TristanBietsch

bitcoin

Why I’m Pausing BitEscrow to Build Nummus: A Better Bitcoin Ecosystem

It is on their website:

https://lavaxyz.notion.site/One-Pager-2c65f737114e468f9a261bbbe160c390

> could it be that many people aren't doing transactions/payments with Bitcoin?

This is one of the problems, yes. People don't like spending their sats just yet.

> would you say it's an exchange?

Sort of, I am not sure how to pitch it quite yet. I have a clear vision in my head on what it is going to be: an ecosystem to easily use Bitcoin.

Will we offer buy/sell features? yes. 

>BitEscrow is a great product. 

Thank you. Once things warm up again it will come back stronger and better.

>first 1k users

Technical Early Adopters and People seeking better Bitcoin UX.


not sure what to think about their end goal being DIDs. Looks like a cool project, but I wish they had real documentation for developers and more info.

I think I got the timeline wrong, last 3-5 months have been a blur. Thanks!

Keeping it BTC native and not adding fluff to the process.

Once you break it down into steps, it can be done with enough time, people, and capital!

To clarify, we are not shutting it down, I am taking a break from it because there is some stuff that needs to happen before it can take off and be adopted. Mainly, it is a lot of work for two people. It is too good to throw away.

I appreciate the kind words.

love you too! thanks you, I def will soon.

### TL;DR

- I’m taking a hiatus from BitEscrow. It’s been an incredible journey, but I’ll return to it one day.
- Nearly got one-shotted by Bitcoin, but I’m still standing.
- Launching a new company: [Nummus Bitcoin.](https://Numm.us) <--

---

### Introduction

After three intense years, I’m stepping away from BitEscrow for now. From ages 20 to 23, I poured my heart & soul into building something revolutionary. We (@BlueSlime & I) created an incredible product and set a new standard for escrow services in Bitcoin. But the truth is, the world isn’t quite ready for it yet—and that’s okay.

The lack of widespread adoption of BitEscrow falls on me. I’ve learned so much, and this hiatus is a chance to reflect, recharge, and rebuild. If you’ve read Tony’s post about building Mutiny Wallet, you’ll understand where I’m coming from. His journey resonates with me deeply.



###Building BitEscrow

BitEscrow was my life. For those unfamiliar, BitEscrow is a Bitcoin-native alternative to Escrow.com. It’s 190x faster, costs 1/5th as much, and is entirely non-custodial—built without relying on external SDKs. I bootstrapped the project entirely, and went into debt to do so.

It all started when I moved to Austin to build a startup. I discovered the Austin Bitcoin Club on October 20th 2021, met **SuperTestnet**, and together we launched what was initially called LightningEscrow for about a year. After we parted ways, I teamed up with **Topher Scott** and pivoted to BitEscrow. He became the sole architect of our backend and created a bespoke development toolkit that powered the platform from scratch that was 100% native. It is truly impressive. Without him, BitEscrow wouldn’t exist.

The journey deserves its own book—so much happened. Those three years taught me the true meaning of resilience. I learned to face failure, how to run (and not run) a startup, and the reality of sacrificing everything for your vision. At my lowest, I was underweight, clinically exhausted, broke, and battling anxiety and depression. I even ended up in the hospital. 

Despite all this, I gave it everything I had. But by Q4 2024, the weight was too much. After months of networking, emailing, and pitching, our seed round fell apart when a key lead investor pulled out. Exhausted and defeated, I decided to step back.



### The Abyss

From October to December 2024, I hit rock bottom. I didn’t work, and I didn’t want to. My life revolved around the gym, video games, and Twitch. I became addicted to **Factorio**, pouring 250 hours into it in a month and a half. I was hooked.

But by late December, I knew I couldn’t stay in that place forever. I gave myself two weeks to figure out my next move. Through meditation, prayer, journaling, and microdosing, I wrestled with three key questions:

- Who am I without my work?
- Do I really care about Bitcoin, or is it just about the money?
- What did I do wrong, and how can I do better?

By the end of those two weeks, I had clarity: I **do** care about Bitcoin. Building things—even through the stress—makes me happy. 

With renewed purpose, I decided to start fresh.



### Lessons Learned

Here are the key takeaways from my time building BitEscrow:

### Skills I Mastered

- **Frontend Development & Product Design:** Building and managing products from scratch.
- **Backend Development**: Topher inspired me to work on getting my backend certification.
- **Bitcoin Development**: Seeing him build SDKs from scratch taught me everything about how Bitcoin works under the hood.
- **Software Architecture:** Topher also taught me the importance of designing modular, scalable systems. We built BitEscrow with a robust foundation that could handle future He showed me how critical it is to plan for flexibility and maintainability from the start, even when building under resource constraints. He whooped me into a real dev.
- **Marketing & PR:** SEO, email campaigns, and getting media coverage.
- **Public Speaking:** From podcasts to meetups, it gets easier with practice.
- **Social Media & Copywriting:** A time-consuming but critical skill.
- **Graphic Design & UX/UI:** Designing with intention using tools like Figma and Photoshop.
- **Fundraising:** Crafting pitch decks, meeting VCs, and securing funding.
- **Knowledge Management:** Building a "second brain" with Obsidian for productivity.
- **Bitcoin Expertise:** A deep understanding of Bitcoin’s tech and ecosystem.
- **Networking & Sales:** Meeting the right people and selling ideas effectively.

### Most Important Lessons

- **Choose the right partner:** A good co-founder can make or break your journey. Vet them carefully. 
- **Master the fundraising basics:** User count, online presence, and a working MVP are essential. VCs don't care about much else.
- **Tools are secondary to results:** You can build great things with limited resources.
- **Document everything:** Social proof and transparency are powerful.
- **Health is everything:** Without it, nothing else matters. 
- **Bitcoin is hard:** This industry is brutal, full of technical and legal hurdles.
- **Bitcoiners can be insular:** The mission should be to help others escape fiat, not live in an echo chamber.



### Introducing Nummus: A Bitcoin Ecosystem

Bitcoin has the power to change the world, but it’s still far too complicated for the average person. Many people don’t know what Bitcoin is, why it matters, or how to use it effectively. The lack of ecosystem—wallets, exchanges, hardware, and development tools—is fragmented and overwhelming. 

If a financial crisis hit tomorrow, people would scramble to buy Bitcoin, relying on centralized services owned by the very banks they’re trying to escape. That’s the opposite of what Bitcoin stands for.

**Nummus** aims to solve this by creating a unified Bitcoin ecosystem:

- **Simplicity:** From buying to storing to spending, everything will be easy to use, no matter your experience level.
- **Comprehensiveness:** One place for all things Bitcoin—no more jumping between disconnected tools and services.
- **Bitcoin-Native:** No altcoins, no distractions, just pure Bitcoin solutions.

With my experience and the lessons I’ve learned, I know how to tackle these challenges and build something truly transformative - solo. (for now)



### The Roadmap

Here’s the plan for Nummus:

1. Launch a **non-custodial wallet**.
2. Build a **custodial wallet**.
3. Develop a **hardware wallet**.
4. Introduce **Bitcoin-backed loans** - the right way.
5. Create **API + SDKs** for developers.
6. Enable spending Bitcoin without selling it.
7. And so much more.



Nummus bridges the gap between "don’t sell your Bitcoin" and "Bitcoin is the future of money." It’s designed to make Bitcoin accessible and practical for everyone while staying true to its ethos.

 [Learn more about it here](https://Numm.us)

---

### Shoutout to Topher

I can’t talk about my journey without giving a huge shoutout to **Topher**, who was not only an incredible CTO but also an outstanding teacher. His expertise in software architecture, backend development, and everything technical is unmatched. The incredible systems we built for BitEscrow would never have been possible without his brilliance and dedication.

Working alongside him taught me more than I could have imagined about building scalable systems and handling technical hurdles. I’m beyond grateful for his contributions to BitEscrow and the lessons he’s passed on to me. Topher, if you’re reading this—thank you. You truly are one of the few titans of the industry.

### Shoutout to SuperTestnet

A huge thank you to @SuperTestnet for helping me get started during LightningEscrow’s first year. His deep knowledge of Bitcoin and Lightning Network was critical in shaping the foundation of the project. Though we eventually went our separate ways, I’m grateful for his contributions and the impact he had in those early days. 



### Conclusion

I’m building Nummus in public, sharing every step on Twitch and X. 

Follow along, join the journey, and [sign up for the waitlist here](https://Numm.us) <--