Free at last and a 1,000 BTC mistake

Hello,

Rizzo, the Bitcoin historian here, back with the top 5 Bitcoin history moments from the last week.

Of course, we’d be remiss not to lead with astonishing release of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange – who provided all the proof we needed that history is still happening in the present.

Let’s review

$60,277 | Free at last

The world had goosebumps as it watched Julian walk the tarmac to freedom.

After 13 years of confinement in the U.K., of which eight were spent in the Ecuadorian Embassy and five in high security prison Belmarsh, Assange pleaded guilty to violating U.S. espionage acts, and was granted his freedom prior stopover in the American-controlled pacific island of Saipan. 

✨ Our thread on why Julian is a Bitcoin legend. 

The cypherpunk-turned-journalist created Wikileaks, which made headlines for exposing human rights violations and corruption from governments around the world.

Julian has been championing Bitcoin since it was $10, and it will be fascinating to see when he reintegrates into the community. Already, there’s speculation it could happen as soon as Bitcoin Amsterdam in October, where Julian’s wife Stella is scheduled to speak.

Watching them kiss, breathing the fresh breeze of Australia, is something many considered an impossible feat. 

We salute you, Julian. 

$566 | An 1,000 BTC mistake

On June 26, 2014, Bitcoin legend Max Keiser gave comedian-turned-activist Russell Brand 1,000 BTC.

Overlooking the Tower of London, Keiser went on Brand’s old show “The Trews” to explain how he sees the world economy. “The world is based on creating more apaper assets, and debt, and not on productive assets,” he said. 

Keiser and Brand joked about how bankers should be beheaded–instead of merely penalized–for the incessant frauds they instigate. (Really this clip is vintage max.)

✨ Our thread on why Max is a Bitcoin legend.

The sad side to the story is that after the interview, Keiser gave 1,000 to Brand who later lost access to them. A $61 million loss.

It’s just another reminder to head over to Casa so your hard-earned sats don’t follow the same fate as Brand’s. 

$11,000 | Inverse Cramer strikes again

Sometimes it’s the simplest advice that sticks.

This Thursday we saw Bitcoin OG Erik Voorhees show exactly why that statement rings so true in a classic tweet.

What’s funny is that just a year before, we witnessed CNBC hold yet another Bitcoin funeral on live TV. The price had already doubled since that fateful obituary. It would go on to double again the next.

Anyone noticing a pattern here?

$90 | I like open-source and I cannot lie

One of the great things about Bitcoin is that its code is open source. Meaning: people can review the code themselves to see how it works. 

That’s what the pseudonymous Sir Bits-A-Lot did on June 28, 2013. Exactly 11 years ago, he took to X (then Twitter) to explain how he had reviewed Bitcoin’s source-code himself, and was instantly convinced.

It’s a simple tweet, but it really distills the essence of the time-honored Bitcoin slogan – don’t trust, verify. We thank Sir Bits-A-Lot for the fine reminder.

$19,000 | Based Bukele buys the dip

The year is 2022, and the Bitcoin price has plummeted nearly 70%.

There’s blood in the streets, confusion swirls on Twitter, and people (as is tradition) start giving up on the network (or at least FUDDing it publicly).

Not Nayib Bukele, he was just getting started. On June 30, 2022, just a year after his country made Bitcoin legal tender, the president of El Salvador bought 80 BTC for $19,000 a pop. 

While paper hands were offloading their Bitcoin, Bukele was diamond handing it. To this day, El Salvador hasn’t sold a single sat, and the country remains a safe haven for bitcoiners around the world. 

Remarkable, really.

Last week’s epic threads

I’m including links to three of our epic threads from last week, in case you missed them.

• Satoshi’s most bullish quotes

• Why Julian Assange is a Bitcoin legend

• The insane story of how Zhou Tong lost $6 billion in BTC in 2012

Starting the week with a quote: “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

See you all on Friday,
Rizzo