Eric Kim (Street Photographer & Bitcoin Advocate)
Eric Kim (b.1988) is a Korean-American street photographer turned blogger who in recent years has become a vocal Bitcoin advocate . Initially known for his photography workshops and how-to guides, he began writing about investing and Bitcoin around 2017–2018 (buying his first BTC at ~$7–9K) . His blog EricKimPhotography.com (sometimes called Eric Kim ₿ Blog) is the primary platform for his ideas, and he supplements it with social media and podcasts. Notably, by 2025 Kim rebranded much of his online presence around Bitcoin (even adopting “₿” in his branding).
- Timeline: Kim’s personal journey into crypto began in late 2017 when he used about 10% of his savings to buy BTC near $7–9K . He continued to hold through the 2020–2021 bull run (reporting 3.5 BTC purchased then) . In late 2024 he launched Black Eagle Capital, a Bitcoin-focused hedge fund, marking a full shift from photography to crypto finance .
- Platforms: He publishes long-form essays on his personal blog (EricKimPhotography.com) and a Substack-style newsletter. He is active on social media – his X/Twitter account (@erickimphoto) has ~20K followers – and on YouTube (channel “erickimphotography”, ~50K subscribers) . He also hosts podcasts about Bitcoin and posts crypto-themed short videos. (He previously used Instagram (~16K followers) and still engages on newer apps like TikTok and Telegram) .
- Investment Philosophy: Kim preaches a maximalist and long-term Bitcoin strategy. He calls Bitcoin “digital gold” and emphasizes holding for decades rather than trading . Unlike short-term traders, he embraces BTC’s volatility as “vitality” and uses it as a hedge against traditional finance. He urges followers to “think in Bitcoin” – even measuring net worth in BTC instead of dollars – and famously says he will never sell his coins.
- Frugality & Risk Management: A hallmark of Kim’s approach is Spartan minimalism. He advocates extreme frugality (cutting luxuries, living simply) so more savings can go into investments . Combining this with Taleb-inspired risk management, he recommends a 90/10 split: 90% of assets in safe, low-risk accounts (bonds, high-interest savings) and 10% in high-upside bets like Bitcoin . This way he “buys lottery tickets” with upside while preserving a steady income stream.
- Innovative Tactics: Kim is creative in amplifying crypto exposure. He treats MicroStrategy (MSTR) stock as a leveraged Bitcoin play, calling it a “Bitcoin leverage machine” . He has suggested borrowing against BTC to buy MSTR (or its 2× ETF MSTU) so holders can keep Bitcoin while multiplying gains . For example, he describes MSTU as “steak wrapped in bacon deep-fried in rocket fuel” – a metaphor for double-leveraged Bitcoin exposure . In short, he weaves together philosophy and strategy: Bitcoin is “armor” for financial freedom , and all his tactics (from frugality to ETFs) are aimed at maximizing BTC ownership.
Eric Kim (Goodwater Capital – Venture Capitalist)
Eric J. Kim is a Silicon-Valley venture capitalist and co-founder of Goodwater Capital. He co-founded Goodwater in 2014 (after earning degrees at Yale and Stanford and stints at McKinsey and Maverick Capital) . Goodwater is a multi-billion-dollar VC firm that exclusively invests in consumer-technology startups worldwide . Under Kim’s leadership the firm has backed generational companies like Kakao (Korea), Coupang (S. Korea), Toss, Daangn Market (Karrot), and Musical.ly (TikTok) . While his main expertise is tech investing (not cryptocurrency), his views do intersect with the crypto world through his venture portfolio.
- Timeline: Kim’s career in investing began around 2002 (interning at a hedge fund as a student, as he recounts ). He worked 7 years at Maverick Capital before co-founding Goodwater in 2014 . At Goodwater he built a portfolio of 700+ startups (across 50+ countries) (e.g. early bets on TikTok). Starting around 2018 Goodwater also began investing in blockchain firms – for instance, it led funding rounds for Dapper Labs (CryptoKitties) and Ledger wallet . Kim and his co-founder have emphasized that their mission-driven firm treats tech investment like stewardship (“Goodwater” to nourish startups) .
- Platforms/Outreach: Unlike the other Eric Kim, this Eric does not run a public blog on investing. Instead, he communicates via industry media, conferences, and podcasts. Goodwater (and Kim) are featured in interviews (e.g. Korea Times profile ) and he appears on podcasts (such as Faith Driven Investor ) discussing his investment philosophy. He is active on professional social media (e.g. LinkedIn, Twitter) but uses these to comment on tech trends rather than personal Bitcoin tips.
- Innovative Perspective: Kim’s distinguishing idea is mission-driven consumer tech investing. Goodwater invests only in consumer-facing tech, often integrating moral/faith values (he likens technology and capital to “good water” that can nourish progress) . He often stresses aligning returns with positive impact (seeking “visionary entrepreneurs” who change the world) . In the crypto area, Goodwater has picked select opportunities: it backed some high-profile blockchain projects (CryptoKitties’ parent, Ledger hardware wallets) as early moves . However, after the 2022–23 crypto bear market Kim publicly urged caution – noting that hype investments (like a tokenized exchange company that crashed after raising $400M) showed the need for fundamentals .
- Comparison: In summary, Goodwater’s Eric Kim (often billed “Eric J. Kim”) is a career VC, not a crypto blogger. He started investing professionally much earlier (circa 2000s) and focuses on strategy and deal-making . By contrast, the street-photographer Eric Kim entered crypto later (post-2016) and spreads ideas via content creation. Their approaches differ: the venture capitalist emphasizes broad tech trends and rigorous due diligence , while the blogger Eric Kim emphasizes individual empowerment through Bitcoin and minimalist living .
Sources: Insights into the street-photographer Eric Kim’s Bitcoin philosophy come from his own blog and analysis of it , while information on Eric J. Kim (Goodwater) is drawn from interviews and industry coverage . Each citation above points to a specific source detailing that person’s background or ideas.