Bitcoin Forum

What is your experience with the average Joe and Bitcoin? When I talk with the average user about Bitcoin, I usually get a variation of these three responses:

"Bitcoin? Isn't that stock crashing and becoming worthless?"

"Bitcoin is a scam and the government will shut it down. It will die soon, no way the federal reserve will let it be worth more than the dollar."

"Yeah, i've heard of Bitcoin. I like pokemon cards better though. I used to like and collect Pogs."

99% of the non-crypto users I speak with say something to that effect. How can we change their perception of Bitcoin? Is it even possible? I believe a lot of it has to do with just a general absence of knowledge when it comes to what bitcoin is.

What have you guys heard the public say about Bitcoin?

Most know and understand that it is a virtual currency that can be spent but also used as an asset. The conversation starts to get muddy when you get into the tech behind btc-explaining blockchain is always difficult-the same goes for wallets and transactions. Generally, this is where a new enthusiast is born or where they are lost completely as it gets a bit too technical.

Just like me at first, I don't believe in bitcoin too, although my friend keep pushing me as he said he wanted to help me I am not believing in it at first, until one day we really need money and we suddenly met again, and approached me again that I can find opportunity here depending on my talent and just to explore so here I am.

I've heard all the countless insults, name calling and belittling made by my friends to bitcoin when its price is below $1000. Normally, these people would mock me stating that I should divert my energy and time into somewhere else that could be of help to me or for us. When the news broke about bitcoin crossing $1000, these same people started to get curious, while I still try to stock all the coins I can get while it's cheap. Right now, these dudes are still trying to get in and familiarize with the bitcoin and crypto-ecosystem. What was once a scam and a shady piece of computer code became riches and gold to them that they want to have. Most people look at the face value of things and judge right away, and the same people would regret it when it's too late. Good thing I still kept my first few bitcoins since 2014 and sold when it feels like the price is gonna burst.

Most of the people I meet and discuss bitcoin with are curious to know more about it. The unfortunate thing is almost everyone of them thinks it will never be accepted in my country due to the false stories bitcoin critics keep spreading about it. I think it’s high time those who have made a lot of fortune from bitcoin started sponsoring some programs or events with bitcoin.

I think that people are so used to "belonging way of thinking" , and because of that most of them can't understand bitcoin and its decentralized way of working. Usually when I talk with people who doesn't know what bitcoin is or know a little bit, most of the time I get same outcome like you. But there were those who was willing to listen, and they have learned few things. Major changes doesn't come overnight, we must understand that first. Hopefully in time people will understand what bitcoin truly is.

The situation is more or less same everywhere.The typical answers I get around me are

 - Bitcoin ? Oh yeah I have some money lying around which I want to invest so do I need an account or something ?
 - Just saw the news the other day bitcoin is a big scam and it is illegal.Please operate safely before government takes an action.
 - Can you help me set-up a bitcoin account ? I want to bitcoin too.

I just beberala months of the world plunge bitcoin, not much certainly my pengalman about bitcoin. but I really like and use bitcoin. and I feel proud of knowing bitcoin

I usually get 2 answers when I start to talk about the topic

1)

Q: Do you know about Bitcoin?
A: Bitcoin? Yes I know it's a bubble
Q: And what is a bubble so?
A: hmm...hmmm...hmm...it's...it's...wait...it's like when...wait...humm...hard to explain...

2)
Q: Do you know about Bitcoin?
A: Yeah I perfectly know about Bitcoin, it's the currency of the darknet
Q: Oh, you visited the Darknet?
A: No, never.

It shows me that people in 2018 still just listen to the media and repeat like a parrot without even understand it. TV really makes people like sheep. Now I just discuss with people already in crypto or blockchain and fintech

Instead of mocking people for mocking bitcoin, we should talk about how we get more people interested in bitcoin.

A big reason people mock bitcoin is because they don't understand it and (more important) what downsides of the fiat monetary system exist and how bitcoin is a drastic improvement.

We can start getting people more familiar about bitcoin by talking about it more in everyday life.

Some ideas:

• Every time you buy something at a store ask the clerk/cashier "Do you accept bitcoin?" This gets people believing that it could be a daily use currency, but make sure when they say "yes!" that you can use Bitcoin to pay for your purchase!
• Make casual references to bitcoin in general conversation, but don't go so far as to appear as though you're trying to convert anyone
• Use bitcoin or a bitcoin app in front of other people...again, do so casually
• Make positive jokes about bitcoin, particularly when you're paying or being paid by a friend (say for a shared pub tab), say "hey, do you want me to pay you in [local currency] or bitcoin?"

If everyone here did these things we'd start to make a dent in the Universe's perception of bitcoin.

That bitcoin is a Ponzi Scheme. I get it all the time. Even from my closest friends and relatives. Wasted a lot of time and effort convincing some of them to believe in bitcoin.  >:(

Most of typical people I know, are not into cryptocurrencies and they don't know much about them. All they can say is that Bitcoin is a financial pyramid because they have heard so in the news where an economist was talking about Bitcoin. What a shame that they only thing they say is that Bitcoin is worthless because it is a few zeros in the computer. I try to educate other people if they ask me about Bitcoin and help them with buying and storing it.

I don't think Bitcoin is widely spread here in Indonesia. Even the mainstream lack of understanding what the digital currency term meaning. Nevertheless, there are a few people that have a knowledge about it but doesn't understand it too deeply, and hardly having interest in it.

I'm African and I live in a country where 99% of people have never heard of bitcoin, so you should already know what my country people are saying when I talk about bitcoin. Here's what they tell me:

bitcoin what is it? I've never heard of bitcoin, Does not this have to do with crime?

The most unbelievable thing is that my country's central bank talked about bitcoin and even then few people paid attention and gave value. But I have a relative and a friend who use bitcoin



Talking in schools, talking to people about bitcoin, going to tv shows and talking about bitcoin, creating channels on youtube to talk about bitcoin



 ;D

I don't think Bitcoin is widely spread here in In Bangladesh . Even the mainstream lack of understanding what the digital currency term meaning. Nevertheless, there are a few people that have a knowledge about it but doesn't understand it too deeply, and hardly having interest in it. :) :)

Same here mate. Was about last year when bitcoin was around the $1000-$2000 range and I told them that they need to get early before this technology exploded in the next couple of months but I was always get the kind of response of "WTF are you talking about", But I was right, and those people are now very curious about investing on it so I still like helping them in a way I can. Another I also recall someone who wanted me to explain what bitcoin is, and I thought I could have someone to mentor, unfortunately, he just wanted to get rich fairly quickly, so I'm so disappointed with him that we hadn't talk for a while. LOL. But I'm sure that our early conversation about bitcoin has somewhat help him decided to not look at it that way. Maybe he is already in the market and making money in about a year now.

bitcoin is still foreign in their ears, we must be active to explain bitcoin to them.

their bad perception of bitcoin can be changed, but not easy, because many FUDs are blocking. so that access to make them understand obstructed by FUD.

I often hear bad statements about bitcoin from them, but I just reply with a simple explanation.

And then you pile up their woes by revealing to them that besides investing in Bitcoin that you get paid just for talking about it on a social media site, right?  ;D  ;D And that you are even advertising for the highest paying company too.

Most of the time, it's only because they don't understand bitcoin that they make similar claims.
But bitcoin is our future. Bitcoin is the future international currency.

Some people are saying bitcoin is a scam and they heard it in news, that many people are crying because they lose their money  through investing in bitcoin and I said no, bitcoin not a scam the truth scam is the people that using the name of bitcoin to steal the people's money. Honestly the people who heard a bad news about the bitcoin, are hard to believe on what we explain.

Yeah you got it. If people's who heard a bad news about in bitcoin probably hard to believe on what we explain, but if you have a prove that bitcoin is really legits for investment they will believe in you.

Personally, I don't think the average person who's even on this message board and other Bitcoin related social media even have a firm grasp of Bitcoin and/or related technologies. So it goes without saying that the average person outside the community is going to be pretty much clueless.

You and others have mentioned various ways people react to Bitcoin, but to add something different I'd throw in that at one point back in 2011-2012 and maybe a bit after, people mostly seemed to know Bitcoin as something used to buy illegal things off the 'dark net'.

It's just that because of the happenings in blackmarket, no doubt that the name of bitcoin has been painted with a negative definition because of the use of crpytocurrency as transaction is the black market . Well OP is correct that it is the absence of bitcoin knowledge that makes people perceive a negative meaning of crypto especially bitcoin

I myself was a skeptic of bitcoin and all other cryptocurrencies., I had thoughs of getting scammed or being rubbed in my face but thanks to bitcointalk I have learned a lot from here and infact and starting to earn my free bitcoin/ satoshis and i am so happy about it because it is really true that we can earn from here without investing a big amount of money I just give my perseverance hardwork and a lot of patience!

A lot of people believe what they hear in the news is truth, and that is problem for many things not just Bitcoin. Most of the people are ignorant and doesn't want to think with their heads. For some its easier to live in ignorance, than to make some effort and learn few things before claiming something to be fake or fraud. It has always been like that, and maybe it will always stay like that.

There are great deal of things that makes people believe that bitcoin is worthless, but main problem is ignorance. All we can do is keep sharing what we know with people that are interested, and hopefully that will be enough. Also remember that bitcoin is currency... its not meant only for storing. By spending, you also show other people that its valid way of paying and not some petty scam.

I too was one of those skeptics. When my brother told me about it ariund 2010/2011
I realky thought it was a fad and something for computer geeks and gamers.

Now im a computer geek and into crypto. I have stopped telling people about crypto
because I am tired of defending it against people who are too ignorant of it to realise
the benefits.

I have been told it a "pyramid scheme" and a "bubble" and "that wont last".
I also think that some of the people today who are negative towards crypto will eventually
Turn positive and kick themselves for their negativity.

A lot of FUD have been spread by the media about bitcoin. Since the rise to almost 20K last year, probably they have been pushed to spread the bad or fake news by financial institutions and officials. Exchanges getting hacked is also one of the reasons that give crypto a bad name. As long as people are not into the crypto environment, they have a negative opinion because they only hear the headlines of bad news.
Although, it's a fact that there are too many scams
Maybe more than 90% of the ICO's are just scams.

I once asked some people about bitcoin, and the answer is almost the same: "Bitcoin is a fraud", "Bitcoin is something created by the US to destroy other countries"

While the price of bitcoin is steady or declining, many people are preparing the doomsday scenarios. However, as I have come across many times in the past, those who tell the doomsday scenario ask when the price of Bitcoin starts to rise: Where can I buy it? Now I understand that when people ask me where can I buy or how to buy, it means that my time has come to sell. Because the price is approaching the summit of that period.

Bitcoin is your future. After a few years both Bitcoin and many altcoins will be much higher than what they are now.

Perception is not certain not until you experience it yourself. Well for me I've expected big in bitcoin and it doesn't disappoint me cause it met my perception about it. Bitcoin is a good thing to be involve but always be careful and you will expect that good things will fall into its places. Bitcoin is great for my life.

Here in my neighborhood they don't believe in crypto they told me it was crap and full of promising scam well I told them you could easily gain money if you just hold bitcoin for a certain period of time if your content with the profit you made from where you hold the price, you can easily cash-out the fiat money but they don't believe in bitcoin if fact their more into social system, work and other lifestyle. I guess were not in the same abundant way of living.

The average man on street thinks bitcoins is a quick money scheme where you can be able to make money just by putting your money in like money ponzi scheme available. They fail to know bitcoin is peer to peer medium of exchange. Others also think of it as something scammers and fraudsters are related to .

There are some mention for bitcoin especially in Indonesia. The term cryptocurrency comes with the presence of Bitcoin in Indonesian society. At that time there were media reporters who called it the term "crypto currency" which later developed into several types of mentions namely digital currencies, alternative currencies and virtual currencies (VC).

Most people consider bitcoin as gold to be bought cheaply and sold when prices soar, but they forget that the original purpose of bitcoin production is bitcoin can become a global currency.
It takes a long time for the bitcoin to reach that phase, let alone the whale continues to pump bubbles for bitcoin. It is very difficult for bitcoin to achieve a stable value.

     Bitcoin is a decentralized peer to peer cryptocurrency system that allows online users to transact through digital units called Bitcoin .Bitcoin has created several interest in the people Bitcoin payment is processed through a private network the transactions are recorded in Blockchain that updates and informs all accounts . Bitcoin is mined by a computer or purchases with fiat currency and the Bitcoins are saved in a wallet Bitcoin address is changed with each purchase for safety.One of the great benefits of Bitcoin users have are there is no third party interference.

Perhaps your perception is the same as the perception of someone who knows me.
Last year at the beginning of 2017 bitcoin has a low price many are mocking because I invest bitcoin and many say bitcoin is just a fraud will not make success, but I still run instinct and hope on bitcoin.
But the mocking perception changed when bitcoin prices soared, as they approached me and wanted to learn about bitcoin investments. Basically, people will not believe in new things with a chat, but by proving real or seeing our success they will believe. That's a big mistake we see first the success of others, when our success just follow.

So essentially, don't be influenced by others and succeed yourself so that others have a positive perception of us.

Replacing "old ways" is hard, so maybe bitcoin will never achieve its goal, there is chance for that also.
But you are correct that, as long as people look on bitcoin and use it as an asset, it will continue being bubble.
What we need is more places where we could use our bitcoins, so that other people could see that bitcoin is valid thing, and not some fraud.
Trying to convince someone, who doesn't want to learn is wasting of time. People will learn more about bitcoin and crypto when they decide to, and not when we want to.

If I talk about myself, I had no idea of Bitcoin except that it is something related to exchange of the currencies. After that, I came across a few pages on Instagram and started hearing about different coins like PRG, ETH. I got curious then and found out about the Cryptocurrency.

7 out of 10 people on average have a clear idea about what Bitcoin is. They are not sure of how it works or what is done, but the public knows what it is. There is no bad image of Bitcoin except that everyone feels it is very risky and there can be other ways to invest your money.

Please do not worry about people feeling about bitcoin. People like to see evident before believing in any new technology or ideology. From all indication bitcoin is going to make impact beyond reasonable doubt. Bitcoin will speak for itself.