Why is Bitcoin hard for people to understand?

[Pandorak]

I've noticed that very few people truly understand Bitcoin or see what I see in it. I've always wondered why it's so hard for people to grasp the essence of Bitcoin.

This is understandable, considering that Bitcoin is not just digital money, but also involves the concepts of technology (blockchain), economics (inflation), and a philosophy of financial freedom. People are accustomed to traditional financial systems, so it is natural that the concept of decentralized money feels unfamiliar. Actually, it is not difficult, it's just that they don't have the desire to learn about it, even though it is actually very simple and doesn't take long to understand. All it takes is the desire and internet access to find out everything, because everything is already there.

If we look at the past, like the internet in the early 1990s, people thought it was complicated, and many didn't believe that everyone would eventually be able to use it for online shopping. Even now, there are quite a few people who use the internet to earn extra income, and the benefits are extraordinary for those who realize its potential.

Currently, Bitcoin is following the same pattern, slow to be understood at first, but as education, real-world experience, and global adoption increase, more and more people are beginning to grasp its essence and benefits.

[haeyove]

Can people who don’t understand the technical side really use Bitcoin safely?

[Marykeller]

What's hard for someone to understand about Bitcoin? Is it to buy Bitcoin for the long term and store the seed phrase of your crypto wallet in a safe place?

I take it that anyone who says Bitcoin is hard for them doesn't know what they are saying. They lack the basic understanding of Bitcoin, nobody has taught them about it, which is why they feel it is hard to understand.

[HajiBagi]

I've noticed that very few people truly understand Bitcoin or see what I see in it. I've always wondered why it's so hard for people to grasp the essence of Bitcoin.
Yesterday, I came across a really good video that explains why it's so difficult for people to understand Bitcoin.

It's simply too big of a paradigm shift.I recommend watching the first 20 minutes  they do an amazing job explaining why most people don’t really see or understand Bitcoin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6ZHRci4Kbw

People understand bitcoin, but they are not interested in buying it. This is because some people still believe that bitcoin is a scam and that if they invest in bitcoin, they will lose their money. Did you know that when it comes to money, people find it difficult to understand? I've seen many people that understand bitcoin and how it works but are afraid of losing their money in the process.

Another reason why some people are not interested in bitcoin is that it is a long-term investment. Some people do not like anything that involves long-term investment, they prefer to do something else to make a quick profit. People understand bitcoin, but they did not its nature.

[1ing]

I've noticed that very few people truly understand Bitcoin or see what I see in it. I've always wondered why it's so hard for people to grasp the essence of Bitcoin.
Yesterday, I came across a really good video that explains why it's so difficult for people to understand Bitcoin.

It's simply too big of a paradigm shift.I recommend watching the first 20 minutes  they do an amazing job explaining why most people don’t really see or understand Bitcoin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6ZHRci4Kbw

In my experience, a lot of people are scared to get into crypto as a whole.

I think the issue is that people don't want to understand it because they think it's risky and or a scam.

Even after being involved for nearly a decade I still don't truly understand it lol

[lovesmayfamilis]

A simple and very telling example. Immediately after the OP created the thread, a newbie created this thread in the same section (after the report, it was moved to the newbies section).
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5559377.msg65816107#msg65816107
The question immediately arises: Did this person read the thread they were directly asking the forum about? No. They simply created the question without reading a single thread right in front of them.

The same can be said in general about those who can't understand Bitcoin. Rather, the word "can't" would be more accurately changed to "won't want to." There's a saying, "It's not the gods who burn the pots," so if people have the desire, they will find every way to explore the area that interests them. If there are only words, without action, then words will always remain just words.

[SOKO-DEKE]

The reason why someone finds it so hard to believe in Bitcoin is all because they never give their time to study the reason why Bitcoin was created. If they had the knowledge about Bitcoin, a lot more people would have adopted it. Even before I adopted Bitcoin, I think it had already been in existence for about 11 years. The reason I didn’t adopt it earlier was because I never took the time to even research it  despite knowing that Bitcoin had been around since 2014.

Now, as awareness is spreading, people are starting to give their time, do their own research, and see the value for themselves. That is the reason why the rate of Bitcoin adoption is increasing over time. This is how people will continue to believe in Bitcoin  it will be a gradual process.also, not everyone has knowledge about computers, and that is another major reason why adoption is more common among the younger generation.

[xiamin]

I've noticed that very few people truly understand Bitcoin or see what I see in it. I've always wondered why it's so hard for people to grasp the essence of Bitcoin.
Yesterday, I came across a really good video that explains why it's so difficult for people to understand Bitcoin.

It's simply too big of a paradigm shift.I recommend watching the first 20 minutes  they do an amazing job explaining why most people don’t really see or understand Bitcoin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6ZHRci4Kbw

The video is very important and informative. It has been explained nicely to learn Bitcoin. I have only watched it for a short time. Practical learning is more effective than listening to Bitcoin explanations and understanding it. I started investing after having a little knowledge about Bitcoin. To understand its price fluctuations and market conditions, you need to have this digital gold, otherwise you will not be able to understand anything about it. Watching videos and reading books gives you basic knowledge about this asset but a huge wealth of knowledge is waiting to be applied.

[adaseb]

I am pretty good with computers and technology and I also found it was very difficult to understand and grasp. At first I was confused how mining worked. Why were we wasting hash power? It needed to solve something. I figured all those miners were some viruses and I moved on.

But it kept gaining popularity and I read more into it and found it interested and finally decided to invest some money into it. But it didnt end there. There was issues with safe guarding your coins because there is way too much theft out there. So I had to learn about cold storage and such. This is not very easy for the common joe to learn, even if they are good using apps.

This is why the ETFS are good because anyone can invest in Bitcoin and other cryptos and not worry about the technical stuff.

[Fiatless]

In my experience, a lot of people are scared to get into crypto as a whole.

I think the issue is that people don't want to understand it because they think it's risky and or a scam.

Even after being involved for nearly a decade I still don't truly understand it lol

Some people have been scammed by promoters of shitcoins who promise them quick, high returns. You don't need to know everything about Bitcoin to use it. The coin has different broad sectors that might be complicated to learn all. I focus on Bitcoin as a currency and investment, while aspects like mining and other technical elements are beyond my understanding.  

[amihada]

In my opinion, the most plausible reason is that Bitcoin does not have a physical form like fiat currencies issued by central banks, this can be confusing for those who are used to conventional money. Another case that makes it difficult for some people to understand Bitcoin is that the spread of information about Bitcoin is often not always accurate, making it difficult for them to get a clear understanding.

Initially it seems difficult to understand Bitcoin which is supported by very complex technology, the relatively new blockchain technology makes it difficult for people to understand Bitcoin especially those who are not familiar with the concepts of cryptography, decentralization, and P2P networks. The concept of decentralization can also confuse those who are already very familiar with the traditional financial system, in addition to the unique terminology that Bitcoin has, such as blockchain, wallet, hash and mining, which are not very familiar to them, making some people reluctant to learn Bitcoin because they think it is too complicated.

In fact, if they are willing to learn from trusted sources or get information from the community, such as joining forums that are always actively discussing Bitcoin, such as Bitcointalk, they can slowly increase their understanding. It takes time and patience to understand Bitcoin as a whole and don't give up easily in learning it.

[DiMarxist]

I am pretty good with computers and technology and I also found it was very difficult to understand and grasp. At first I was confused how mining worked. Why were we wasting hash power? It needed to solve something. I figured all those miners were some viruses and I moved on.

But it kept gaining popularity and I read more into it and found it interested and finally decided to invest some money into it. But it didnt end there. There was issues with safe guarding your coins because there is way too much theft out there. So I had to learn about cold storage and such. This is not very easy for the common joe to learn, even if they are good using apps.

This is why the ETFS are good because anyone can invest in Bitcoin and other cryptos and not worry about the technical stuff.

You are actually right,  today so many people fall victim to scams because they have been promised so many unrealistic returns, especially from so many online link's with fake testimonies, and alerts.The truth is, genuine investment like with Bitcoin takes a lot of time, patience, and understand before one can start earning form it.
You don’t need to be an expert in every technical aspect to benefit from Bitcoin. Just focusing on its use it and the do and don't of it, is already a good approach.

[ndutndut]

What's hard for someone to understand about Bitcoin? Is it to buy Bitcoin for the long term and store the seed phrase of your crypto wallet in a safe place?

I take it that anyone who says Bitcoin is hard for them doesn't know what they are saying. They lack the basic understanding of Bitcoin, nobody has taught them about it, which is why they feel it is hard to understand.

That's right. Those who don't understand or struggle to understand Bitcoin are primarily due to a lack of willingness to learn about it seriously. Bitcoin isn't difficult to understand if you're truly serious about it. On the other hand, they view Bitcoin as an asset that's easily manipulated. Perhaps this mindset keeps them from learning about Bitcoin properly, or in other words, from no one to educate them.

Because if they learn properly I don't think Bitcoin is difficult to understand especially if it's just to learn how to invest and store Bitcoin properly. Furthermore, we live in a digital age where information is easily accessible, especially now with the advent of AI Chat.

[tabas]

Can people who don’t understand the technical side really use Bitcoin safely?

They can, the terms and reminders are told in easier ways without having them to extract what the jargon words. But I think each person who's interested to hold bitcoin for long term has to understand the basics of it. Like what you've said, how to have bitcoin safely and hold it with their own wallets. So, understanding how to make wallets could be sort of technical stuff and how to keep the recovery phrases. However, everything can be learned if people will have to take time in learning and understanding the most basic ones like owning a wallet and keeping their seeds.

[1ing]

In my experience, a lot of people are scared to get into crypto as a whole.

I think the issue is that people don't want to understand it because they think it's risky and or a scam.

Even after being involved for nearly a decade I still don't truly understand it lol

Some people have been scammed by promoters of shitcoins who promise them quick, high returns. You don't need to know everything about Bitcoin to use it. The coin has different broad sectors that might be complicated to learn all. I focus on Bitcoin as a currency and investment, while aspects like mining and other technical elements are beyond my understanding.  

That's the way I see it too, just currency.  It's sad that the community attracts so many scammers.

I'll leave mining to the experts

[ChiBitCTy]

Why? A very simple reason.  People by in large are inherently lazy as fuck , which is what leads to most of the issues within out societies.

I posted this a couple days ago, hopoing that at least a few people with read it and by in doing so I might be able to send them down a better path.  Most people find it hard to understand because they simply don't yet even have the capability to understand the banking system, how it came to be, how the federal reserve came to be ect.  Maybe if people spent more time educating themself that trying to chase get rich schemes, thing would be different.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5559031.0

[AmaGold70]

I've noticed that very few people truly understand Bitcoin or see what I see in it. I've always wondered why it's so hard for people to grasp the essence of Bitcoin.
Yesterday, I came across a really good video that explains why it's so difficult for people to understand Bitcoin.

It's simply too big of a paradigm shift.I recommend watching the first 20 minutes  they do an amazing job explaining why most people don’t really see or understand Bitcoin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6ZHRci4Kbw

I think people find it hard to understand Bitcoin because it is unstable and very hard to predict what is going to happen in the next minute, and people are so use to Fiat currency that they fail to understand that a decentralized currency like Bitcoin is the new Gold. People understand and trust what they can see and Bitcoin is like an invisible currency that can't be seen or touched like Fiat and honestly it took me a while to truly understand its worth regardless of the volatility nature, Bitcoin has been around for a very long time now and it is gradually becoming a global asset but it still needs time to be understood as a currency.

[Pablo-wood]

Rather than watching any video, I recommend something to read as I believe reading texts is more helpful and also more comfortable for learning.
Bitcoin explained.

If you want more after learning from that, you can start with
Bitcoin information and resources.
Learn me a Bitcoin for beginners.

Everyone has their preference. Some persons are more comfortable learning through videos and chats while others see videos as distractions so they opt for written articles but the goal still remains the same which is getting the right information.

But guess what we are slowly entering another era where people will just live their lifes on prompts. I mean the will see learning as stress since AI can provide them with any information they wish to get. This will produce more ignorant and adamant folks who will be skeptical about bitcoin investment

[peter0425]

I've noticed that very few people truly understand Bitcoin or see what I see in it. I've always wondered why it's so hard for people to grasp the essence of Bitcoin.
Yesterday, I came across a really good video that explains why it's so difficult for people to understand Bitcoin.

Why people find it hard to understand is either because they actually lack interest or just lazy. The truth is that some may have a bit of an advantage if they are already knowledgeable about technology and such but anyone interested or eager can easily study and understand bitcoin in my opinion. All the resources are available online and it can be learned definitely.

[KingsDen]

Can people who don’t understand the technical side really use Bitcoin safely?

They can, the terms and reminders are told in easier ways without having them to extract what the jargon words. But I think each person who's interested to hold bitcoin for long term has to understand the basics of it. Like what you've said, how to have bitcoin safely and hold it with their own wallets. So, understanding how to make wallets could be sort of technical stuff and how to keep the recovery phrases. However, everything can be learned if people will have to take time in learning and understanding the most basic ones like owning a wallet and keeping their seeds.

When a person wants to scare others away from bitcoin, they face them with the technical aspect of it first. But that is not just needed. A basic understanding of bitcoin (how to send and receive bitcoin, how to safely keep seed phrase, how to use exchanges), is okay for a start. And if started, forums like this will keep the person going and increasing their knowledge.
Op, the video is interesting thing. In the paradigm shift example, I saw duck but I was surprised many saw rabbit.