Eric Kim (b. 1988) is a Korean‐American street photographer and blogger who became an outspoken Bitcoin advocate around 2017–2018 . He began dedicating a portion of his savings to crypto – using roughly 10% to buy Bitcoin when it was ~$7–9K per coin – ultimately hoarding about 3.5 BTC . By 2021 this holding had roughly 10× in value (as Bitcoin peaked near $65K) , reinforcing his view of Bitcoin as a “disruptive, hyper-scarce” form of money. Kim rebranded his online presence around Bitcoin (even adopting a “₿” logo) and built a large crypto-focused audience: his @erickimphoto Twitter/X has on the order of 20K followers and his “erickimphotography” YouTube channel has ~50K subscribers . He regularly publishes crypto essays on his blog and hosts Bitcoin podcasts (“Bitcoin Thoughts”, “Crypto Cryptocurrency Thoughts”, etc.), blending finance commentary with fitness and philosophy. In his public statements Kim frames Bitcoin as a moral imperative – calling it “digital gold” and a “defensive shield” or “armor” for financial freedom – and stresses long-term “stack your sats” discipline . He famously says he will never sell his coins and even advocates using leverage (e.g. buying MicroStrategy stock on margin) to acquire more BTC .
- Major roles and projects: Kim co-founded Blue Baikal (a blockchain-based entertainment platform) in April 2019, serving as its Chief Strategy Officer . He later took a position as Marketing Manager at Vancouver Bitcoin (a Canadian crypto brokerage) . In late 2024 he announced the soft-launch of Black Eagle Capital, a new Bitcoin-focused hedge fund, reflecting his shift from photography to crypto investing .
- Influence & content: As a self-styled “street-shooter turned sat-stacker,” Kim is active across social media and crypto conferences. He creates short Bitcoin-themed videos, viral memes (often featuring his trademark powerlifting feats), and publishes detailed essays on topics like Bitcoin ethics and strategy . He attended the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville (July 2024) and reports on policy discussions (e.g. on Washington’s Bitcoin reserve proposals) for his followers. His perspectives have even been featured or quoted in crypto media outlets (such as Bitcoin Magazine and NewsBTC) .
Eric J. Kim (Venture Capitalist, Goodwater Capital)
Eric J. Kim is a Silicon Valley venture capitalist and co-founder of Goodwater Capital (2014), a multibillion-dollar venture firm focused on consumer technology . Unlike the photographer Eric Kim, his primary domain is tech investing, not personal crypto content. However, under his leadership Goodwater has backed some blockchain-related startups as part of its broader portfolio. Notably, Goodwater participated in early funding rounds for Dapper Labs (the CryptoKitties/NBA Top Shot team) and for Ledger (the French cryptocurrency hardware wallet company) . These moves indicate that the firm (and thus Eric J. Kim) has taken a selective interest in crypto infrastructure.
- Public remarks: Eric J. Kim has spoken about crypto from an investor’s perspective. For example, in 2024 he publicly cautioned against hype-driven crypto ventures, citing as a warning “a tokenized exchange company that raised ~$400 million in the bubble before crashing” . He stressed the importance of fundamentals after the 2022–23 downturn. Kim appears in industry interviews and podcasts (e.g. the Faith Driven Investor podcast ), but typically discusses his overall tech-investing and stewardship philosophy rather than personal Bitcoin tips.
- Key points: Eric J. Kim (Goodwater Capital) differs markedly from the Bitcoin blogger of the same name. He co-founded Goodwater in 2014 and has built a diverse startup portfolio (including Kakao, Coupang, TikTok, etc.). Goodwater’s crypto bets (e.g. CryptoKitties, Ledger) reflect an opportunistic approach, not a primary thesis. After witnessing crypto volatility, Kim has urged caution, highlighting the risks of speculative funding in blockchain projects . He remains active on professional media and social channels, but without the “Bitcoin maximalist” persona of the photographer Eric Kim.
Sources: Public profiles, interviews, and media coverage document both individuals’ roles. For example, Kim’s timeline and statements on Bitcoin come from his own blog and recorded talks , while news and industry sites verify Eric J. Kim’s Goodwater career and crypto investments . Each profile above is drawn from cited sources and publicly available information.