If you’ve spent at least a hundred hours studying Bitcoin - how it works on a basic technical level, what money truly is, and where neoclassical economists go wrong - you are buzzing with excitement, right? Yet, when you talk to sceptics and - overexcited as you are - you can’t ignite the same passion for Bitcoin in them as you feel yourself.
Why is that?
My approach is, firstly, to try to understand what perspective on Bitcoin might work on them. I believe everybody will discover Bitcoin (eventually) from a unique angle, which is why I tend to suggest different Bitcoin books to different people.
Here are three perspectives on the importance of Bitcoin I use when talking to Bitcoin sceptics:
#1 Monetary Policy and Inflation
People often dismiss Bitcoin because they don’t see its purpose. You can’t grasp a solution without recognising the problem. At its core, Bitcoin addresses one economic issue, in my view: money printing - or, in less populist terms, inflation and currency devaluation.
Point out the consequences of constantly rising prices in society: the distortion of free markets via the Cantillon effect, the widening gap between rich and poor through asset inflation, and the realisation that inflation isn’t a natural phenomenon but a political choice. Then explain how Bitcoin does the opposite - it’s a finite, predictable system that resists manipulation (see this post for more).
#2 Human Rights and Western Privilege
Mention Bitcoin, most might roll their eyes (even so I feel the tide is turning a bit). People are picturing crypto-bros flaunting cash or get-rich-quickly schemes and scams. For quick payments they've got Apple Pay, PayPal, credit cards and so on - why bother?
Shift their lens. Tell them 1.4 billion people worldwide are unbanked - locked out with no ID, no nearby branch, or a system that ignores them. Women in some places can’t open an account without a man’s nod. Fleeing war? Your savings vanish when accounts freeze or borders rob you blind. Resisting tyranny? Funds dry up the second the state blinks (for more, read Gladstein's book "Check your Financial Privilege" or my take on it here).
Bitcoin changes that. It’s money no gatekeeper can touch - no bank, government, or dictator can stop it. It doesn’t judge your gender, ethnicity, or beliefs. It’s a lifeline for the oppressed. For normies wrapped in Western ease, frame it as a tool that shines brightest for those with nothing else.
#3 Mere Investment and Asymmetrical Upside
Real Bitcoin maximalists ignore price charts, don’t they? Whether you’re an OG hodling since 10 Dollars or you’ve reached a level of conviction where a falling price only confirms the world’s folly, most sceptics won’t scoff at an investment that could make them wealthier. I love Alex Gladstein’s framing of Bitcoin as a Trojan Horse: you come for the “number go up” game, and you stay for the revolution.
Don’t overlook the underlying brilliance of a disruptive technology that thrives even when people don’t believe in it - or understand it - and flourishes still further when they join for selfish reasons.
There’s no certainty about the future - only our evaluation of the facts as they stand today. No one knows if Bitcoin will “win” or “fail” for some reason. Yet, I still believe, given all the underlying factors, that investing in Bitcoin is the best asymmetrical bet of our time. If it fails, you’ve gained invaluable knowledge from studying it and eventually just face the same problems as everyone else. If it succeeds, its value could skyrocket.
People perk up when you say: “Imagine you could have invested in the internet in the 1990s for the fraction of money it is worth today”
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So, when you try to spark interest in Bitcoin, I think tailoring your approach is crucial. Some sceptics need to see the economic rot it aims to fix or the discrimination through money against the majority in the world; others are drawn by the promise of personal gain. All paths lead to the same truth: Bitcoin isn’t just money or an asset — it’s a paradigm shift. Whether sceptics embrace it for survival, justice, or profit, the key is planting the seed. They may not get it today, but as the world evolves, Bitcoin’s relevance will speak for itself. In the meantime, keep learning, keep sharing, and trust that curiosity will catch up.