My difficult transition to the bitcoin standard (almost)

[Ar1111]

Starting last year, my life started to change a lot as I was living in the country that started the war in Ukraine. But my post is not about politics.
Most of our citizens faced reality when bank accounts started to be restricted, cash withdrawal limits were set, and the country was disconnected from using VISA and MasterCard outside the country. People began to realize that they did not own or control their hard-earned money, nor could they dispose of it as they saw fit.
To my personal luck, I had some sats in my wallet for a long time and it helped me a lot until I was able to withdraw the balance from my bank accounts.
Then another disaster happened, I lost my job and my only source of income and I had to move to another country where I have been for a year and where bitcoin is not restricted by repressive laws, which helped me a lot. In the new country I didn't even try to get bank accounts. Trust has been lost definitively and irrevocably.
At the moment I use either cash or sats. It's hard, it's uncomfortable and unfamiliar, but I feel this taste of complete freedom and the realization that right now I truly own everything I've earned and no one can take it away.
When you live in a peaceful country and occasionally use sats for payments, it's not the same experience as when you just have no other option but to start using bitcoin to survive. It changes the perception and attitude towards hard money and fiat a lot.
My journey continues, I still have to use fiat as not everyone wants to mess with bitcoin, but I'm working on explaining and teaching people and showing them the bright side.
Peace, everyone.

this post was actually posted in   https://stacker.news/items/260858/r/02b7622c79

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[SamReomo]

It means you were living in Russia? Because Russia started the war in Ukraine and as a result the Visa and Mastercard payments were blocked in that country. Let's leave that at a side because I'm also not interested in politics and if we talk more about that matter then that will be part of politics.

You were lucky that you had some Bitcoin in your wallet which helped you in those times and it would be great to hear from you that how your converted your Bitcoin into cash during those times. You were fortunate that you moved to a country where Bitcoin was completely allowed and accepted and I believe that such countries are best for the ones who want to use Bitcoin as a method of payment.

Your story is quite inspiring as you have left the banking system and adopted Bitcoin for your daily needs. It would be amazing to know from you that how you're getting Bitcoin because without fiat or without doing any kind of job it's not possible to acquire Bitcoin unless you're mining it yourself. I hope that you aren't using any kind of banking services to purchase new Bitcoin for you because as you said that you really dislike the banking sector. It would be great to hear from you.

[pooya87]

VISA and MasterCard outside the country.

When you trust centralization, you should also accept the disadvantages. When you trust foreign centralization you should also accept the additional risk involved with that.

Similarly there are disadvantages with decentralized money too which you should accept before going full bitcoin.

In the new country I didn't even try to get bank accounts.

Just a word of warning: many governments don't look kindly on people who intentionally avoid their surveillance like this. When you refuse to create a bank account, that means the government of this new country you live in as an immigrant or a foreigner can not monitor your every financial activity which they will see as a threat.
Specially if this new country is in Europe. You may end up being charged with all kinds of crazy nonsense from something "simple" as tax evasion to more serious things like money laundering to financing terrorism. All because they can't have their hands in your pocket and have 100% surveillance.

[Alpha Marine]

I was listening to a Bitcoin podcast a couple of weeks ago and they said something like "If you're in a country where human right is respected to a certain degree, you won't fully grasp how vital Bitcoin has been to people living in a bad situation in other countries." They used Palestine as an example and how the government of Israel controls and regulates the way they spend money and what they spend money on.

As someone who has seen his government use banks to fight its opposition, this is something I can relate to.
A few years ago, people spoke up about the injustice and inhumane treatment people in the country received. The government fought them in different ways but the one that was very interesting to me was how they used the banking system to quench these people.
Aside from declaring these people "enemies of the state", they froze all their bank accounts, and their cards, and even went as far as freezing the accounts of some of their loved ones just so they couldn't get help.
I knew one of such people, I wasn't close to him but I knew him enough to know what he going through.

When I see governments fighting against Bitcoin, it doesn't surprise me, but it just goes on to prove the point that the government is a corrupt institution. Such governments have their foot on the neck of it's citizens and Bitcoin might be a way to lose that grip a bit.

[Hamza2424]

Just a word of warning: many governments don't look kindly on people who intentionally avoid their surveillance like this. When you refuse to create a bank account, that means the government of this new country you live in as an immigrant or a foreigner can not monitor your every financial activity which they will see as a threat.

Hmm, that really a big concern as every government demands loyalty while you are preffring more privacy and freedom they can consider you as a Rebel / Opposition against the state, I know that is quite rare still the threat does exist. They consider any sort of off-the-record transaction as Black and FATF pressurise most of the government to take strong actions against such people.

As OP wants to stick to the topic rather than move in another direction, I will consider in OP's story he is very lucky in most aspects, and exploring this freedom feels great. I would like to say your own custody worth and if you are compromising your custody on finance it can lead to serious losses in hard times.

TBH a few hours ago my friend was asking about the current circumstances within the country as someone fed wrong information that Banks may freeze their account balance in the coming days, as chances do exist but according to me currently the situation of the economy is not that bad, still I would guide him about self custody option and BTC with DYOR strategy as well.

[348Judah]

I still have to use fiat as not everyone wants to mess with bitcoin, but I'm working on explaining and teaching people and showing them the bright side.

You have made a right decision in seing other's are well equipped also with bitcoin knowledge, this is one of the best means of encouraging for more adoption of bitcoin when we first considers what we can do from our own personal efforts, teaching bitcoin comes with it own challenges but when we are determined at seing others having the same knowledge we had and sharing same benefits of what bitcoin gives, it will be our utmost joy because they are also participating in same opportunity, bitcoin was intended for everyone's financial freedom.

[ZAINmalik75]

At the moment I use either cash or sats. It's hard, it's uncomfortable and unfamiliar, but I feel this taste of complete freedom and the realization that right now I truly own everything I've earned and no one can take it away.
When you live in a peaceful country and occasionally use sats for payments, it's not the same experience as when you just have no other option but to start using bitcoin to survive. It changes the perception and attitude towards hard money and fiat a lot.
My journey continues, I still have to use fiat as not everyone wants to mess with bitcoin, but I'm working on explaining and teaching people and showing them the bright side.
Peace, everyone.

I am glad you found your peace in the financial realm because many people who are affected due to the war and jobs issue are still finding it hard to make peace. Well, It must be very exciting to pay with Sat or use crypto debit cards like technologies which are only available to use in places where it is not prohibited. But unfortunately in my country crypto is totally banned so I can not experience such technologies. Even the Hardware wallets are not easy to buy.

Well, you mentioned in the last that, this post is from stackers, I mean did you write it there, or just copy someone's post from stackers and post it here, Because if that's the case then it should be stopped now and you should not practice such things from now on. Because this is BTT and that is stackers, two different things two different ideologies.

Overall, I am happy that you found your way out and you should help other people too, facing the problems that you have faced. BTC has changed the lives of many, even though I am earning in BTC and it has changed my life a lot.

[albert0bsd]

@OP are you just copy/paste those articles? 

[JunaidAzizi]

My journey continues, I still have to use fiat as not everyone wants to mess with bitcoin,

This is the disadvantage of the hard money or the bank system. Banks are the centralized system that always hold or grab your assets in such a condition and restrict you. This is why Satoshi created Bitcoin a decentralized system that always gives you financial freedom. I am very glad to see that you found a path to come out of this trap by adopting Bitcoin. Bitcoin is not only a financial system but a good investment source that will give you benefits from the rest. Think if you do have not a sata and also no job then what will you do for survival and who knows how long this war will take? It would be great if you would recommend Bitcoin to other persons in that country and convince them that Bitcoin is trustworthy and help you in the financial system I hope they will understand and come out from that system.

[Zlantann]

My journey continues, I still have to use fiat as not everyone wants to mess with bitcoin, but I'm working on explaining and teaching people and showing them the bright side.
Peace, everyone.

this post was actually posted in   https://stacker.news/items/260858/r/02b7622c79

Bitcoin serves as a currency and investment.  Most people use Bitcoin mainly as an investment because of the financial gains. Only a few people have experienced the financial freedom that decentralization offers. OP was able to access money even when a nation had placed some financial restrictions. The central and commercial banks couldn't stop him from accessing his funds. This is a typical example of the possibilities that Bitcoin can create. I also remembered that Ukraine received donations globally through Bitcoin. These donations were unique because the war paralyzed banking activities at the onset. If the nation has no law against Bitcoin education, you can spread awareness. But ensure you do your research to pass the right Bitcoin information.