- Who: Eric Kim (b. 1988) is a former street-photography blogger and self-improvement influencer who in recent years became a prominent Bitcoin maximalist . (He is not Eric J. Kim of Goodwater Capital or other venture investors.) Kim grew up in the Bay Area/Queens NY, studied sociology at UCLA, built a photography blog (2010–2019), and eventually shifted his focus to Bitcoin around 2017–2018 . He now lives (with family) partly in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and promotes a Stoic, self-reliant ethos that he ties to Bitcoin.
- Bitcoin Conversion: Kim’s first BTC purchase was ~3.5 BTC around 2018 (at ~$7–9K each) for ~$25K total . He “set it and forget it” – refusing to check prices – and watched Bitcoin rise roughly 10× (to ~$65K) . This success “cemented his long-term thesis: Bitcoin is a disruptive, hyper-scarce form of money” that aligns with his Stoic worldview . In his own words, he views Bitcoin as a vehicle for personal sovereignty – e.g. “stacking sats so my wife and kid… are set when the system collapses” .
Core Beliefs & Philosophy
- Bitcoin Maximalism: Kim is outspokenly Bitcoin-only. He praises Bitcoin’s fixed 21M supply and decentralization as making it uniquely “scarce” and “sovereign” . By contrast he dismisses all altcoins as a “circus” of hype and “shiny toys for suckers,” urging investors to liquidate non-BTC crypto .
- Inflation Hedge & Anti-Fiat Stance: He repeatedly calls fiat currency “toilet paper” and sees Bitcoin as a digital fortress protecting personal wealth from inflation and government control . His rhetoric frames BTC as insurance against systemic collapse: e.g. “Bitcoin can magically transform your Toyota Corolla into a Lamborghini,” illustrating how a small BTC holding could secure great wealth .
- Discipline & Stoicism: Kim treats Bitcoin accumulation like a lifelong discipline. His motto is “stack sats, squat heavy, own your soul,” equating regular Bitcoin saving (“stacking sats”) with intense weightlifting and mental rigor . He avoids trading or price-watching, applying Stoic patience (“long-term conviction”) to hold through volatility . He speaks in grand terms – calling Bitcoin a “digital weapon against centralization” that will “bury” all alternatives – and urges moral commitment to early BTC adoption.
- Tech & Crypto Philosophy: Kim often analogizes Bitcoin to broader ideas. For example he notes Bitcoin’s brand dominance: “bitcoin is now the Kleenex of tissue, or the Coca-Cola of soda… branding matters” . He views Bitcoin as an open, anti-fragile digital “gold” or money, the only crypto worth owning. He ties Bitcoin to his broader worldview: as a path to “digital sovereignty” that transcends national borders (he says “Bitcoin and the internet have replaced ‘America’ as the land of opportunity” ). His content blends technical references (cold storage, multisig wallets) with minimalist living, suggesting blockchain tech parallels to first-principles living.
Investment Thesis & Strategy
- All-In, Long-Term: Kim’s strategy is simple and aggressive: buy and hold Bitcoin, ignoring short-term dips. He literally tells people to “buy as much bitcoin as you humanly can” and treat MicroStrategy stock (MSTR) as a proxy for extra BTC . In practice, he advises a 90% BTC / 10% MSTR portfolio mix .
- Leverage via MicroStrategy: He views MicroStrategy (Michael Saylor’s company) as a leverage tool. Kim calls MSTR an “infinite money glitch” and openly borrows on margin to buy more MSTR, compounding BTC exposure . In one post he literally recommends loading up on MSTR with spare capital as long as Bitcoin is his true goal . His “Spartan investor” ethos rejects consumer luxury: instead of expensive cars, he’d rather hold Bitcoin (and jokes he’d rather own BTC than a Tesla, since BTC’s value will far outpace any car) .
- Extreme Optimism: Kim is extremely bullish on Bitcoin’s future. He predicts Bitcoin will “go up forever,” describing its volatility as merely a “hypercharger” to higher returns . Using 2045 as a benchmark, he notes Michael Saylor’s $12 million/coin forecast and even higher bull cases, but privately speculates Bitcoin could reach into the tens of millions per coin (he mentions $155M/coin as his personal bull case by 2045). He argues with “enough hindsight” owning BTC was the “nearly trillion-fold” obvious choice . His goal is to accumulate as many bitcoins as possible – “he or she with the most bitcoins…shall win” .
- No Altcoins / Crypto Skepticism: His thesis is so Bitcoin-centric that he promotes “Bitcoin or nothing.” He urges selling all other crypto and framing all “crypto innovation” through Bitcoin’s lens. For Kim, adding any complexity (second-layer tokens, DeFi altcoins, etc.) only dilutes Bitcoin’s long-term value, so he largely ignores them. This strict maximalism is a key part of his message.
Public Presence and Media Activities
- Social Media & Content: Kim maintains an active online brand mixing fitness, philosophy, and Bitcoin content. On Twitter/X he has ~20K followers (joined 2010) . On YouTube his channel “erickimphotography” has ~50K subscribers , where he posts short motivational videos with Bitcoin/cryptocurrency themes. His Instagram (20K+ followers) features workout clips and crypto memes (e.g. “I ♥ BITCOIN” banners). He also publishes written essays and free “zines” on his blog (erickimphotography.com/erickim.com), covering Bitcoin strategy, ethics, and personal development .
- Podcasts: Kim hosts several crypto-related podcasts on Spotify/Apple. Series include “Bitcoin Thoughts,” “Crypto/Cryptocurrency Thoughts,” and a daily show “Retire with Bitcoin.” These episodes blend economic commentary with anecdotes from his workouts or philosophy . (Episode titles range from “Bitcoin = Happiness” to gym-related Bitcoin musings.) His audio/podcasts have become popular in the Bitcoin community.
- Events & Interviews: Though not a corporate executive, Kim participates in the Bitcoin community through interviews and meetups. He has appeared on other Bitcoin podcasts and livestreams (discussing topics like wallets, regulation, “cyber-Spartan” life) . He reported from Bitcoin 2024 (noting political proposals like Senator Lummis’s Bitcoin reserve plan) . He sometimes co-hosts local crypto/photo meetups and even ran an AI+crypto hackathon. His views have been quoted in crypto media (e.g. NewsBTC and Bitcoin Magazine ). In short, he spreads his ideas via TikTok, Telegram and mainstream platforms as a self-styled “crypto philosopher.”
Entrepreneurial & Educational Efforts
- Vancouver Bitcoin (Exchange): Professionally, Kim serves as Marketing Manager at Vancouver Bitcoin, a Canadian crypto exchange . In that role he helps promote Bitcoin adoption in retail settings (education on self-custody, in-person trading). This position ties him to the industry beyond just online content.
- Black Eagle Capital: In late 2024 Kim soft-launched Black Eagle Capital, a Bitcoin-focused hedge fund . He positions it as a way for investors to gain long-term Bitcoin exposure. In press releases, he stated the fund’s mission is “helping investors harness the power of Bitcoin” for security and freedom . Its strategy, as Kim describes, is precisely his own: use MicroStrategy leverage to compound BTC holdings . (He openly tells followers the fund’s motto: “buy as much bitcoin as you humanly can… and buy as much MicroStrategy as you can” .) Black Eagle also promises educational content on crypto markets.
- Education & Workshops: Beyond funds, Kim actively teaches Bitcoin fundamentals. He mentors new adopters on self-custody best practices (hardware wallets, multisig wallets) and runs free webinars. He’s adapted his photo-workshop framework to crypto, offering beginner sessions (“stacking sats 101,” “crypto minimalism,” etc.). His open-source ethos extends to these materials (everything free and CC0).
Contributions and Criticisms
- Contributions: Kim’s main contributions are as an educator and evangelist. Through consistent content output (blogs, podcasts, videos) he raises Bitcoin literacy. He merges niches (photography, fitness, crypto) to reach diverse audiences. His “all open-source everything” approach seeds media with crypto ideas, amplifying them in algorithmic feeds. By founding a Bitcoin hedge fund and working at an exchange, he also builds real-world infrastructure around BTC. In short, he “channeled his energy” from art/photography into the crypto realm, inspiring followers to accumulate Bitcoin .
- Criticisms of Others: In arguing for Bitcoin’s supremacy, Kim criticizes non-Bitcoin crypto heavily. He denounces altcoins as scams/hype (the “circus” of crypto) , and portrays many crypto projects as distractions. He also lambastes fiat monetary policy and government debt (calling Fed money “toilet paper” ). Occasionally his hyperbolic style (e.g. “Bitcoin or slavery”) provokes debate, but his core stance is that anything outside Bitcoin is folly. (Note: Kim himself offers no public criticism of Bitcoin itself – he is purely bullish on BTC.)
- Outlook: Kim foresees a future where Bitcoin is widely adopted and extraordinarily valuable. He envisions a “cyber-Sparta” era of sovereign individuals holding BTC as the ultimate reserve. His 2045 price target (>$10M–$150M/coin) and dismissal of alternatives reflect an unwavering belief in Bitcoin’s destiny.
Sources: This summary is based on Kim’s public writings and interviews , as well as journalistic profiles of his background . All quoted material is from Eric Kim’s own content (blogs, podcasts, press releases) and publicly verifiable profiles.