The internet is a political tool. If you don’t like reading this, that’s your choice, but it is. Politics built it, and yet, it was not built to create a fence of restrictions. That internet we once knew, full of information for everyone… I don’t know whether to say it’s disappearing or on the verge of extinction. Banks that refuse to work with other platforms, restrictive social networks, blocked money transfers… once again, from where we wanted to leave intermediaries behind, they return—not as tokens, but as decision-makers.

It’s either adapting to their suggestion or letting the internet shape the solution with the tools we already have at hand. In fact, we do have them in the form of an elegant triangle: P2P, micropayments, and free culture.

One of the great myths since 2001 is the presence of KYC (know your customer) policies with the justification that it’s “for your own good.” You have to spell out exactly why you want what you want because, at the end of the day, it’s not your money.

This is where Vexl enters the field, bringing back the meaning of peer-to-peer to where it should have never left. The buying and/or selling of bitcoins has always been an act between individuals. In fact, the word peer means “equal” (that is, you and me), but exchanges took over the process. Now, if you’re asked for KYC to do P2P, it’s like buying from a regulated exchange, and at the end of the day, that’s not the purpose. With Vexl, I can buy or sell bitcoin, connect with people, and do all this privately, without custodians, and without ever losing the social bond. Open up Vexl, find someone you trust, and close the deal. Now that is true P2P.

Since I live in a country where the currency loses an average of 0.4% of its value every month, in 10 years my money is worth 50% less. So, the question of whether I can buy a coffee with bitcoin is absolutely irrelevant. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. There’s also a point here: an internet payment network must have frictionless sending and receiving. That’s why the banking model on the internet doesn’t thrive—or only does so through sub-layers of solutions—when the main problem was always the banks themselves.

That’s where Lightning Network (L2) shines: a second-layer Bitcoin network that allows us to send and receive instantly and (sometimes) for free. Sending satoshis and sending text messages are on the same learning curve. Best part? You don’t need any bank’s approval. Through L2, we can incentivize the model of value and counter-value. It flows between people without needing to know each other because information has always been free. Use Wallet of Satoshi, Blink, whatever works for you.

When I introduce people to NOSTR, I always say, “it’s a social network where you can earn money making memes”—which is true, but incomplete. It’s much more than that. It’s a protocol so simple and open that, with the correct handling of your public and private keys, messages travel across relays that talk to one another.

And for those who ask, no: NOSTR is a protocol that doesn’t compete with anyone. In fact, we users of this magnificent social network don’t care what our algorithmic competitors do. Latin America has already seen its potential, with bitcoiners organizing, meeting, sharing ideas… it’s becoming a backbone for free communication.

Take a look at this:

I’m not saying this is paradise. What I’m saying is these are minimalist, modular tools that, when combined, create something very powerful—permissionless, shutdown-proof, and clean.

Am I a hippie? No, this is the internet we’re aiming for: one where you’re not afraid to speak or be censored, where your publication gets the value it deserves directly, without intermediaries, in a practical way. The best part is when you get a zap (someone sends you money) over Lightning, or when you close a deal on Vexl—you’re participating in a culture that resists unnecessary control. That’s why this triangle of apps is more than just tools: it’s a concrete expression of free culture.

The future doesn’t lie in platforms that require KYC for you to gain freedom. It lies in elegant, sovereign solutions that return autonomy—and that’s exactly what these apps offer. You don’t need to wait; you can build it today.

It’s not that there aren’t options—you just haven’t dared to use them. Maybe today is the day to reverse that?