From Trader to Sovereign: My 5-Year Journey Down the Bitcoin Rabbit Hole

In the world of regulatory compliance, we are trained to look at the numbers, the frameworks, and the risks. But today, I want to step away from the desk and share something more personal: my own journey into the heart of the Bitcoin ecosystem.

It wasn't a "love at first sight" story. In fact, for a long time, I was looking at the most revolutionary technology of our time through a very narrow lens.

2021: The Investor Mindset

My journey began exactly five years ago, in January 2021. Like many others at the time, I opened an account on Bitvavo (a centralized exchange here in the Netherlands) and started "investing."

Back then, I wasn't a "HODLer." I was a trader. I bought Bitcoin, but I also bought Ethereum, Cardano, and several other assets. My goal was simple: buy low, sell high, and make a profit in Euros. I sold frequently. To me, Bitcoin was just another ticker on a screen—a high-performing asset, but nothing more.

The Turning Point: Education & The Burger

As time went by, the professional in me started getting curious. I began to read deeper, looking past the price charts and into the whitepapers and the philosophy of decentralization. I started to realize that while "crypto" was an industry, Bitcoin was a discovery.

But the real "Orange Pill" moment didn't happen in a book. It happened at a food truck.

In April 2024, I stood in front of a food truck here in the Netherlands and decided to try the Lightning Network for the first time. I opened my Phoenix wallet, scanned a QR code, and paid for a burger.

It was mind-blowing. There was no bank in the middle. No 3-day settlement wait. No high merchant fees. Just a peer-to-peer exchange of value that happened in the blink of an eye. That burger tasted like the future.

A Pragmatic Bitcoiner

Since that day, my perspective has shifted completely. I am now what I call a "pragmatic and realistic Bitcoiner."

I haven’t sold my house or my car to "go all in" like the Bitcoin Family. I still live in the real world, run my consulting firm, Simon Consulting, and manage my academy. But I now see Bitcoin as the ultimate settlement layer for the future of finance.

Last year, attending my first Bitcoin Amsterdam conference solidified this for me. Seeing the sheer scale of innovation—from Nostr and Fedimints to Taproot Assets and Layer 2 sidechains—convinced me that we are only at the beginning of a massive financial transition.

The Journey Continues

I’m still learning. Every day, the ecosystem offers something new, whether it’s a new way to use NWC (Nostr Wallet Connect) or exploring how stablecoins on Lightning can help businesses during this transitional period.

I’m orange-pilled, slowly but certainly. And through this channel, I want to take you along with me as I explore how this technology isn't just an investment—it's a tool for sovereignty, efficiency, and a fairer financial world.

Thanks for joining me on this journey.

If you enjoyed this personal look at my journey, feel free to Zap this post. I’m looking forward to connecting with more of you on the relays!