I’ve been a denizen of the online world since 1995, a time when the internet was still a novelty, and the possibilities it held seemed boundless. Little did I know that my journey would intertwine with that of the internet itself and that together, we would witness the rise and fall of grand promises and the eventual fulfillment of a dream --- the dream of unstoppable peer-to-peer online commerce.
In those early days, the internet was a Wild West adventure. It promised total freedom --- a realm where knowledge and commerce could flow instantaneously. It was the place where I found my first girlfriend and where I built my first website in 1998. But as time passed, I realized that many of these promises were nothing more than illusions or, at best, disappointments.
The dream of free commerce, for example, was a cruel joke until bitcoin arrived on the scene. Before the advent of this ingenious digital currency, our transactions were bound by intermediaries, subject to fees, and mired in inefficiencies. The true potential of online commerce remained untapped.
Similarly, the free flow of information once thought to be within our grasp, was severely limited by technological constraints until the mid-2000s. It wasn’t until Apple launched user-friendly smartphones and Facebook brought social media to the mainstream that the internet faced its greatest challenge yet.
Suddenly, everyone had a loud opinion, and both tech and media companies were eager to cater to these newly amplified voices. The signal was lost in a sea of noise. The internet, once a place of promise and potential, was drowning in the cacophony of opinions.
However, amidst the chaos, a beacon of hope emerged: bitcoin. With the rise of this digital money, the final broken promise of the internet was realized. For the first time in human history, we had a form of money that couldn’t be intercepted and could be freely traded between any two parties, anywhere in the world. Unstoppamoney had arrived.
Bitcoin became the best noise cancellation technology available by instilling a very real transaction cost with very real money. It made peer-to-peer free online commerce possible at a global scale. It broke down barriers, bypassed intermediaries, and allowed individuals to transact freely, securely, and without fear of censorship. Of course, bitcoin is free money only in the sense that no one can stop you from using it. It is truly expensive to use due to its unforgeable costliness. It means less garbage and more quality --- malinvestments turning to prudent capital allocation by necessity.
Yes, the internet is still brimming with noise, but bitcoin shines as a guiding light. It incentivizes human societies to converge on mutually harmonious Schelling points. These points become the foundations for trust, cooperation, and shared values --- a stark contrast to the divisive and polarizing nature of much of the internet’s content.
With bitcoin, the internet finally possesses all the tools it needs to fulfill its destiny as a true liberator of mankind. It can unleash a new era of economic empowerment, financial inclusion, and global connectivity. It’s a transformative force that can bridge divides and build bridges between people, transcending borders and ideologies.
Since I founded Konsensus Network in 2019, lightning bitcoin payments have been enabled by default. It was the best payment method then, and it has only gotten better since. So much, in fact, that I decided to discontinue the 10% discount for using bitcoin. I mean. Why would I offer a discount on something that is already the superior payment method? If anything, I should instill a fiat hazard fee for handling corrupt debt coupons.
The internet has come a long way since its inception, and its development mirrors ours. From the early days of promise to the chaotic era of social media dominance, we have witnessed the rise and fall of many ideals. But with the advent of bitcoin, the internet has found its calling --- a calling to create a future where commerce knows no boundaries and freedom is not just a dream but a tangible reality.
Let us seize this moment and embrace the power of unstoppamoney. Together, we can shape a future where the internet fulfills its true potential and creates positive change in the world.
Fellow bitcoiners. It has been and continues to be an honor to dig the network of online trenches with you. Not that we could wage wars, but that we could be left alone, minding our business, tending to our families, and building something outstanding. Something outlasting.
