“Are you really going to sell all your bitcoins?” Annie sat across from me, with disbelief in her eyes.
I smiled and nodded, looking at the snowflakes flying outside the window. The first snow of 2024 happened to witness one of the most important decisions in my life.
As an “old leeks” who has been investing in Bitcoin since 2015, I have experienced countless ups and downs, and have been swimming in the ocean of cryptocurrency for almost ten years. But it was not until I met Annie that I realized that some things are more worthy of investment than blockchain.
Our encounter was somewhat dramatic. It was a Web3 entrepreneur salon in Shenli last year, and I went to give a speech as a representative of the blockchain project. Just as I was talking about how Bitcoin changed the world, the audience suddenly raised their hands and interrupted: “Excuse me, is the decentralized trust you are talking about another utopia?”
The questioner was a girl wearing round-frame glasses. Later I learned that she was a fintech reporter who specialized in reporting on the cryptocurrency industry. Her questions were sharp and profound, pointing directly to the pain points of the industry.
After the meeting, we discussed in the cafe for a whole afternoon. Unlike other journalists who only focus on price fluctuations, she really cares about technological development and the future of the industry. “I think everyone is too focused on speculation,” she said, “but ignores the possibility of social change brought by blockchain.”
After that day, we began to meet frequently. Sometimes we attended industry conferences together, and sometimes we studied new project white papers in front of the computer late at night. Annie always came up with some ideas that I had never thought of, which gave me a new understanding of this industry.
I remember one time, we talked about the scarcity of Bitcoin. “You know?” she suddenly said, “I think the most precious thing is not the 21 million Bitcoins, but meeting people who really understand you in this circle.”
At that moment, I suddenly understood what true value is. We met in the ocean of digital assets, but we knew and loved each other in the real world. Every time the market fluctuated, she was by my side; every time a project failed, she gave me the courage to move on.
Last Christmas, I took her to Hokkaido. In the snowy town, she suddenly said she wanted to show me something. When I opened my phone, it was an investigative report she had been writing for almost a year, recording how cryptocurrency changed the lives of ordinary people. “Do you know how many people I interviewed?” she said, “Everyone is talking about investment returns, but what impressed me most were the ordinary people who began to think about the essence of finance because of Bitcoin.”
At that moment, snowflakes fell on her eyelashes, and for the first time I seriously thought about life outside of Bitcoin.
“So, you want to exchange Bitcoin for a coffee shop?” Anne’s voice brought me back to reality.
“Yes, I think we can open a coffee shop that supports encrypted payments.” I held her hand, “This is not the end, but a new beginning. The most important lesson Bitcoin taught me is how to find a balance between virtual and reality.”
She smiled, with a gleam in her eyes: “Then I want to be the first customer.”
“No,” I took out a velvet box from my pocket, “You are the owner of this store. Are you willing to continue writing this story full of possibilities with me?”
In the box is a ring, and the inner circle is engraved with the block height where we met.
The snow outside the window is getting heavier, but our hearts are warm. Perhaps this is the most precious gift Bitcoin has brought me: on the road to chasing digital wealth, it has allowed me to meet true happiness.
“You know what?” Anne stared at the ring. “This may be the most special proposal I’ve ever seen.”
“Because of the ring?”
“No, because you finally understand that some investments are more meaningful than hoarding coins.”
We smiled at each other. In this cold winter, our story, like the never-ending Bitcoin network, has opened a new chapter. And this time, we are not only witnessing value in the exchange, but also creating our own “blockchain” in life.
