– Daniel: Thank you all for being here I am with Andreas Antonopoulos
He is an expert in Bitcoin, a speaker speaker, an author and one of the minds most important in Bitcoin and open blockchains and about 80% of the reasons for which I quit my job and got fully into the cryptocurrency space He is an impressive, very inspiring subject and I urge you to support him in his group of Patreon, just as I joined and I remain – Andreas: You are very kind – Daniel: Thank you, Andreas And yes, thanks for joining me in the interview
My channel focuses not so much on trading but more on issues that, much like what you do how to explain what Bitcoin is, why it is important for people and all implications So, I know you have been asked this question multiple times, but I would like to ask you, for our audience: what is Bitcoin? Bitcoin is a payment system and a currency that is truly independent It operates as an Internet protocol That is, it is an open system in the Internet, just like the web or email It does not belong to any company, It is not an organization and is a completely transnational and independent system which is not controlled by any government, nor is it controlled by any bank and that simply offers people the ability to use the Internet to carry out financial transactions from person to person, without the need to involve to any intermediary It is the natural progression of what you would think that would be money on the Internet, and at the same time, it is the first step of a platform that I like to call The Internet of Money
And it is a fascinating technology But it is even more fascinating as a social experiment Now, you mentioned that Bitcoin is a platform that basically allows move money through the Internet without the need for a cental authority or government and so on, but why is that important to the people? Well, for many people in developed countries that doesn't matter much because their Banking systems and payment systems work mostly and are Convenient and easy They have horrible side effects such as loss of privacy and risk democracy by empowering banks and financial institutions, but mostly those risks are very much in the future and they are not so apparent But for the billions of people in the world your ability to trade with anyone who is not physically close or outdoors, your ability to invest or diversify your savings in other currencies your ability to fight corruption within your government or fight corruptions in their banks, or even offering financial services It is extremely limited
So, you have billions of people with Little access to the world of money Even if they are already earning money, they cannot send it To a relative abroad, they cannot open a bank account They do not have enough documentation, literacy, or other prerequisites, and often their governments hold them hostage in a country with a bad coin and no ability to interact with the rest of the world So, just as the Internet opened the borders and allowed people communicate, access knowledge, education and news openly without intermediaries or control, this technology does the same for money and therefore, for trade As an individual, you can live in a country developing and has many problems, but you can take a skill or service or product and sell it around the world using the internet and then You get paid using this mechanism
So it allows the entire world to trade without Borders – Daniel: You mentioned something and it relates to me next question For people in underdeveloped countries and people who you really need Bitcoin, open blockchain and cryptocurrencies, what is the best way for them to start and soak up a little in this world? I think the best way is to win it and not buy it Instead of treating it like an investment, treat it as something you would earn by doing a job Many people have the ability to deliver some service, ability using the Internet for which another Person would pay you
You don't have to be a web designer or programmer to be able to work internationally through the Internet For example, we are currently in South America (Uruguay) obviously there are many people who speak Spanish well, there are a huge number of people who come for medical tourism that need Schedule an appointment with a dentist in Mexico because it is very expensive in the United States And they need a translator Who translates the tooth that hurts? People who need other things translated People who need to learn Spanish and they want to have a conversation with someone else There are any number of things you can do with skills that perhaps in your country are not as unique as speaking Spanish, but in other countries they are They are incredibly useful and using the Internet you can export these skills to places where there is not so much presence and you get paid for those skills
So you don't have to be a technical professional to export your skills and services You just have to be willing to experiment a little and of course, you must have Internet connection, some way to connect and you need some computing device But the beauty is that today billions of people they have some basic access to the Internet, more available than access to Bank System So if all people with Internet access but without access to the banking system they can use this as financial access and independence, the Internet becomes your banking system and I think that is one of the most powerful things about this technology Do you know of some platforms that allow people to offer its services, such as translations that are not necessarily techniques to contact people who hire you for these services? – Andreas: You don't need to use new platforms You can use existing platforms and simply include a message saying: "I also accept Bitcoin And I will give you a 25% discount if you pay me in Bitcoin
" instead of PayPal Many people I work with on the Internet started exactly like that They told me: "Look, the price is $ 100 on PayPal, but it's only $ 75 if you pay me via Bitcoin "And you know that many will not bother Many people will say no, but one of your clients can say yes
And now you have a business Now you are in the economy and you can start trading your Bitcoin services and the next time someone asks: "Do you know of translators that accept Bitcoin?" They will say yes I also started with several of my contractors for services in my business And it gives people the opportunity to interact and become familiar with the system Now, at the beginning you may not find many clients, but you don't need a new platform
You can advertise on the same platforms and just say "I also accept Bitcoin" – Daniel: As Upwork or Fiverr – Andreas: Upwork and Fiverr won't let you do that Because it would violate your services But you can post in hundreds and hundreds of open forums and social networks, etc etc
where you don't have that problem The problem with Upwork and Fiverr and all those is that they will not only force you to use your payment system, but they will take a very large slice in commissions – Daniel: Yes, I see I am trying to think of how to bring together people who want to get into crypto with people around the world, leveraging on the power of the Internet that they are willing to pay people in crypto (currencies) – Andreas: You can also break the rules of Upwork and Fiverr You can find a customer and if they really want to work with you again you can tell them: "Listen, I'm not going to use Upwork anymore, so if you want to stay with me, you'll have You pay me in Bitcoin I mean, it goes against their rules and they can get you out of his platform, but
– Daniel: It's true I am thinking of the average person who would like to sell their services in bitcoin They are probably already accustomed to offer your services on the Internet, and otherwise, then that would be A good first step that serves as a tool to win
– Andreas: Absolutely Remember that we call this digital currency system Peer-to-peer (person to person), and what it means is that you try to connect to a person with another person as closely as you can, without intermediaries Without someone in the middle So, if you will do that with the money you get paid you also need to think about doing it for the platform where you offer your services, for the place where you are looking for your customers As much as possible, you want to connect directly with the people who They will buy your services If you talk to someone from Upwork of Fiverr They will take a large commission from your pay and offer limited services and exploit you as a worker I mean, I use those services too, but I prefer to connect directly with the artists, suppliers, web designers, translators with whom I want to work and create a connection and long-term personal relationship
So I don't think talent is so easy to get How to find another person who can simply do it – Daniel: Right I guess I think of Upwork and Fiverr is because they put a lot of money and effort to build this market where you have both parties and then move on to do it person to person, with all the bitcoin spirit and open blockchains – Andreas: It's very difficult
It is The effort is worth it Even if you don't find many customers at the beginning, let it be known that you are willing to earn your livelihood with Bitcoin And it can take a while until you find someone to buy your services But it is worth the effort
Because you don't have to stop accepting other currencies in the meantime, right? You can do it together and open the door And if you open the door, eventually someone will enter through that door – Daniel: I had a phone call with someone from San Carlos, Costa Rica, who is a taxi driver and contacted me and told me that he had heard of Bitcoin, he found me through from a Bitcoin group and he said: "They told me of an opportunity where I gave $ 200 in Bitcoin, they would give me $ 3000 the following month "And I Well, look, It is a scam Do not do it And he told me: "But look, I'm a taxi driver I work very hard I wake up at 4 am and go to bed at 11pm
I have a wife I was basically unfaithful and now I don't even He lets me see my 4 children And now what I want is to start over Can Bitcoin help me with that? And that broke my heart, I say I know what he is looking for, which is basically a lottery ticket and he saw and believed in all these false promises and what I told him was just "buy and save
" – Andreas: But at the same time, the problem is that if you don't know how to save your cryptocurrencies You are simply going to fall for other types of scams You'll end up with your money in a foreign exchange house where they will be robbed or hacked, or made phishing in your computer account, or they were sending you the bitcoins to a different address, or some kind of scam of that kind This is not for everyone And it is not yet for everyone And it's tragic the story you told me, but the difference is that that would be a tragic story tragic story of $ 200
I would still be in the same tragic story, but would have $ 200 stolen on top of everything else going on adding a negative result, so that is not the answer Bitcoin does not fix everything And I think it is very dangerous to see him as a lottery ticket And if you see it as such, then people who’s looking for people like you, who see it as a lottery ticket, They see you as a target for scams They look for desperate people Because that is his target
Because those are the ones who are going to believe those promises I think that is something very, very dangerous and this is a world full of scams like that – Daniel: And because of that danger, I want and there may not be an easy answer, – Andreas: Yes there is an easy answer Start riding people in your taxi and accept Bitcoin And possibly nobody pays you for weeks, months or maybe a year But then one day someone will ride in your taxi and say "Ohhh! Do you accept Bitcoin? "I'll give you a tip, friend" And you started You started the conversation, education, start using it as a tool of the real economy, not as a lottery ticket
– Daniel: Sure, and I've tried to see how to divert people from all this lottery mentality because, when people think of Bitcoin they also think about the price, the very high profits in money – Andreas: Education, not investment The people who need it, who really need it in this world you don't need it to bet or get rich fast
What they need is a mechanism to protect themselves against scammers who want to steal their money and those scammers are usually ponzi schemes or pyramid schemes, or they can be their own government, applying a 28% tax on bananas and the poor people will end up paying and losing your money As they say, "being poor is very expensive" I have not been poor in a long time But I have not been in good situations in the past, and Life keeps hitting you and it feels like you can never leave where are you from and unfortunately that is the kind of people that They are exploited And I think it is dangerous to promote Bitcoin from that perspective
If people ask you: should I invest in Bitcoin? The only fact that that they are asking you that question means they still don't understand enough to Do it safely So the answer is always: "No" "Should I invest in Bitcoin?" If you ask me, no If you already knew the answer to that question Then you're ready But if you can't decide for yourself if you are ready to invest or if you should do something different or if you should do a business, that means you still have a lot to educate yourself about what money is, how it works, what skills you can offer in the market, how to marketplace, how to protect your money, how to avoid scams, How to recognize scams
So no Do not invest Start reading Invest time, not money – Daniel: That's a good one Andreas
Yes, and fortunately, if you invest time In education nobody can steal it from you – Daniel: Very true, it always stays Andreas: But it's not the easy answer The easy answer is: "Yes, $ 200 will be transformed into $ 3000" And if that were true, no one would be poor anymore
And many times, nobody will believe you if you tell them it is a scam They will say: "But my cousin who got in 3 months ago made good money" And yes, this is how the pyramids work The people who enter He makes money early, while 90% of people have losses Unfortunately, sometimes that learning only happens after losing money
No matter how many people tell you that it is a scam Greed prevents you from learning that lesson Until you lose money and then you say "oh, it was a scam!" – Daniel: You are already emotionally involved – Andreas: You wanted to succeed And that is exactly what scammers are looking for It is a very interesting space
I think it is a very important financial technology but it should be treated initially as a technology and its approach should be Education, don't get rich If you start with the wrong foot, You will fall into this space – Daniel: Yes, as many of us have fallen Andreas, thank you very much for this It has been very enriching
And yes, I hope to see each other at other conferences and MeetUps – Andreas: I would be delighted Thank you Goodbye!
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