Types of Bitcoin Users

[Kprawn]

I've used this forum since 2011 and that seems pretty accurate to me. Bitcoin has always been a magnet for radicals and scammers. They see new potential in bitcoin because these types of people think outside the box. The average boring person conforms with current standards never straying very far from the mainstream. Anarchists, radicals, libertarians, scammers, criminals, entrepreneurs, idealists, oddballs or whatever you want to call them exist outside the mainstream and are always searching for something new to further their agenda.

There used to be one other group that seems to have died out some. The something awful/buttcoin/professional troll crowd was at least a quarter of the forums membership at one point. Every other avatar you'd see was a my little pony character. Even the buttcoin foundation site hasn't had a new post since 2015. I see that as a very bad sign. When you aren't important enough to make fun of anymore - you're history.

I have to say, you got it spot on friend... Things have definitely changed and more and more average and normal {if you can call them that} people have entered the scene,

since it's strong Libertarian past. I think this has changed, when the Bitcoin price reached it's $1000+ price and more people started to take it seriously. The radicals and the

scammers are still around, but those people are also participating in the fiat area too. I get the feel that Bitcoin has been commercialized now... everything is about money now. 

[The Sceptical Chymist]

That sounds biased towards the United States.   Based on the users here, I'd say.Asia and Africa are well represented.   But I'd also say they got the age spot on.

[DimensionZ]

The amount of Bitcoin scammers has increased not decreased if you ask me because as Bitcoin grows more popular more poor people will be attracted to it looking to make a quick buck. I am in my late twenties and I am not a libertarian or a computer specialist, I am just an average joe who heard about Bitcoin and jumped on the bandwagon because it was a novel thing and I was curious. Anyhow this survey is very outdated. If it is conducted now based on this forum population I think the results will be very interesting. It is true though that most of the people posting nowadays are motivated by monetary gain due to the sig campaigns.

[maku]

You can't determine with precision who are exactly bitcoin users. There is simply no way to ask everyone who ever used bitcoin.
And if you base your assumptions on some social media feed, or rising trend on the internet you are doing it wrong IMO and only lick tip of an iceberg.

[Jasad]

https://medium.com/@paulennis/types-of-bitcoin-users-7ce1cfb2dbb4#.hz96pax2d

'There are many assumptions about Bitcoin users. Oddballs, fantasists, nerds, criminals, idealists and so on and so on. What are they actually like? Well some of these assumptions are true, but it is never as simple as that.

One of the simplest, but nonetheless effective, means of ascertaining who uses Bitcoin is to analyse Google Trends, as we find in Yelowitz and Wilson (2015). Although an imperfect method, since ‘search query need not imply active participation,’ Yelowitz and Wilson identify four types of broad Bitcoin users: ‘computer programming enthusiasts, speculative investors, Libertarians and criminals’ (2015, p. 1030). This very much fits the “expected” profile of a Bitcoin users and also closely fits the results of a 2013 survey of 1,000 Bitcoin users that ‘The average user is a 32.1 year old libertarian male.’ [Full disclosure, I am a 32 year old male, but not a libertarian as such. I am more a cypherpunk type]. The reasons for the appeal of Bitcoin are...'

so many bitcoin types in this world,but i dont agree with that site,because it mentioning criminals as type of bitcoin user,i think it not should writed,criminal can come from anywhere,not only from bitcoin,but from anything related with money,its can called criminals.

[pbleak]

https://medium.com/@paulennis/types-of-bitcoin-users-7ce1cfb2dbb4#.hz96pax2d

'There are many assumptions about Bitcoin users. Oddballs, fantasists, nerds, criminals, idealists and so on and so on. What are they actually like? Well some of these assumptions are true, but it is never as simple as that.

One of the simplest, but nonetheless effective, means of ascertaining who uses Bitcoin is to analyse Google Trends, as we find in Yelowitz and Wilson (2015). Although an imperfect method, since ‘search query need not imply active participation,’ Yelowitz and Wilson identify four types of broad Bitcoin users: ‘computer programming enthusiasts, speculative investors, Libertarians and criminals’ (2015, p. 1030). This very much fits the “expected” profile of a Bitcoin users and also closely fits the results of a 2013 survey of 1,000 Bitcoin users that ‘The average user is a 32.1 year old libertarian male.’ [Full disclosure, I am a 32 year old male, but not a libertarian as such. I am more a cypherpunk type]. The reasons for the appeal of Bitcoin are...'

so many bitcoin types in this world,but i dont agree with that site,because it mentioning criminals as type of bitcoin user,i think it not should writed,criminal can come from anywhere,not only from bitcoin,but from anything related with money,its can called criminals.

That's an odd logic. There is a well-known criminal element to Bitcoin (drug markets, scammers, hackers). This is hardly a shock. It's an internet thing after all. It does not mean, not does it imply, that there are no criminals in other areas of life. One does not discount the other. It's simply a reflection of one part of Bitcoin...

...that is listed *last.*

[justspare]

Bitcoin users are just smart people. They are none of those people you just listed. Those are just stereotypes of people that don't use Bitcoin.

[Boosterious]

https://medium.com/@paulennis/types-of-bitcoin-users-7ce1cfb2dbb4#.hz96pax2d

'There are many assumptions about Bitcoin users. Oddballs, fantasists, nerds, criminals, idealists and so on and so on. What are they actually like? Well some of these assumptions are true, but it is never as simple as that.

One of the simplest, but nonetheless effective, means of ascertaining who uses Bitcoin is to analyse Google Trends, as we find in Yelowitz and Wilson (2015). Although an imperfect method, since ‘search query need not imply active participation,’ Yelowitz and Wilson identify four types of broad Bitcoin users: ‘computer programming enthusiasts, speculative investors, Libertarians and criminals’ (2015, p. 1030). This very much fits the “expected” profile of a Bitcoin users and also closely fits the results of a 2013 survey of 1,000 Bitcoin users that ‘The average user is a 32.1 year old libertarian male.’ [Full disclosure, I am a 32 year old male, but not a libertarian as such. I am more a cypherpunk type]. The reasons for the appeal of Bitcoin are...'

nice article to share about more specific bitcoin user,and i think i'm just idealists bitcoin user,i know we all need profit and try to hold bitcoin for it,but i dont think its gonna good for me,i just use and spent my bitcoin.

[alyssa85]

I've used this forum since 2011 and that seems pretty accurate to me. Bitcoin has always been a magnet for radicals and scammers. They see new potential in bitcoin because these types of people think outside the box. The average boring person conforms with current standards never straying very far from the mainstream. Anarchists, radicals, libertarians, scammers, criminals, entrepreneurs, idealists, oddballs or whatever you want to call them exist outside the mainstream and are always searching for something new to further their agenda.

There used to be one other group that seems to have died out some. The something awful/buttcoin/professional troll crowd was at least a quarter of the forums membership at one point. Every other avatar you'd see was a my little pony character. Even the buttcoin foundation site hasn't had a new post since 2015. I see that as a very bad sign. When you aren't important enough to make fun of anymore - you're history.

I'd say that back in 2011 the criminals/scammers, plus the computer-programming/crypto enthusiats made up the majority of Bitcoiners. When Cyprus happened in 2013, you got an influx of libertarians. When the price shot to $1000 at the end of 2013, the speculators came in. At the moment I'd say the speculators were the dominant group.

[pbleak]

Bitcoin users are just smart people. They are none of those people you just listed. Those are just stereotypes of people that don't use Bitcoin.

This are the designations provided by the users of this board. They are exactly the people listed.

[betohell]

https://medium.com/@paulennis/types-of-bitcoin-users-7ce1cfb2dbb4#.hz96pax2d

'There are many assumptions about Bitcoin users. Oddballs, fantasists, nerds, criminals, idealists and so on and so on. What are they actually like? Well some of these assumptions are true, but it is never as simple as that.

The survey several years ago. because most hackers or criminals using bitcoin for their illegal activities.
for now I rarely see someone using bitcoin to buy drugs or something

[pbleak]

https://medium.com/@paulennis/types-of-bitcoin-users-7ce1cfb2dbb4#.hz96pax2d

'There are many assumptions about Bitcoin users. Oddballs, fantasists, nerds, criminals, idealists and so on and so on. What are they actually like? Well some of these assumptions are true, but it is never as simple as that.

The survey several years ago. because most hackers or criminals using bitcoin for their illegal activities.
for now I rarely see someone using bitcoin to buy drugs or something

That is listed as the least important, i.e. there are three more important groups listed. The drug markets have actually grown in recent years. There's about 10 of them.

[btvGainer]

This is so not true! I know that many high educated, weel established people are using Bitcoin. Media can publish anything they want without taking any responsibility.

yes i agree with you. bitcoin is used by many educated people. and I believe bitcoin born for their smart thinking. it can not be denied !!

Dont forget even high educated people can be criminal.I think the classification is correct to some extent and will hold true about bitcoin unless it become mainstream.I am also a partial libertarian and since most of us earn and hold bitcoin in a hope that we can sell it when price is high,isn't that makes us speculative traders?

[benmartin613]

https://medium.com/@paulennis/types-of-bitcoin-users-7ce1cfb2dbb4#.hz96pax2d

'There are many assumptions about Bitcoin users. Oddballs, fantasists, nerds, criminals, idealists and so on and so on. What are they actually like? Well some of these assumptions are true, but it is never as simple as that.

The survey several years ago. because most hackers or criminals using bitcoin for their illegal activities.
for now I rarely see someone using bitcoin to buy drugs or something

There are now hiding in the dark web the one thats you will mostly like see are just trolling on buying such items in the internet.

[pbleak]

https://medium.com/@paulennis/types-of-bitcoin-users-7ce1cfb2dbb4#.hz96pax2d

'There are many assumptions about Bitcoin users. Oddballs, fantasists, nerds, criminals, idealists and so on and so on. What are they actually like? Well some of these assumptions are true, but it is never as simple as that.

The survey several years ago. because most hackers or criminals using bitcoin for their illegal activities.
for now I rarely see someone using bitcoin to buy drugs or something

There are now hiding in the dark web the one thats you will mostly like see are just trolling on buying such items in the internet.

They were always on the dark web.

[geopolisch]

the basic types of investors are the same as on any currency market:

- speculators / traders
- investors / savers
- people who use bitcoins for transfers
- people who use bitcoins for payments

Anyone who uses Bitcoin is a Bitcoin Users. And all bitcoins Users are like one family.
We all need to be together to be able to promote our bitcoin.

[senyorito123]

the basic types of investors are the same as on any currency market:

- speculators / traders
- investors / savers
- people who use bitcoins for transfers
- people who use bitcoins for payments

Anyone who uses Bitcoin is a Bitcoin Users. And all bitcoins Users are like one family.
We all need to be together to be able to promote our bitcoin.

I think we should add the Hopers because many of use hopes to earn bitcoin here and now bitcoin globally known for those who doesnt know about programming  many people housewife,no jobs and seeking for side line earnings embrace bitcoins because they see they earn by that.

[ajun96]

https://medium.com/@paulennis/types-of-bitcoin-users-7ce1cfb2dbb4#.hz96pax2d

'There are many assumptions about Bitcoin users. Oddballs, fantasists, nerds, criminals, idealists and so on and so on. What are they actually like? Well some of these assumptions are true, but it is never as simple as that.

Lol I thought it was just a small part The most often I see is someone who does not have a job in real life and try his luck
to get the money in bitcoin:D or someone who has job in rela life but they have very small salary.
so use your bitcoin to job part-time and for extra income

[faridkifly]

can u tell me which type is my type?
i'm looking for bitcoin, then ill convert it to my country currency then buy goods with it. 

[QuestionAuthority]

can u tell me which type is my type?
i'm looking for bitcoin, then ill convert it to my country currency then buy goods with it. 

Like about 80% of this forums membership, you don't really give a shit about Bitcoin, you're a sig campaigner.