Alex Li

Got to see the 1000 BTC Prius at Tabconf, the first ever car ever purchased with BTC

I’m in China at a 苍蝇馆子(hole in the wall restaurant). The owner is smoking a cig while lecturing his employees. The raw ingredients are on display for you to choose. The patrons throw their trash on the ground and smoke while drinking loudly. The food is delicious and cheap. Vibes are unbeatable

My first meal in Singapore cost $45, the pork soup and intestines at Somg Fa are AWSOME! Singapore has achieved remarkable improvements in living standards, the city is incredible clean and safe, all while being more free than mainland China.

Last 3 taxi drivers I met in Northeast China (东北) all lost their jobs last year, now they drive to make ends meet. Economy down, but life goes on. Deflation means goods are cheaper. Affordable Chinese phones, cars, and products can still make a decent life possible but drivers have to work long 12-14 hour days to make ends meet.

Forgot that in Northeast China food portions are double that of southern China. Ordered 3 dishes (frog, eggplant + potato and some sauerkraut fish) for 2 people and came out weighing 20 pounds more. Not bad for $25

You know you are in working class China when the driver whips out a cig and starts smoking while driving with need for speed skills

Changsha, China is a beautiful city at night. Downside is it’s insanely hot and humid, and making fun of politicians gets you sent to the gulag

My Nanjing taxi driver happily shows me the news about the billionaire Chinese real estate mogul being sentenced to life in prison. He profits 7000 RMB ($1000) a month working 12-15 hour days. He tells me picking up customers at the airport is a 7 hour wait so he does rideshare to get more passengers

Chinese robot delivering takeout to my hotel room, they help handle the high volume of cheap and convenient takeout orders (paid for by low wage delivery workers)

You know you are in China when you get to see Terminator version 0.1 in Shanghai

Had the best day of my life yesterday, Almost got mugged in Jamestown, Ghana. A Muslim goat herder saw me and rescued me via his motorcycle. Ended up getting a free tour and dinner from him, true 12/10 experience. Thank you Hafiz for rescuing me!

You can only experience the highest of highs after the lowest of lows.

Me right now

The European mind cannot comprehend civilians having the same firepower as the police.

Happy 4th of July!

I love the diversity of America. Never knew an AR guy and an AK guy could get along in these divisive times

Last week I was melting in France because the hotel AC barely worked. Meanwhile, back home in America, my AC was faithfully keeping my gun collection cool, dry, and rust free.

The European mind cannot comprehend this.

Luxembourg is so underrated, high diversity, rich, public bathroom and transit is clean and free, just walked around and the Grand Duke of the country was chilling in a chair waving at us. The beauty of capitalism in generating prosperity never ceases to amaze me

The Belgians fenced off the woods where Easy Company dug defensive foxholes in the Battle of the Bulge. Costs 28 euros to get the museum + foxhole combination ticket. Unbelievable greed considering we liberated their country for free in WW2 and gave them so much free aid. https://image.nostr.build/618661f4d1edfe00a5c7cff950e9fba6215327f7d2e8227ec6f3517d17cd5898.jpg https://image.nostr.build/4d2eb80bd60bf0bb80b9aad2b577f3367a699057383e0f8464dea1c19f73f39a.jpg

It’s 34°C (93°F). The hotel AC is set to 19°C (66°F), but the room is still 23°C (73°F). No ice anywhere. The grocery store sells lukewarm beer.

How did Europe conquer the world while living like this?

In America, I run the AC to keep my guns cold and rust-free.

The key to out drinking the Polish is having a 1.5 Liter water bottle and chugging water in between shots. The European mind cannot comprehend drinking so much water so all their alcohol dehydrates them and gives them hangovers whereas I'm completely fine

Europe is awesome because I’m chugging vodka with a bunch of poles in a Belgium town that was liberated by the Americans in WW2 surrounded by Germans, Brits, and the Dutch chugging vodka alongside me

In Belgium they just park on the side of the road, must suck if you are disabled and use a wheelchair on the sidewalk.

Going to Belgian fast food chain Quick for the first time, French fries were invented in Belgium but they charge 1 euro for ketchup with your fries. This country is the king of nickeling and diming wtf. How did this country go from inventing French fries, looting and destroying the Congo to charging a euro for ketchup and taking a shit

Going to Europe in 2026 reminds me of 2007 China, driving a manual car, no drying machines so I dry my clothes in the sun. When in Europe I have to experience life like a European

The Brussels Charleroi Airport in Belgium has the audacity to charge 1 euro to use the bathroom inside the terminal. Bruh my ticket includes all these airport taxes and even the crappiest African airport has free toilets

GOD BLESS AMERICA, NOW LEGAL TO SMOKE WEED AND OWN GUNS 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🦅🦅🦅

Prague is overflowing with history.

I visited the site where Czech resistance fighters assassinated Reinhard Heydrich, the SS leader known as the “Butcher of Prague” and one of the chief architects of the Holocaust. Also visited the Kobylisy Shooting Range, where German forces executed hundreds of Czech patriots and resistance members during the Nazi occupation.

Sarajevo described in one video

The problem with Bitcoin today in one image:

Standing room only crowds to watch a billionaire fiat man talk about Bitcoin.

Empty rooms for the people defending the tools that make Bitcoin actually useful for financial freedom.

#freesamourai

Just used btcpay server to buy a domain on namecheap, magic Internet money is awesome! https://image.nostr.build/3cbc28b213f01a271da2311ebace6b267d1b84fdc4df08ffc7233cc0843244b3.jpg

Don’t miss my talk with

about freedom go up tech!

There’s a zen to long range target shooting that’s hard to describe. Your brain deletes the noise, work emails, deadlines, and trauma all vanish. In the space between heartbeats, there is only your breath and the target.

Practicing anti drone warfare with my Vickers water cooled belt fed machine gun in Arizona

Sometimes you gotta send a few rounds downrange to recharge your freedom batteries 🇺🇸

I picked a great day to go target shooting in the desert, hopefully nothing major is going on in the news right now

I was a bit grumpy because my wife was having fun building a snowman while I was shoveling the driveway, turns out the snowman is the best thing ever!

New 10/22 takedown build

Was cleaning my room and found an old Free Ross flyer, man it’s so good to see that Ross is free now

Can’t stop the signal, so much fun to legally 3d print FOSS silencers

I’m renewing my Federal Firearms License and had to report that I bought 57 guns in the last 3 years. You don’t need a license for guns in America, but getting one gives you extra privileges. I can have guns shipped to my door and can buy guns out of state without background checks.

I legally carry a 9mm handgun. Yet Trump and ICE bootlickers act like any cop can execute me because the First and Second Amendments disappear when their favorite politician is in power.

So many “freedom loving” bitcoiners turned out to be bootlickers defending government thugs murdering Americans for legally exercising their 1st + 2nd amendment rights

More Freedom Go Up grants from

, bullish for bitcoin in 2026!

Happy New Year! Since 1934, the government charged $200 just for permission to make your own silencer. As of 2026, that tax is finally $0. Thanks to technology, a 3D printer can now make one for a few bucks. Just filed the paperwork, can't wait for my first 3D printed project of the new year!

The AI camera surveillance system in China is called Skynet (天网). I only had to pay a fine to Skynet today, no killer robot with machine guns hunting me down

Getting a foot massage. Therapist says my muscles are tense and that I must not go often (no surprise, massages are expensive in the US).

I pay 138 RMB($20)/hour but he only gets 35 RMB ($5). He works 10am–midnight, 365 days a year, zero days off, for 7,000 RMB a month (~$1,000)

Got my first traffic ticket in China, the endless AI cameras are all knowing and all seeing, you can’t dodge them. Was fined 100 RMB (~$14) for crossing a white line from the straight turn lane into the right turn lane. The local government was kind enough to text me about it

Nothing like some miserable Chinese smog to start the day with, winter heating + a power grid that’s still over 50% coal = heavy smog.

A basket of fresh strawberries here in China costs 60 RMB (~$8). Local minimum wage is 21 RMB/hr ($3). That’s ~3 hours of work. In the US, a carton of $5 strawberries is 30 min at minimum wage. Same fruit, vastly different purchasing power.

Xiaomi YU7 SUV: $33k USD base, $45k fully loaded. I tested the full self driving which uses LIDAR + cameras, lane changes, right turns, yielding, zero input from me. ~350-mile range, air suspension, sub-3 second 0–60 on Max version. Built by $4/hr factory labor.

Even in low wage China I cannot escape the scourge of self checkout machines

First time driving in China, I’m in a used $2k Wuling Mini! No airbags, 100 mile range, 65 mph top speed, it’s cheap can’t complain. The new $5k models have airbags and ABS. This top seller is built by workers on ~$3/hr, pulling 12-hour shifts with only 4 days off a month.

Xiaomi used to just be a knockoff android phone manufacturer but now they sell high end electric sedans and SUVs alongside their smartphones

Merry Christmas! I had a great time listening to a govt approved pastor give a govt approved sermon at Jingling Church. Although the sermon was dry, it was awesome to worship in the same venue where Sun Yat Sen’s wife and father in law/revolutionary financier used to worship

Asked my hotel in Shanghai for a razor and they delivered it via robot

The security camera at the Chinese DMV written test center. They have TSA security with a metal detector and wand to check for hidden electronics

At this Chinese clothing store, everything is on sale at 80-95% off but the prices are all 5-20x the normal price, so you just end up having to do non stop math while you shop to calculate the price 😂 I love the honesty it’s way funnier than American fake sales

The irony of the 24-hour registration rule in China: There are a million cameras tracking my every move, but the state still demands I fill out a paper form to tell them where I sleep.Since I'm with relatives in a smaller city I have to go to the Public Security Bureau. If you are in a large city you can register online, or if you are staying a hotel that accepts foreigners they register for you.

China is one of the few places where an International Driving Permit is invalid. Most city folk just take public transit or taxis, but I have a strong itch to roadtrip and drive some Chinese EVs so I’m spending my limited time navigating the Chinese DMV. I’ve survived the California DMV before so I should be fine, wish me luck!

Song Dynasty poet Su Shi criticized imperial policies and the emperor through his poetry. In 1079, officials accused him of “slandering the court” in the infamous Crow Terrace Poetry Trial, leading to exile. Ironically 1,000 years ago China could tolerate dissent better than many governments treat artists and critics today. Was amazing to see his work in person today in Taipei.

https://image.nostr.build/d401019c7874ea84269e774b595efdfefa059dde9a456c284de6fc0bccfff558.jpg https://image.nostr.build/6b06bf9a510649a1435eeb2b891c7d121f4a1eba715fc47a29b37dd21dd8f659.jpg https://image.nostr.build/467526c020a1ae77738001a38bfd565a4c6f931e4cc6b77f54b25737283c1724.jpg https://image.nostr.build/1f364ba879c41dc862171b5034f306bafc178c6b65d4e09d991d317c6cd544fb.jpg

Forgot to do a preflight selfie, just landed in Taipei for btc++, am running around the night market rn https://image.nostr.build/8717ab3cce92fc2ec3ae6868b067951646053bf6ce7173a9d3cdcba72498da69.jpg

Had a blast paragliding Mauritius, landed in a sugarcane field, had to hike back on the highway with cars buzzing by, 10/10 worth it

I'm in Mauritius and getting my classic African rite of passage of playing frogger to cross the road and using locals as human shields to avoid death by crazy cars

My Zurich–Mauritius flight got canceled. I entered Switzerland, went to the rebooking desk, they offered a hotel and a 24-hour delay—no thanks! I rebooked a same-night flight, grabbed my bag, rechecked it, and exited Switzerland after just 1 hour. See you in Mauritius! https://image.nostr.build/44e3f3e0968eb3f32933dbdb835853b4293a5a8d47587b90c4a7d7c494ccef8d.jpg

I have to give it to Swiss engineers, the KYC wifi machine at Zurich airport is way more beautiful than the Chinese or Turkish ones https://image.nostr.build/0908da67584b244c7f3f2aa98b6148733e4a7e7a8c49388faa24e360bae04ef5.jpg

Pre flight selfie before Africa Bitcoin Conference see you in Mauritius! https://image.nostr.build/cc92e38fd20a744b779ab9606c76d608cefafabd252afd555d8d840a7234958a.jpg

Zurich airport requires KYC for wifi AND rations it to four hours. Is wifi some expensive resource that the swiss can't afford??? https://image.nostr.build/2bf13d3db573f558e07576a06059fe6662079b170c58f78ae5da8db0d954b0c7.jpg

One of the greatest feelings in the world is flashing a new Pixel with Graphene OS https://image.nostr.build/4c07ffac4b6f1daf162bf23d3736640dd7d3f597545f01956205a6eacb0b35dd.jpg

Lmao what a joke https://image.nostr.build/bba954f55eedb764a2c8f2f8b9d6e2d573e6b5ec3121be94d12960347e20c088.jpg

Pura Vida https://image.nostr.build/c2a6759ab79ca20859c5108ad58f2a59042a7b36810a6e8de542b3ba017a56ef.jpg

Forgot to take my traditional pre flight selfie, here is a post flight selfie from the Museu do Ipiranga rooftop! https://image.nostr.build/fd2ca71a81516943538e2a4d85ae21983f8755a49c53d16987f25b9ae714d5c9.jpg

Practicing anti drone tactics at the Big Sandy shoot with my Sten MKII SMG https://video.nostr.build/6e2352bf2de69a81ea336bab522bd32899bb3b0a1702101a06b9316fbd940614.mp4

Chinese highways have cameras every couple of minutes that check if you are wearing your seatbelt, texting and driving, or speeding. They text you a ticket immediately if they detect a violation. They also upload your location to a database so they can track where you are. https://video.nostr.build/c65c62e60d23f98ab5ab1ca530826b9d6226be0210c1525c9355d8de796696b0.mp4

I'm in a buttfuck nowhere Chinese city and the city's traffic lights are internet connected and tell your car's navigation system if the light is green, yellow, or red and how long the light is

My greatest battle with my in laws are the AC settings. It's 40C (105F) outside with 75% humidity. They want the AC set to 25C (77F) and I want it set at 18C (65F). I'm currently in a suspended state where everything I do is 0.5x speed because it's too damn hot.

I was the only foreigner on my packed HK - HangZhou flight to mainland China, immigration in the foreigner lane was super fast! 🤣

Losing my brain cells listening to a member of the Trump con man family gonna go hang out with FOSS devs instead

My friend is not impressed with Binance founder CZ https://image.nostr.build/66bbf72c3a78a67e8783860a944aeea13b4c5f837a40841a4a48861d4c9356f7.jpg

Oops almost stumbled into the wrong conference https://image.nostr.build/f70794b9daf8f0a0d7e09f5496c00e40d080c297575ea5bf4bc0061abfe72564.jpg

Looking forward to being at Bitcoin Design Week!

How my brain feels attending the Presidio Bitcoin Quantum Summit learning about all the post quantum cryptography schemes 🤯 https://image.nostr.build/bd57d69988278a1b96fb89efaac77658186c95d63c34017f96d0c531db23feab.jpg

HRF is happy to match this bounty for $1000. Freedom Go Up!

Any questions that I should ask Alex Gleason for our Pubkey event tomorrow at 7pm?

Happy 4th of July! Today we celebrate rebels who used unregistered military grade weapons to overthrow their tyrannical government! Live free or die!

Another US war in the middle east, what could go wrong? https://image.nostr.build/44663a0a662fcfe5fb85bc4a09dd96ec961efb9494a5d8ac10699329d97a76f0.jpg

Happy Juneteenth, the most libertarian holiday of the year!

All my Chinese silver was seized at airport customs, can't take it out of the country. A climactic end to my journey around northeast china. At least they let me ship it to my grandpa's house back in China. If I knew this beforehand I wouldn't have bought hundreds of coins, would have just gotten a couple. Almost missed my flight running through customs to the post office