bisforbosa

bitcoin

Most games have an environment or background where players move around and interact with other players (and NPCs). Lets take a look at the first four environments that Bitcoin-as-a-Game (BaaG) players can collaborate to develop:

1. Local Community Marketplace
The first step in the game is to build a marketplace where players can exchange goods and services. This is the foundation of the in-game economy, just like how real-world economies rely on commerce and trade.
Players: Each player begins with a small market stall and a few Bitcoin IOU cards.
Goal: The goal is to create a marketplace where players can buy and sell goods, including food, tools, and even Bitcoin IOU cards (which represent the player’s wealth).
Market Features:
Goods for Sale: Players can sell items like food, resources, and crafted goods for Bitcoin IOUs
Transaction Fees: market stalls are free and there are zero transaction costs.
In this marketplace, players could engage in simple barter-style exchanges where they trade items based on the value represented by the Bitcoin IOUs. Players must strategically decide what to sell or buy based on the demand in the in-game world.

2. Local Agriculture and Food Sovereignty
After establishing the marketplace, players need to start growing food for personal food sovereignty and contribute as productive members of the local community. To do this, they will build farms where they can grow crops. Farms are essential to ensuring that players have resources to exchange in the marketplace, and they will also serve as a way for players to earn additional Bitcoin IOUs through the sale of food.
Players: Can now invest in farm plots, where they can grow crops like wheat, vegetables, or even livestock.
Goal: Build and manage farms to produce food and other resources. The food can then be sold in the marketplace for Bitcoin IOUs, which players use to expand their holdings or build infrastructure.
Farm Features:
Crops: Players can choose to grow different types of crops. The more efficient and abundant their crops, the more they can sell to other players or use to trade for other goods.
Animal Husbandry: Players can also raise animals for meat or resources (such as milk or wool), adding another layer of strategy.
Upgrades: Players can upgrade their farms to increase output, using Bitcoin IOUs to purchase better equipment or seeds.
As players grow their farms, they must manage resources carefully, balancing between food production and the use of Bitcoin IOUs to build and expand their economy. Farms become key areas for generating wealth.

3.  Small Scale Solar-Powered Bitcoin Mining
As players develop their farms and marketplaces, they will eventually need to mine Bitcoin to create more Bitcoin IOUs. This is where solar-powered mining comes in, which provides a sustainable way to mine Bitcoin while also ensuring the game’s growth aligns with environmental concerns.
Players: Can build solar-powered mining rigs to generate Bitcoin IOUs. These mining rigs use solar panels to generate clean energy, powering mining operations.
Goal: The goal is to mine Bitcoin using solar energy, a sustainable and profitable strategy. Players can convert their mined Bitcoin into Bitcoin IOUs or reinvest in further growth (e.g., more farms, expanded marketplaces, or larger mining operations).
Mining Features:
Solar Panels: Players can install solar panels on their farm plots, which generate energy. This energy powers Bitcoin mining rigs.
Mining Rigs: These rigs are used to mine Bitcoin. As players mine more Bitcoin, they gain additional Bitcoin IOUs to reinvest into their economy.
Efficiency and Upgrades: Players can upgrade their solar-powered rigs to increase mining efficiency, making their operation more profitable and expanding their Bitcoin holdings.
Solar-powered mining introduces the idea of sustainable growth, ensuring that players not only earn Bitcoin IOUs but do so in a way that aligns with concerns about energy usage.

4. Education and Skill Development
As players grow their local economy through markets, farms, and solar mining, it becomes important to expand the knowledge base and ensure the community can keep evolving. 
The next environment in the game is the creation of a school or learning centre. The school is crucial for fostering knowledge and teaching players about economics, Bitcoin technology, solar mining, and efficient farming.
Players: Players can invest in building a school on their farm plot. The school can be run by hired educators or even players who wish to contribute their knowledge to the community.
Goal: The goal is to teach players (and NPCs) the fundamental concepts necessary for sustainable growth. Players can choose to upgrade the school, allowing them to unlock new economic tools and technologies.
School Features:
Curriculum:
Basic Economics of Money: Introduce players to the fundamentals of supply and demand, value creation, and exchange mechanisms. Understanding the basics of economics helps players make smarter decisions in the marketplace.
Bitcoin Technology: Educate players about Bitcoin, including how blockchain works, the importance of decentralization, and how Bitcoin can be used as a store of value and medium of exchange. Players who attend classes may earn Bitcoin knowledge points that help them boost their mining operations or market decisions.
Solar Mining Systems: Teach players how solar energy can power Bitcoin mining rigs and how they can optimize the setup. This would unlock more efficient ways to generate Bitcoin IOUs, making the mining process more profitable.
Advanced Farming Techniques: Instruct players on innovative farming methods, like crop rotation, vertical farming, and the use of sustainable practices. These methods could increase farm productivity and reduce resource waste.
Interactive Learning:
Players could participate in mini-games or tasks that simulate real-world economic decisions, such as balancing supply chains, evaluating market fluctuations, and making investment decisions. Players who succeed in these tasks might receive bonuses like Bitcoin IOUs or other game enhancements.
Player Collaboration and Mentorship:
More experienced players can volunteer to mentor newer players, teaching them how to use Bitcoin technology or manage a farm. Mentorship could be rewarded with Bitcoin IOUs or exclusive upgrades.
Upgrades:
The school can be upgraded to unlock more advanced classes, improving the player's skills in specific areas like Bitcoin mining efficiency, advanced farming, or the ability to negotiate better deals in the marketplace.
Players can also unlock global lessons where they can learn about the bigger picture, such as macroeconomics, global Bitcoin markets, and international trade.
School Visual Layout:
The school is situated on a farm plot, surrounded by some crops and a small solar powered mining rig. Inside, players can see classrooms and lecture halls with interactive learning stations where they can access different courses.
Player Impact:
Players who attend the school will develop better skills that they can apply to their marketplace, farm, or mining operations. By learning new concepts and techniques, they can maximize their wealth and resources.
Schools also help build a knowledgeable community, encouraging a culture of education that supports sustainable growth. As players progress through lessons, they unlock new gameplay mechanics or ways to collaborate with others.


Visual Structure and Gameplay Features
Now that we’ve integrated the core elements of the game—marketplaces, farms, solar mining and schools—let’s visualize the structure:
Map Layout: Players have a plot of land where they can build various structures. The land is divided into sections where players can place marketplaces, farms, solar panels,mining rigs and schools.
Buildings:
Marketplace: A central area where goods are traded between players. Players can choose to expand their marketplace as they gain wealth.
Farms: Rows of farmland where crops are grown and animals are raised. Players manage crops based on seasons and available resources.
Solar-powered Mining Rig: These rigs sit on plots of land, generating Bitcoin IOUs based on the amount of solar energy they can harness.
Growth & Upgrades: As players progress, they can upgrade their farms and mining rigs, expand their marketplaces, and invest in technology (such as better seeds for crops or more efficient solar panels for mining).
Player Progression: Players start small, with basic farms and a small marketplace, but over time, they grow their economy by building new infrastructure, making strategic decisions, and using their Bitcoin IOUs wisely. The goal is to balance growth and sustainability, ensuring a thriving economy.

The Bitcoin Economy in the Game
The game’s economy is driven by the value of Bitcoin (represented by Bitcoin IOUs). As players build and grow their economy, they engage in the following:
Trade: Players trade resources, food, and Bitcoin IOUs with one another. The market fluctuates based on supply and demand, and strategic trading can lead to wealth.
Mining: Players mine Bitcoin to earn more IOUs. Sustainable mining using solar energy is not only profitable but also eco-friendly, which gives players an additional advantage.
Growth: The game emphasizes the importance of long-term growth, as players balance their resources to ensure they can build their farms, upgrade their mining rigs, and expand their marketplaces.

Conclusion
In this Bitcoin game, players create a virtual economy that revolves around two core principles: Bitcoin as a store of value and Bitcoin as a medium of exchange. They grow their wealth by building a marketplace, managing farms, and investing in solar-powered mining rigs.

The game encourages sustainable growth and careful economic management, blending farming, trading, and Bitcoin mining in a way that mimics real-world economies. By using Bitcoin IOUs as a simplified form of currency, players can engage with the Bitcoin network without needing to manage the underlying technology, and their decisions help shape the success and growth of their virtual economy.

To read previous posts :

#001 - Introduction https://stacker.news/items/859860
#002 - Core Principals https://stacker.news/items/862121
#003 - Key Infrastructure https://stacker.news/items/867952


#004 BaaG - Primary Gaming Environments

As we expand the analogy of bitcoin-as-a-game, let’s look at how players not only use Bitcoin IOUs, but also have the ability to create their own Bitcoin IOUs.

Using the example of the  Monopoly, physical notes serve as a simple way for players to interact and engage with the game. These notes represent money, enabling players to save wealth, pay rent, and buy properties without needing to worry about how the money is created or managed.

Players can easily exchange Monopoly money during transactions, facilitating gameplay.
This system eliminates complexity, allowing everyone to focus on strategy and fun rather than the mechanics of the currency itself. Similarly, Bitcoin can be imagined as a game where players use physical Bitcoin IOUs. 

These IOUs act as a store of value (players save them, hoping their worth increases) and a medium of exchange (used to settle trades and transactions). Like Monopoly money, Bitcoin IOUs let players participate without managing technical details, making the concept of Bitcoin more accessible and tangible.
In this game the Bitcoin IOU cards are physical, permissionless, and open-source, allowing anyone to participate in the game while maintaining the simplicity of interaction.

Creating Bitcoin IOUs
Players can design and issue their own Bitcoin IOU cards using open-source templates. To ensure authenticity and prevent fraud, each card is embedded with an NFC tag (Near Field Communication technology) that allows quick verification using a smartphone or similar device. The NFC tag has a unique identifier linked to a bitcoin wallet. This makes the process secure yet straightforward.

How Players Create Bitcoin IOUs:
Open-Source Templates: Players download a publicly available template from our  GitHub to create their Bitcoin IOU cards. This includes standard designs and formats to ensure consistency across the network.
Physical Key Cards: Players create physical metal cards that represent Bitcoin. These cards can be custom printed or engraved but must follow the open-source protocol to remain verifiable.

NFC Tag Integration: An NFC tag is embedded in each card. This tag links the physical card to the Bitcoin network, allowing anyone to verify the card's legitimacy and associated value by scanning it with an NFC-enabled device.

Bitcoin Linkage: Each card represents a specific amount of Bitcoin held on the blockchain. The card’s value is tied to a specific Bitcoin public address, and the NFC tag provides verifiable proof of ownership.

Time-Locked Wallet: Each Bitcoin IOU card is connected to a time-locked wallet address. This wallet holds the real Bitcoin, and the card’s ‘value’ is equal to the Bitcoin stored in it. However, the time lock on the funds held in the actual wallet prevents players from accessing the Bitcoin until a pre-determined period has passed.

Players cannot exit the game or withdraw their Bitcoin until the time lock expires, adding an element of strategy and long-term planning to their participation.

Playing with Bitcoin IOUs
Just like in Monopoly, players use these Bitcoin IOU cards to interact with each other in two key ways:
Store of Value: Players can hold onto their Bitcoin IOU cards as a way to save wealth. The cards are secure, verifiable, and easy to store, acting as a physical representation of Bitcoin’s value.

Medium of Exchange: Players exchange these cards to pay for goods, services, or settle debts during the game. Transactions are simple: one player hands over their card to another, and the NFC tag can be scanned to confirm the card’s validity and value instantly.

Permissionless Participation
The beauty of this system is that anyone can create and use Bitcoin IOUs. There are no central authorities or gatekeepers. Players don’t need special permission to participate; they simply follow the open-source protocol to make cards and join the game. This mirrors Bitcoin’s decentralized nature, where anyone can join the network without needing approval.

Advantages of Permissionless Bitcoin IOUs:

Accessibility: Players don’t need advanced technical knowledge. Creating and using Bitcoin IOUs is as easy as printing cards and embedding an NFC tag.

Trust through Verification: The NFC tags ensure cards can be quickly verified as genuine and linked to the Bitcoin network.

Decentralization: No single entity controls the issuance of Bitcoin IOUs, keeping the system open and inclusive.

Physical and Tangible: The cards provide a physical way to interact with Bitcoin, making it more accessible for those who may find digital wallets or private keys intimidating.

Spend into Circulation: players can transact IRL using their Bitcoin IOUs.

Timelocked Funds: players cannot exit the game or withdraw their Bitcoin until the time lock expires, adding an element of strategy and long-term thinking to their participation.

This approach provides a physical, interactive, and secure way for players to engage with its core functions—storing value and enabling transactions—while staying true to Bitcoins decentralized principles.

In the next post we will take a deeper look at the primary environments in bitcoin-as-a-game.

To read previous posts : 
#001 - Introduction https://stacker.news/items/859860  
#002 - Core Principals https://stacker.news/items/862121


#003 BaaG - Key Infrastructure

To make the core principles of Bitcoin more understandable, bitcoin-as-a-game players use physical key cards (that we will call Bitcoin IOUs) that function like the paper money used in a Monopoly game. Here’s how it works:

Bitcoin as a Store of Value

In this simplified game, Bitcoin acts like a store of value. Just like players in Monopoly collect and save money over time, players in this Bitcoin game collect and hold Bitcoin IOU cards to preserve their wealth. These cards are physical representations of Bitcoin, and their value can fluctuate based on the Bitcoin network’s overall market performance.
Players: Individuals or participants who own Bitcoin IOU cards (representing their Bitcoin holdings).
Goal: The objective is to hold onto Bitcoin IOU cards as a store of value, with the hope that over time, their value will increase.
No-Risk Participation: The Bitcoin IOU cards are tangible, and the players don’t need to worry about securing private keys or managing digital wallets. Their only task is to HODL the cards, trusting that the Bitcoin network will maintain value.
In this analogy, the Bitcoin IOU card is a simplified way to hold Bitcoin, providing players with exposure to its value increase without needing to directly interact with Bitcoin's underlying technical infrastructure.

Bitcoin as a Medium of Exchange

In the game, Bitcoin IOUs are also used as a medium of exchange. Just like Monopoly money is used to buy properties and pay rent, Bitcoin IOUs can be exchanged between players as a way to settle transactions. If a player wants to buy something (whether it’s goods, services, or even another player’s Bitcoin IOU), they can exchange the cards.
Players: Participants who use Bitcoin IOU cards to transact.
Goal: The goal is to exchange Bitcoin IOU cards to facilitate transactions, just like using money in a real-world economy.
No-Risk Participation: As with the store of value role, players don’t need to worry about the underlying mechanics of Bitcoin. They use Bitcoin IOUs like money in the game—there's no need to manage digital wallets, keys, or mining. They simply exchange the cards to participate in the game.
In this role, Bitcoin IOUs work just like cash or currency in Monopoly. Players can use them to buy and sell items or services. The value of the Bitcoin IOU cards is determined by the overall worth of Bitcoin in the network, but players can use these cards without needing to know the technical details behind Bitcoin transactions.

The No-Risk Participation

Just like how Monopoly money can be used by anyone without worrying about how the money is printed or secured, Bitcoin IOU cards allow players to engage with Bitcoin in a no-risk way. They don’t need to manage wallets, deal with private keys, or understand the complexities of the Bitcoin network. They just use the cards as a form of money within the game, knowing they are backed by the value of Bitcoin in the broader network.
No-Risk for Players: All players need to do is accept and exchange the Bitcoin IOUs. The technical aspects (such as securing private keys or validating transactions) are abstracted away. Players focus on the basic roles—saving value and transacting with others—just like using Monopoly money to play the game.

This analogy makes Bitcoin accessible by focusing on its two primary roles—storing value and acting as a medium of exchange—and showing how players can interact with Bitcoin through simple, verifiable physical cards (Bitcoin IOUs) without the need for technical knowledge or risk management.

In the next post we will explain how Bitcoin IOUs are created and take a look at the key infrastructure required for the game.


#002 - Core principals of bitcoin-as-a-game

Bitcoin can be conceptualized as a "game" in a variety of ways, especially when considering its mechanics and its role in the global economy. Let's explore Bitcoin as a game in several aspects:

1. Bitcoin as a Game of Strategy and Skill
Bitcoin mining can be thought of as a game of strategy, where participants (miners) must solve complex mathematical puzzles to win new Bitcoin rewards. The competition is fierce, and success depends on the ability to outsmart competitors and secure a block reward. It requires both technical skills (knowing how to optimize hardware and software) and strategic decisions (choosing when to mine and which equipment to invest in).
Players: Miners (individuals or companies with mining rigs).
Goal: Solve cryptographic puzzles to verify transactions and add them to the blockchain.
Rewards: Bitcoin (BTC), awarded to miners who successfully add blocks to the blockchain.
Rules: Follow the Proof-of-Work consensus mechanism ensuring the integrity of the network.
The "game" involves making strategic decisions about how much computational power (hashrate) to invest, which mining pools to join, and when to sell or hold onto Bitcoin for potential profits.

2. Bitcoin as a Game of Speculation
For investors and traders, Bitcoin can be seen as a game of speculation, where players attempt to predict the market's movements. Like other financial markets, Bitcoin’s price is volatile, and players bet on price fluctuations. Traders can engage in this game through buying, selling, and holding positions based on market analysis.
Players: Traders, investors, market participants.
Goal: Predict Bitcoin's future price and make profits through buying low and selling high.
Rewards: Profit from price changes.
Rules: Follow market trends, manage risk, and use tools such as technical analysis, fundamental analysis, and market sentiment.
In this "game," knowledge of market patterns, psychology, and timing plays a critical role. Players can engage in spot trading, futures, and options, which adds layers of complexity to the "game."

3. Bitcoin as a Game of Economics
Bitcoin operates within a broader economic system, where participants interact with its supply and demand dynamics. Bitcoin's fixed supply (21 million BTC) creates a scarcity model, much like precious metals or rare collectibles. People compete to acquire and hold Bitcoin, hoping that its scarcity and growing adoption will increase its value over time.
Players: Bitcoin holders (HODLers), businesses accepting Bitcoin, and network participants.
Goal: Accumulate and preserve Bitcoin for long-term gains.
Rewards: Holding Bitcoin increases in value over time (capital appreciation) or provides a medium of exchange.
Rules: Bitcoin's supply is fixed, and its price is determined by demand in the open market.
For many, accumulating Bitcoin can feel like playing a game of "long-term survival," where the reward is based on the future value of Bitcoin. As Bitcoin adoption increases, the "game" evolves, with more opportunities for participants to interact with Bitcoin (e.g., using it for payments, staking, or DeFi projects).

4. Bitcoin as a Game of Trust
Bitcoin relies on a decentralized trust mechanism powered by blockchain technology. The integrity of the Bitcoin network is maintained by a consensus protocol where participants must trust the rules of the system, rather than central authorities. In this "game," everyone involved is part of the global trust network, and the objective is to maintain the system's security and reliability.
Players: Miners, full nodes, users.
Goal: Participate in the validation of transactions and blocks.
Rewards: Confidence in the system’s reliability and security, as well as potential profits for miners.
Rules: Consensus rules (Proof-of-Work for Bitcoin), cryptographic signatures, and the blockchain structure.
The "game" of trust is about ensuring the network remains decentralized and operates without the need for intermediaries. By participating in the game, players reinforce the trust that makes Bitcoin valuable and secure.

5. Bitcoin as a Game of Social Consensus
Bitcoin operates as a social game in which participants, including developers, miners, users, and businesses, need to come to consensus on updates to the protocol. Consensus is reached through debate, voting, and collaboration on proposals (e.g., Bitcoin Improvement Proposals or BIPs). Changes to the protocol can be viewed as "leveling up" the system, but they require collective agreement.
Players: Developers, miners, users, exchanges, and businesses.
Goal: Improve or adapt the Bitcoin network through community consensus.
Rewards: A more secure, scalable, or efficient Bitcoin network.
Rules: Community-driven development, with the majority of stakeholders reaching agreement on network upgrades.
In this "game," players must negotiate and find consensus while considering differing priorities. Proposals like SegWit and Taproot are examples of how Bitcoin's protocol evolves through social and technical consensus.

6. Bitcoin as a Game of Identity and Philosophy
Lastly, Bitcoin can be viewed as a philosophical and ideological game, where participants align themselves with various ideas such as financial freedom, privacy, decentralization, and anti-censorship. For many, the game is about resisting central banks and governments while embracing personal sovereignty. Players in this game often defend Bitcoin’s value as a form of protest against traditional monetary systems.
Players: Bitcoin advocates, cypherpunks, libertarians, and supporters of decentralized finance.
Goal: Promote Bitcoin as a tool for freedom and financial inclusion.
Rewards: Adoption and belief in the fundamental principles of Bitcoin.
Rules: Self-sovereignty, freedom of choice, and decentralization.
In this game, the goal is ideological — players are not only participants in the financial ecosystem but also defenders of the broader philosophical movement that Bitcoin represents.

Conclusion
Bitcoin as a game is not just about profit or wealth; it's a complex, multi-dimensional system that incorporates strategy, economics, trust, philosophy, and technological evolution. Whether viewed through the lens of mining, trading, economic participation, or ideological belief, Bitcoin represents a game that is being played on a global scale, with new players entering the ecosystem every day.

Future posts will look in greater detail at ways to make this ‘game’ understandable and accessible for everyone.


#001 - Introducing 'bitcoin-as-a-game'

bitdevs

Timelocked public address using OP_CLTV

Thanks for your reply. Now researching BIP46 and fidelity bonds and this could be a possible solution...

Discovered CoinJoin and this interesting post on github - https://clay-v.github.io/joinMarketDocs/users/fidelity-bonds.html#this-feature-is-incomplete-and-so-is-disabled-for-now

My main consideration is finding a way to generate timelocked addresses without having to build the code. Thinking about a simple to use interface...

bitcoin_beginners

Blink - Be Your Own Bank Through Bitcoin Self-Custody

Hi i wanted to see if there is anyone in this community that understands about timelocked transactions. Thinking about how this feature could be built into a forked version of Blue wallet (open source code).
The only place i have found is https://coinb.in/#newTimeLocked but the code has not been updated for many years.



Baby Stacker Corner #1

Thanks for the welcome! this feels like a friendly community.

I was invited to join stacker as i am a degen of the Blink lightning wallet community. Will also be posting updates on our bitcoin community film project - B is for Bosa. Heres a link to our profile on X - www.twitter.com/BisforBosa

@bisforbosa's bio

Hey! nice to hear about AGORA... will check it out.

B is for BOSA is a bitcoin community project in Bosa on the island of Sardinia Italy. 

We will be posting regular updates in 2025

Check out our links  on https://linktr.ee/bisforbosa