• From a Hand-Drawn QR to Hardware Ethics
  • On Tuesday, 17 March, the usual noise of a family gathering was interrupted by a moment of genuine curiosity. Amidst the conversation, I had the opportunity to show one of the diners how to create Quick Response codes (QR) using an unconventional method: graphics designed by me on paper, marking each point with manual dedication.
    • It was not an automated process; it required finding the necessary concentration, turning on and configuring the device with precision to achieve a correct generation of the QR (those who know about this know what I mean: the intention behind the code). The tangible result was the creation of a “unique key for a Bitcoin wallet”. A gift, yes, but above all, a demonstration of sovereignty.
    • The Paradox of Fiat Money
    • The Invisible Chains of the System
    • The Ethics Behind the Hardware: Consciousness in the Ecosystem
    • A Call to Construction

§From a Hand-Drawn QR to Hardware Ethics

By Omar-VgWs

§On Tuesday, 17 March, the usual noise of a family gathering was interrupted by a moment of genuine curiosity. Amidst the conversation, I had the opportunity to show one of the diners how to create Quick Response codes (QR) using an unconventional method: graphics designed by me on paper, marking each point with manual dedication.

§It was not an automated process; it required finding the necessary concentration, turning on and configuring the device with precision to achieve a correct generation of the QR (those who know about this know what I mean: the intention behind the code). The tangible result was the creation of a “unique key for a Bitcoin wallet”. A gift, yes, but above all, a demonstration of sovereignty.

§The Paradox of Fiat Money

With the exception of my position, the topics at the table revolved around the volatility of Bitcoin and the nostalgic desire that, at some point, the constant printing and production of fiat money would end. I heard contradictory statements: voices saying “they don’t need Bitcoin”, followed immediately by expressions of fervour for foreign systems, such as “loving the country of Israel”. Finally, just before saying goodbye, I suggested the family member download the application “Blue Wallet” for the correct use of their key.

The setting could not have been more ironic. The place where we were, a vegan restaurant, lent itself to the fact that, just a few metres away, there were ATMs with the possibility of selling fiat money and exchanging it for Bitcoin. The infrastructure for freedom was physically present, but the barrier was mental.

§The Invisible Chains of the System

It is very clear to me to see how impregnated the matter of the “government system” is with its impositions. I observe that a large majority, despite one sharing a path to salvation, prefer to remain tied and be prey, like slaves, to the system that slowly destroys us through inflation and control. It is not just ignorance; it is a comfort rooted in dependence.

A similar situation occurs among contacts in the commercial sphere, among partners with whom I interact and with the everyday work tools we use. No matter how much one shares, speaks, and shows the possibility that we can be more sovereign, free, and more united by a healthy financial sphere along with Bitcoin and robust decentralised alternative tools, others seem to be stuck in a complex matter in which they do not want to see an exit. They prefer the known cage to the uncertain freedom.

§The Ethics Behind the Hardware: Consciousness in the Ecosystem

To set this aside in a way, since there are those who appear to have been “chosen” for specific constellations, such as living in the Bitcoin ecosystem, I would like to take advantage of this article to support others who already move in this sphere to become conscious. By this, I refer to the crucial matter of “cold wallets” (hardware wallets).

It is important to highlight that, for an additional layer of security or encryption of our Bitcoin “coins” (UTXOs), there is nowadays a diversity of devices. However, I have learned that the “cold wallets” truly valid are not so only for their technical functioning, but for their background and the ethics of the company that produces them. The most aligned devices are those coming from teams focused solely on Bitcoin.

It is important to note that, by supporting or buying these products, one can rest assured that “the ethics” will remain on a good path. The single focus guarantees that development prioritises the security and decentralisation of the main network without distractions. However, there is a variety of products that, in addition to producing cold wallets for Bitcoin, simultaneously produce others for stablecoins and altcoins (shitcoins).

Here I invite anyone who is looking for a sovereign ecosystem in Bitcoin to know that, if you support the producing teams of all types of coins, you are probably aggrandising a confusing ecosystem, full of speculative assets. This, in turn, makes it more complex to understand, in case you are one of these, what the Bitcoin ecosystem really consists of. The dilution of focus is a risk as great as a security failure. This is almost palpable and simple to understand when one moves in the Bitcoin ecosystem with an eye on the longevity of the protocol.

§A Call to Construction

If you would like to know more about someone like me, who first downloaded a node at the beginning of the year 2010 on their own computer, do not hesitate to write your comments and ask for suggestions or guidance. It is not just about accumulating; it is about understanding. My objective is that in the end you have a constructive product for Bitcoin and its ecosystem in your hands.

Sovereignty begins with a key, but it is maintained with the ethics of the tools we choose to custody it. Welcome to the constellation.