Thank you for your post. I try to spend Bitcoin, through my own lightning nodes, when I can but it's hard as there are so few places. Stacker News all the time, and Bitrefil occasionally... as I view the exchange of Bitcoin for dollars as a kind of scam.

It would be like... exchanging a rare Ferrari for 10 beat-up older minivans because they're "worth just as much". A rare Ferrari a beautiful car for ten old minivans because their value is... "equal". Sure, maybe on paper but noone would make that trade.

I believe that using Bitcoin in small amounts as an MoE, for a coffee for example, is a really important part of Bitcoin's development and normalization. Even if the price 'goes up' and is 'worth more' in the future... Gold goes up. Houses 'Go Up'. Rent 'Goes Up'... and Bitcoin goes up more because it's relatively new but that's just due to Fiat's relatively poor Store of Value qualities. That doesn't mean that it's wrong to spend Bitcoin on coffee or small day-to-day goods.

The Hodl-only, never-sell crowd in my humble opinion have it wrong. If they want to 'hodl forever' they can take their seed phrase and throw it in the ocean... They 'never sell' in that case but of course their ownership and ability to transact is zero and so their Bitcoin is worthless. How's that for 'never sell'?

If you 'never sell' and 'never transact' then the value of the Bitcoin is... well worthless you might as well delete the Private Key as you have no need for it after all. Hodl forever in the ocean.

In the long run Peer-to-Peer Bitcoin, for daily goods and services paid directly is the best thing for Bitcoin's SoV and MoE. That does not mean spend all your Bitcoin... but it does imply using it as savings and spending it selectively on things that you need. In my opinion it's what every Bitcoiner should be looking for every day.

Thank you for your article I'll definitely forward it we need these conversations in the Bitcoin community.

(PS love Proton's New Wallet I have invites if anyone wants them)