Society has been taking a lot of things for granted, and arguably this is why we’re here now. The globe is filled with overly-panicked populations, governments are conducting some of the most authoritarian overreach of our lives[1], inflation is rising[2], real interest rates are negative[3] and supply chain problems are rampant[4]. In all of this, too many have taken having nice things for granted.
We all could benefit from verifying the truth of claims, whether they relate to Bitcoin, the claims of technocrats and politicians, or whether the ground beneath us has shifted without us knowing.
Living in Australia was seen as a safe place where “it couldn’t happen here.” Despite the high taxes that afflict the nation, most ignore this given the high quality of living and the fact that taxes are often hidden: via pay-as-you-go income tax[5] (PAYG) and the hidden inflation tax[6]. Australians then proceeded to destroy hard-won freedoms with travel bans, lockdowns, restrictions and vaccine mandates[7]. It’s only now that some Australians are starting to protest and demand their freedoms back in force[8] — almost two years too late, but let’s see if the tide turns in the new year.
So, turning to Bitcoin, what else changed this year in and around Bitcoin?
El Salvador
We saw the first nation state legal tender adoption of bitcoin with El Salvador, though as a community that tolerates no-BS and is truth focused, we should aim to tell a fair and objective story about things happening.
It’s not that Salvadorans will all suddenly become hardened bitcoiners overnight, but rather that we hope the right pre-conditions are being laid down now.
