The simplest, easiest way to explain BITCOIN to a newb

[KingTylerVVS]

"People are just too stupid to use bitcoin right now,” I overheard someone argue at a bar a few weeks ago as we were discussing the potential of cryptocurrency. “Society’s understanding of where money comes from is the real challenge.

This is the whole article I read at cointelegraph

I honestly believe if we completely eliminate fiat and use crypto,
with the people (and not some bank) owning 90% or more of the value,
then society will see a LOT of problems done away with. Any problems that stem from fiat.
Therefore it is our DUTY to get bitcoin adopted by the masses!

However, we all know its hard as hell to explain to some people.
I have taken many different approaches in explaining bitcoin,
and most end up with the person looking at me like I'M somehow the stupid one...

The community doesn't often help either, talking about tech specs, mining, blockchains and cryptography...

But one day it donged on me.... I figured it out,
and this conversation has gotten me a LOT of AHA's and interested replies!
It goes something like this:

"Do you know what paypal or western union is? Well bitcoin is just a brand name for a similar payment network. Except unlike those others, bitcoin is not owned by a corporation - it is owned by the people. Also, if you send 1 million dollars through paypal or western union you get charged 10% or $100,000, and likely the funds are frozen forever, if you send it through bitcoin you only get charged 7¢ and the person you send the funds to gets them the same day."

Give or take a few words if you are in an elevator, and you have someone who now GETS it.
Trust me, I am from Alabama and I had some southern slang country folk
working at Porky's Pride who now want to get a bitcoin wallet setup with me!

Ok folks, please try this the next time you talk to someone who is new to bitcoin.
Let me know how it goes! Cheers all!

P.S. If you also have a good way to explain bitcoin to a dummy please post it in this thread!

[worhiper_-_]

Indeed thats an easier way to set it to someone.
I kinda use this one too and people get more interested in it .
After they get this, i think its the appropriate time to Spam them about all the other features explaining it further in a more detailed way

[KingTylerVVS]

Indeed thats an easier way to set it to someone.
I kinda use this one too and people get more interested in it .
After they get this, i think its the appropriate time to Spam them about all the other features explaining it further in a more detailed way

Great minds think alike!

It has worked on women too, many times. My GF uses bitcoin now and one of her friends...

how we could motivate women to use Bitcoin because I tried several times to explain what it is and how to use Bitcoin ...was very difficult and have not really managed only once ..

[outatime1]

I don't really think we will eliminate fiat because governments are going to want to control the currency although I guess they can create their own cryptocurrencies instead of using paper money. Either way, I think there is a place for bitcoin to be used as a payment method just like paypal or credit cards and it can be a way to store money. Both of these things will bypass the banks and some of the government control.

[European Central Bank]

i sent some to someone once. i explained that they had to write down their seed and once it was gone, it's gone. they went and lost it anyway. most people aren't interested in controlling their own money and ain't competent enough either. if they were we would be living in a utopia. leave 'em to it is my motto.

[btccashacc]

i explained to my friends exactly like you've just mentioned in the op, but the chalenge is they are just too scared or maybe lazy and ignorant to using bitcoin due to the bitcoin is not regulated in my country also they heard from the media that bitcoin is only for criminal purposes,i always advising them that bitcoin is just a currency like others, bitcoin will be used for bad or good purpose it' depends on the holders, untill this day only small of them get in to the bitcoin.

[hermanhs09]

I don't really think we will eliminate fiat because governments are going to want to control the currency although I guess they can create their own cryptocurrencies instead of using paper money. Either way, I think there is a place for bitcoin to be used as a payment method just like paypal or credit cards and it can be a way to store money. Both of these things will bypass the banks and some of the government control.

Eliminating fiat is something that may happen in a very long time,but most probably it will just never happen.
The problem is that countries are tied way too hard to their curriencies,and same the society is.That powerful link may not let to eliminate it.

[KingTylerVVS]

i sent some to someone once. i explained that they had to write down their seed and once it was gone, it's gone. they went and lost it anyway. most people aren't interested in controlling their own money and ain't competent enough either. if they were we would be living in a utopia. leave 'em to it is my motto.

on a positive note, every bitcoin LOST makes everyone elses bitcoins go up in value.
Though its sad to see gold not removed from a sinking ship.

[NyeFe]

What is bitcoin - for newbies?

"Group of school kids holding rare sweets. Each kid shows their group their sweets to prove that she owns it. Each time a new school mate wants to eat a sweet, his friends check whether the rare sweet is fake before they allow her to eat it. If its fake, the group would throw jokes at her for eating a fake sweet."

[akogwapo14]

i feel you bro   im also sharing it to my girl they dont believe at me i try to explain easier and tell them that bitcoin is real money and this time bitcoin is use around the world and now the value of it is around 600$-700$ and theres a lot of way to use and have it but after more i say still they dont believe at me;D

[Xester]

The easiest way to explain bitcoin to a newbie is through hands on. I will give him same faucet and will teach him how to make wallets transfer satoshi and other things.after he is familiar with the transact that's the time I will explain what is bitcoin. It is easy to understand when you can picture out what is it all about. The best way to encourage a person to learn bitcoins is to let him earn some money through bitcoins

[KingTylerVVS]

i feel you bro   im also sharing it to my girl they dont believe at me i try to explain easier and tell them that bitcoin is real money and this time bitcoin is use around the world and now the value of it is around 600$-700$ and theres a lot of way to use and have it but after more i say still they dont believe at me;D

hahaha NOOBs. well my best bet is to read the book green eggs and ham. sam I am had to push green eggs and ham like 12 times before the cat in the hat tried them, after which the cat decided he LOVED green eggs and ham! LOL

Never give up!

[Breakfastchief]

I say for starters, give them a few YouTube videos to watch.  Then one can elaborate on some of the key concepts.

[akogwapo14]

hahaha NOOBs. well my best bet is to read the book green eggs and ham. sam I am had to push green eggs and ham like 12 times before the cat in the hat tried them, after which the cat decided he LOVED green eggs and ham! LOL

Never give up!

try and try until he gets my explanation to him its hard to explain who's nothing really know about it. how i wish she will really understand what im saying someday.

[rphk]

Share him/her with with video's about bitcoin and Also there lot of websites which explains about bitcoins , you can tell it is an digital currency similar like other currency instead of bank account you will have wallet

[shinratensei_]

Share him/her with with video's about bitcoin and Also there lot of websites which explains about bitcoins , you can tell it is an digital currency similar like other currency instead of bank account you will have wallet

Hahahaha.... but I never explain to them about bitcoin if they don't have any intentions to fall into bitcoin. I think if they have any intentions or interested to know about bitcoin. themselves will take a step to getting more information about this and all of this is natural and is not needed an advice.

[Enotche]

I think you can explain:

There is room to which everyone has access. In the room there is outstanding for all surveillance cameras. Every second recording all available online. The room littered with indestructible piggy bank made of transparent plastic. Like all normal piggy banks, they have a hole in a coin. Everyone can see what each of the coins in piggy banks. No one can make this piggy bank out of the room.

Every person has the key to his piggy bank. Let's say I want to buy your pair of socks and you are ready to sell them. First you tell me which of your piggy banks. Then I go into the room wearing a mask, which forgot to remove. People around the world can see me on surveillance cameras, but can not see my face.

Then I open the coin box, I pull out the coins and put them in your piggy bank. I leave the room. Now everyone (who needs it, or do not need to) know that your kitty has coins that have been in my piggy bank. And so with each transaction. Everyone knows the story of any of the coins.

[LoyceV]

"Do you know what paypal or western union is? Well bitcoin is just a brand name for a similar payment network. Except unlike those others, bitcoin is not owned by a corporation - it is owned by the people. Also, if you send 1 million dollars through paypal or western union you get charged 10% or $100,000, and likely the funds are frozen forever, if you send it through bitcoin you only get charged 7¢ and the person you send the funds to gets them the same day."

This is a terrible way to explain Bitcoin! You use irrelevant arguments.
Yes, I know what Western Union is, and no, I've never used it. And even if I did use it, I wouldn't use it to send 1 million dollars! I use Paypal, which - unlike Bitcoin - has no charge for the sending party. And in Paypal too, I don't send 1 million dollars. Even if I would have 1 million dollars and wanted to send it, I wouldn't use either one of these companies for it.

For the 7 cents transaction fee: that's barely enough to get your transaction confirmed nowadays. If I go to blockchain.info now, click the last block, and click the first transasaction, it uses $0.83 fee for a 223 bytes transaction worth a few dollars. That's what you need to pay to get priority from miners.
But even better: if I would like to transfer 1 million euro (I don't live in the USA), I can do it by bank. Without any additional charge (I only pay a few euros fixed fee per month for my account).

I pay in shops with either cash (businesses estimate processing it costs a few cents per transaction) or debit card (which is even cheaper for the business than using cash). I recently ordered dinner online using Bitcoin, and my Priority fee was higher than this.

I tried to explain it recently, when I say: "it's a digital wallet" I get the question "but it has to come from an account".
Maybe the whole approach is wrong! People don't need to understand it to use it. Just like almost nobody understands the concept of "money" in general. People think banks lend out money from savings accounts, and banks want people to keep thinking that.

[Kakmakr]

I usually start out like this, "You know all money are fake right? It is not based on gold anymore and with Fractional reserve banking, it is created out of thin air. You also know, money is already in digital form, right? ..Then I start to explain the digital form of money that are not going through the banking system and which is not governed by anyone, but the people participating in the network.

I am very successful with that, once they get over the fear of digital money. ^smile^

[langedwig]

I say for starters, give them a few YouTube videos to watch.  Then one can elaborate on some of the key concepts.

Exactly, a record can teach a new user almost everything we come across. It would explain the benefits playing few recorded videos. It would describe everything practically.