A Circular Economy and the Four Archetypes of Bitcoiners

Just a few years in the past, I made an unlikely bet: to form a Bitcoin circular economic system in the heart of a fishing village in Brazil’s Northeast. No challenge capitalists, no “crypto,” no empty guarantees. Excellent nodes, satoshis, in‑person training and plenty sidewalk conversations.

That is how Praia Bitcoin Jericoacoara became as soon as born: a radical experiment in monetary sovereignty constructed with launch source instruments and feet in the sand.

In four years at Praia Bitcoin Jericoacoara, we turned a seaside city into a living Bitcoin learn room: We onboarded families, shopkeepers and avenue distributors; taught self‑custody in microscopic groups; establish in legitimate Lightning routes and level‑of‑sale instruments; ran social packages paid in sats; and hosted meetups that made Bitcoin share of each day life.

Residing on the Bitcoin traditional, I began to monitor what is in actual fact going down at the technological edge.

In August 2025, I printed four speedy articles on X. Assorted in web and tone, they converged on the identical test: What role must Bitcoin play, and what role must we play in constructing it? They came in fours:

• a subject report on our work with the Bitcoin Community Monetary institution in Jericoacoara
• a critique of bitcoin maximalism’s tension
• a diplomatic letter engaging Bhutan’s prime minister to deem the satoshi as a unit of legend, and
• a public appeal to protect up Bitcoin a be conscious‑to‑be conscious cash map.

What they fragment is the necessity to align put collectively, theory, and a future‑going thru imaginative and prescient.

Within the first portion, I shared the challenges and lessons from a staunch experiment: constructing a Bitcoin‑primarily based mostly completely circular economic system in Northeast Brazil. Inspired by Bitcoin Coastline in El Salvador, we rooted the Jericoacoara mission in training, inclusion and native infrastructure. We establish in servers, onboarded merchants and neighbors, created social packages and sought institutional recognition as a Community Bitcoin Monetary institution.

We were rejected by the local authorities. Even in the face of the notify’s appropriate and political unpreparedness, we moved forward with conviction. We deem that after Bitcoin is rooted in role, it may possibly presumably presumably perchance also moreover be more than money; it is regularly a instrument for personnel transformation. But authorities struggled to enjoy this, they assuredly denied our quiz to register what would were the most important Bitcoin personnel monetary institution.

Within the second portion, I confronted an ideological tension inner the personnel itself. Maximalist rhetoric, which defends Bitcoin because the absolute top legit mission and treats the leisure of “crypto” as scams, had its historical role. It helped protect the integrity of the ecosystem, exposed frauds and accelerated market maturation. But does it restful serve the contrivance of tall‑scale adoption? Does it serve talk Bitcoin’s value to beginners? I caught myself ignoring associated technological solutions fair due to they were launch air the maximalist bubble.

After revisiting the discussion and reading every retort and quote, my conclusion became as soon as that other projects find yourself serving as funnels, sandboxes or distribution channels that pressure of us toward staunch Bitcoin adoption. Stablecoins, altcoins, memecoins, and centralized cryptocurrencies are transferring toward Bitcoin, bright inflation and even helping to attach the costs of alternative commodities. Perhaps it is time for a brand unusual posture: no longer abandoning concepts, but embracing a Bitcoin that retains the level of interest on the essence whereas final provocative to absorb interaction with a world in constant transformation, with skepticism and an launch concepts; by educating regulators that Bitcoin is the decentralized cryptocurrency and that all other projects are centralized cryptocurrencies.

Within the third portion, I took this imaginative and prescient into the diplomatic enviornment. I wrote an launch letter to Bhutan’s prime minister suggesting that the nation deem adopting the satoshi as its national unit of legend.

The proposal, more symbolic than technical, had a clear contrivance: to imagine how Bitcoin can have interaction with alternative fashion units that attain no longer depend on the IMF or the dollar and that appreciate local culture and sovereignty. The reaction to the letter printed one thing critical: even inner the Bitcoin ecosystem there are ideological lanes: conservatives, centrists and progressives, each looking out out for to account for the protocol thru a clear worldview.

This article is therefore some extent of convergence. It ties collectively those three experiences (real looking, ideological and diplomatic) to imply a unusual watch at what we are in actual fact looking out out for to form. Extra than repeating dogmas, this moment calls for discernment. Extra than talking about freedom, it is time to put collectively it where it is most wished — on the bottom, in our language, in our establishments and in our relationships.

Within the fourth portion, I distilled my launch sign to Bitcoin Core into a very easy level: protect Bitcoin a be conscious‑to‑be conscious cash map, no longer a generic files host.

I argued that loosening default files‑carrying settings invitations bloat, appropriate threat and reputational harm, and asked builders to judge in centuries, no longer delivery cycles. I moreover eminent that recent Core releases, v29 and v30, revisited how important extra files transactions may possibly presumably presumably perchance elevate by default. That lives at the technical edge of the protocol — map defaults, no longer the monetary rules. Bitcoin is money. Admire a banknote you need to presumably presumably well scribble on but no longer reveal to put up a book, transactions can consist of microscopic notes but must never be hijacked for unrelated pronounce.

This context raised a bigger test: What attain we elect Bitcoin to be? The alternate made the fault traces run: varied groups take care of Bitcoin for diverse reasons and settle for loads of commerce‑offs. Within the subsequent piece, I name those lanes and divulge how they fit collectively.

Staring at Bitcoin Knots establish visibility relative to Bitcoin Core, and hearing builders complain about its pull‑quiz route of, reminded me of the First Follower lesson. Knots is largely maintained by a single developer.

Movements attain no longer scale due to a lone chief is lustrous. They scale when early followers establish participation visible and straight forward, lowering social threat and showing others precisely the style to behave.

From through the industry, spending countless hours analyzing geopolitics and future traits, I began to monitor Bitcoiners in four most important categories, with the extremes on either side clearly defined so let’s ruin them down.

The Four Archetypes of Bitcoin

Bitcoin Database, Coordination Builders

Core belief: Bitcoin is a neutral public report. It’ll coordinate of us and map. Money is one noteworthy reveal, no longer the absolute top one.

What they prioritize: Time‑stamps and proofs; public files; identity attestations; unusual media on Bitcoin; social protocols fancy Nostr; constructing most aspects on higher layers so L1 stays steady.

What they web exact: They appeal to builders and unusual users with unusual concepts and on‑ramps. Extra experiments mean more probabilities to rep lasting utility.

Dangers and blind spots: The spotlight can drift some distance from money. Too important nonmonetary files can raze block space and invite controversy. Contemporary systems every so frequently reintroduce trusted middlemen.

Perspective to Lightning: Birth, when it helps apps in actual fact feel immediate. Additionally explore other rails. Set up L1 straight forward.

North Extensive name checks: Precious apps with staunch users; sharp builders; low, respectful footprint on L1.

Frequent examples: Casey Rodarmor and Ordinals; Muneeb Ali and Stacks; Burak and Ark learn; Maxim Orlovsky and RGB; fiatjaf and Nostr; OpenTimestamps. (Show camouflage: here is illustrative, no longer endorsements.)

Tagline: “Bitcoin is a database.”

Bitcoin Central, Market Pragmatists

Core belief: Bitcoin is money and an asset. Trace and liquidity pressure adoption at scale and serve fund security and fashion.

What they prioritize: ETFs and treasuries; compliant on‑ramps and off‑ramps; deep, healthy markets; training for traders and establishments.

What they web exact: Liquidity brings the subsequent wave of users and must pay for builders, mining and training.

Dangers and blind spots: Comfort custody and speedy‑term thinking. Distribution can listen in a pair of tall palms.

Perspective to Lightning: Pragmatic. Expend it when it helps reach more of us.

North Extensive name checks: Market depth and volumes; hashrate security budget; ETF and retail participation.

Frequent examples: Michael Saylor; iShares and Constancy Bitcoin ETFs; market makers; on‑chain analysts. Edge Case: High leverage and over‑reliance on corporate treasuries.

Tagline: “We care about mark.”

Bitcoin Conservatives, Monetary Purists

Core belief: Bitcoin is money. Protect the nasty layer. Shortage, neutrality and self‑custody are nonnegotiable. Set first, then spend (e.g., in a circular economic system).

What they prioritize: Straightforward, steady rules on L1; bustle your individual node; training on keys, UTXOs, and charges; miner and client diversity; very prolonged time horizons.

What they web exact: Certain incentives and steady culture. If money is damaged, every mark in the economic system is terrifying. Fix money first.

Dangers and blind spots: UX and payments can lumber. Newbies may possibly presumably presumably perchance in actual fact feel gatekept. Adoption can leisurely if day to day reveal is disregarded.

Perspective to Lightning: Most frequently skeptical. Choose on‑chain finality and warn about complexity and custodial drift.

North Extensive name checks: Extra coins in self‑custody; healthy node depend; decentralized mining; growing prolonged‑term holder offer.

Frequent examples: Saifedean Ammous; Pierre Rochard; proof‑of‑keys style campaigns; fleshy‑node culture and cool storage. Edge Case: Never sell. Deal with every altcoin as a rip-off.

Tagline: “Bitcoin is digital gold.”

Bitcoin Minimalists: Digital Gold and Digital Cash, Instrument for Social Transformation

Core belief: Bitcoin needs to be digital gold for saving and digital cash for spending, with the smallest imaginable have confidence floor.

What they prioritize: Set on‑chain with final settlement; spend by the utilization of noncustodial Lightning where imaginable; reveal ecash mints fancy Cashu for privateness with straight forward exit to keys; merchant flows that decide to self custody.

What they web exact: Align financial savings and each day reveal without giving up sovereignty.

Dangers and blind spots: Friction and slower distribution; reluctance to adopt UX abstractions; fragmentation across minimal stacks.

Perspective to Lightning: Yes, but strict. Choose noncustodial or minimally trusted setups. Be cautious with tall custodial hubs.

North‑significant person checks: Users who both keep on‑chain and spend by the utilization of non‑custodial L2; easy withdrawals to keys; excessive fee success without custodians.

Tagline: “Buy, spend, change.”

Conclusion

Bitcoin’s culture contains four correct defaults that on a favorite foundation talk past one one other. Builders lengthen the bottom space, market pragmatists divulge day to day utility, monetary purists scale distribution and minimalists protect the nasty.

Collectively. they make a productive tension that retains Bitcoin precious and resilient for staunch of us.

After years of working in a circular economic system and writing publicly about these debates, my watch is understated. Bitcoin is money. Set up the nasty layer straight forward. Set in bitcoin on-chain. Instruct in sats when it serves of us, because it does in a circular economic system. Give a boost to Lightning easiest when the exit to your individual keys stays run and straight forward. I attain no longer serve the “Bitcoin as Database” direction, due to turning Bitcoin into a typical files host distracts from its monetary mission and invitations raze, confusion, and reputational harm.

The plan in which forward is real looking and principled. Choose concepts by whether or no longer they develop self custody, establish payments legitimate without custodians, deepen liquidity that funds security and training and appreciate the limits of the nasty layer. If we protect to that traditional, the lanes can complement one one other and more of us will fragment in the benefits of a free, neutral and credibly decentralized money.

BM Colossal Reads are weekly, in-depth articles on some recent subject associated to Bitcoin and Bitcoiners. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and accomplish no longer necessarily replicate those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine. If you occur to will absorb a submission you watched fits the model, in actual fact feel free to reach out at editor[at]bitcoinmagazine.com.

This post A Round Financial system and the Four Archetypes of Bitcoiners first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Fernando Motolese.