I went to my local meet up a few nights ago. I am part of a small group of regulars who meet monthly over the past few years. Comraderie is quick to develop when you share a rabid interest in all things bitcoin. I always look forward to hanging out with this group.
The latest gathering was well attended. There were many new local people showing an interest in bitcoin, and the regulars were as excited as ever to chat.
I met two businessmen who are making their way down the rabbit hole. They both provide services I will soon require. When the need arises I will of course look to hire them and pay them in bitcoin.
I also had a nice talk with an apparently well known bitcoin influencer whom I wasn't familiar with. I guess he made the rounds of podcasts before my time. I'm not going to out him here, but he gave me some insight into the community in general. He really impressed me. I saw him in action as he answered questions from newbies. He brought a fresh, inspiring approach, although I'm sure he's had these conversations a million times. He gave me insights into lots of other well known bitcoiners, many of whom are his close friends. He told me that bitcoin has given him friendships with people all over the planet. You could tell he just loved talking about bitcoin. He highly recommended attending conferences, though he dismissed the upcoming Vegas event as having "too many shitcoiners."
He then gave a shout out to Austin, declaring Bit Block Boom the best conference to attend.
These meet ups are unstructured. There's no formal agenda. It's just a group of people in a bar. That doesn't mean no learning goes on. I always learn something. I also got the opportunity to whip out my graphene Pixel and open the Robosats app for a quick lesson. A group of guys I was talking to were bemoaning the fact that they only could buy KYC bitcoin. Being able to show them how robosats works, in real time, is better than watching a YouTube video, in my opinion. My graphene OS phone also spurred some constructive talk about privacy. Yeah, I was showing off. I felt like James Bond.
I almost decided not to attend. A confluence of sad personal stuff and an overall disappointment with the environment (core v knots, ETFs/Saylor) had me down.
I'm glad I went. There's nothing like bullshitting with fellow bitcoiners in person to lift your spirits.
I been thinking of starting a meet up for years but my anxiety gets the best of me. The reasons I talk my self out of it are as follows
I used to go to one near me but the organizer. (A college kid) left and since then no public social engagement.
But I definitely do miss meeting up with other Bitcoiners and nerding out on it
As the old adage goes—The first rule of Bitcoin club is to always talk about Bitcoin. The second rule of Bitcoin club is to never talk about your bitcoins. ;)
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I may give this a shot! Thanks
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That’s great. There is a meet up about 45 minutes drive from me that I’ll probably attend soon. I’ll report back.
I’m guessing buying through RoboSats is more expensive than a KYC exchange? Can you buy smaller amounts for DCA?
Its probably a little more expensive than KYC, depending on the exchange you are comparing it to. You cannot DCA. It is a more laborious process, but worth it, IMO.
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I'm glad to read this. I'd also like to attend an event like this, although I don't know how or where these meetings are planned. Siggie, excuse my ignorance, but I have two questions: 1. Do you have a podcast? 2. How do you get a phone with a graphene operating system?
No, I don't have a podcast.
Re grapheme, you need to buy a recent Pixel phone with an unlocked bootloader, and then install it yourself.
This post documents my journey:
#200175
Some of this might be outdated.
@final is the expert. Here is one of his posts:
#705242
That's great, thank you so much for the information!
I've started a meetup in 2021 and it developed into much more than I could have ever thought.
I wrote a blog post about it if anyone needs a bit of inspiration https://disobey.dev/the-history-of-bitcoin-ljubljana/
Now that I signed up for the Orange Pill App, I can see where my local meetups are. Very glad that there's one pretty close to me. I haven't found the time to go yet, but I think it will happen some time soon.
Let us all know how it goes.
Sounds like you had a blast! After recently relocating I was feeling a bit miffed about how long of a drive it would be to get to the local Bitcoin meetup, but after I went the first time and ended up just talking to people for three hours straight, I had a similar realization as you.
I recently started going to meetups and attended a conference... It was like bitcoin church camp. 10/10 would recommend. I hope to meet people to start businesses with
So true.
There's no alternative online for going out and meeting bitcoiners IRL. Always something to learn!
Yeah, meeting with like-minded people uplifts the spirit
this
I'm glad the bad things didn't shake you and that you went. It was possible to show some people that it is possible to buy bitcoin without KYC and in a relatively safe way through Robosats. Another way is to buy from someone present at these meetings, the newbies buy and the more experienced and experienced can exchange their fiat shit for BTC as a facilitator for the entry of new adherents.
Well done. Bitcoin is about freedom and freedom loving people tend to congregate around it. We Bitcoiners are still a minority but it is good there are meetups where knowledge and the excitement of what it can enable can be shared.
Absolutely spot on. The isolation we’re sold is part of the problem—fear thrives in solitude. When you sit across from someone and laugh over sats and stories, the matrix starts to break down. Stay connected. Stay human. Bitcoin’s about more than code.
Well said
Agree.
I started a meetup and it has been a positive experience with lots of good connections.
I'm glad you had a good time. I hope I can get to a similar meeting soon.
I love your self-deprecating nature. I’m sure you weren’t bullshitting as you imagined yourself to be.
Good soulful read!
What are the benefits of bitcoin meet ups?
多少sats
What do you think a successful bitcoin meet up should be like?
Was the business man a pimp?
He said he hates that term. He prefers facilitator.