It is always satisfying when you can give someone new knowledge or leave them with something to think about. I like to think that I have done so through my writings on bitcoin, which many of my friends, family members and general acquaintances had no idea even existed before I spoke to them.
What’s odd is that the currency has been in existence for approximately six years (it was first brought to public attention in 2009 through the creation of the blockchain) and yet so many people don’t know what it is. Recently, Coinbase suffered a phishing attack that saw to several affected users having to be reimbursed, so not only is it not a well-known currency, but it’s also highly vulnerable, and many who are familiar with it place it at a degrading level, associating it with illegal activity, extortion and fraud.
But is this fair? The blockchain has often prided itself on the level of security it offers its users. Just because there are entities out there that prefer to use bitcoin for scams and criminal action does not necessarily make it “bad.” There is no such thing as “bad”. Simply something with “misbegotten priorities”…
The media has also not necessarily helped bitcoin’s reputation. Only a select few publications cover stories that involve bitcoin charities or funding for bitcoin companies, and yet the trial of Ross Ulbricht is being covered by NBC, Wired, and other sources that claim to be much more mainstream… The good is often ignored or given minimal airspace, but the “bad” is granted an open spot at the front of the line.
And I often think to myself that bitcoin would be much more well-known if it was less associated with such things. Obviously items that are popular are well-known, so if bitcoin were truly popular, it would be well-known as well, so I’m asking you as digital currency enthusiasts… Get the word out. Talk to everyone you know that you think might be interested in bitcoin. Show them what it is, and explain the good it can do and the good intentions behind it. It’s our job to keep the sun shining on bitcoin.