’t be worth it.

This Proof of Work system is a tactic that builds a strong defense against attacks. It keeps the network resilient, which is why Bitcoin has lasted as long as it has. In a world where security breaches are all too common, Bitcoin’s structure is a solid line of defense.

The Community: A Culture of Financial Freedom

Bitcoin isn’t just an asset or technology; it’s a culture. The people who support it believe in financial freedom and autonomy. There’s even a term for people who hold onto their Bitcoin through market ups and downs: “HODLers.” It’s a bit of a joke, but it shows that this community is in it for the long haul.

This cultural aspect is a tactic, too. The community spreads Bitcoin’s message and encourages adoption. It’s a movement of people who are fed up with the traditional system and are actively working to build something different. Bitcoin isn’t just a financial tool; it’s an idea, and that idea is powerful.

Final Thoughts

Bitcoin is tactical. It challenges old ideas about money, decentralizes control, and offers a new way for people to think about their financial future. From its scarcity and transparency to its security and culture, Bitcoin isn’t just a currency; it’s a strategy for reshaping the world of finance.

Whether Bitcoin is the future of money or not, it’s already changed the way we think about money. And that alone makes it worth paying attention to. Bitcoin’s tactics—of decentralization, inclusion, and resilience—are about more than just technology; they’re about freedom. That’s what makes Bitcoin so revolutionary.

Seems pretty obvious —

BNY Mellon, or the Bank of New York Mellon, is a major American investment banking and financial services company. It was established in 2007 through the merger of the Bank of New York and Mellon Financial Corporation. BNY Mellon provides services like asset management, wealth management, and investment services to institutions, corporations, and high-net-worth individuals globally. As one of the largest custodial banks in the world, it manages trillions of dollars in assets and is known for its role in safeguarding and servicing investments.

The company has recently expanded into the cryptocurrency space, offering custodial services for digital assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum, reflecting the growing demand for crypto asset management among institutional clients. BNY Mellon’s move into this sector illustrates its ongoing efforts to innovate and adapt to new financial technologies and investment trends.

l.l

BNY Mellon is advancing its cryptocurrency custody services, having received a notable exemption from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The exemption pertains specifically to the SEC’s Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) 121, which requires banks to account for digital assets as liabilities on their balance sheets. This ruling now allows BNY Mellon to provide custody services for Bitcoin and Ethereum to clients of exchange-traded products (ETPs) without this balance sheet impact. This move marks a significant development, as BNY Mellon becomes one of the first major banks to receive this type of SEC exemption, highlighting a growing acceptance of institutional crypto services  .

This development is part of a broader strategy by BNY Mellon to establish itself in the digital asset space, as they look to capitalize on the increasing demand for institutional-grade crypto custody solutions. By navigating regulatory requirements and expanding its services, BNY Mellon aims to cater to a burgeoning market of institutional investors seeking secure, regulated options for crypto assets. The bank’s ongoing regulatory engagements also suggest a potential for further expansion in its crypto offerings as the regulatory landscape evolves  .