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Curated knowledge, insights, and wisdom

by Rob O'Keefe

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Rob O'Keefe
Rob O'Keefe

What is Bitcoin in plain terms?

Bitcoin is online money, like ApplePay or Venmo. The difference is that in those systems, many companies see your transaction, take a fee, and in some cases might block your transaction. With Bitcoin you can pay someone directly, person to person. This is called “decentralized” and basically means no more middlemen!

So that’s the basic premise, but there’s more. The way this system was constructed, it holds spending power over time really well — like some people use gold in the same way. This limited supply is called “scarcity”. While the US Dollar has been amazing for decades, the system has been eroding before our eyes. From the 2008 Financial Crisis to the 2020 COVID economic response to insiders (mainly big banks) taking advantage of the system, the Fed and Treasury have been expanding the money supply massively…. much, much faster than in the past 40 years that our

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Rob O'Keefe
Rob O'Keefe

If you could explain Bitcoin to Einstein, what would you say?

Einstein was smart, inquisitive, and deeply philosophical so he would quickly understand the long-term implications of Bitcoin on economics, society, and culture.  To Einstein, I would say:

Money is a thread that weaves through society, providing a way for one human to give value to another value. Whether expressed as rare elements, spices, beads, or gold, humans find a commonly accepted thing to use for value exchange and storing value into the future. For thousands of years, money systems worked when the supply was limited but fell apart when the underlying asset was quickly inflated (there are many examples of this throughout history).  With a hard monetary asset, people are incentivized to save for the future as they will have more spending power. With an asset that loses value, they are incentivized to spend today as they will have less spending power in the future. This in part has given

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Rob O'Keefe
Rob O'Keefe

Should I diversify into other "Crypto Currencies"?

No. There is only one Bitcoin, the blockchain based token that has been collectively agreed upon to be money, i.e., a store of value. Other "crypto currencies" do not have open distribution (in other words they gave insiders early access) and often are marketing pump and dumps designed specifically to trap investors. The only consideration should be short term liquidity needs (say over 1-3 years) which could be impacted by Bitcoin volatility. As you learn more about Bitcoin you become more comfortable investing more personal and family wealth in it.

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Rob O'Keefe
Rob O'Keefe

How Bitcoin Changes Your Thinking

Bitcoin's decentralization and fixed supply provide an alternative to traditional fiat currencies, which are subject to inflation and centralized control. By offering a store of value that is not subject to inflation, Bitcoin encourages people to develop a longer-term perspective on their finances and invest for the future. This may also encourage people to take a deeper interest in their health, freedom, and spirituality, as they are not solely focused on immediate consumption.

Furthermore, the diverse community of Bitcoiners, with their varying lenses and interests, creates a rich and dynamic ecosystem that encourages the exploration of different perspectives and ideas. This can lead to the development of new solutions and innovations that have the potential to benefit society as a whole.

Here are some ways Bitcoin changes people's outlook on life, relationships, and community:

  1. Financial freedom: Bitcoin provides an alternative to traditional centralized monetary systems that are prone to inflation
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