I have to make this confession!
Not all Bitcoiners have a background in Cryptography, Fintech, or Finance. Neither are all Bitcoiners a graduate.
And I happen to fall in that category!
But I’m proud of it because I found Bitcoin anyway… and that has made me a better person.
But it was never like this at first!
I was never a Bitcoiner at first. Neither I nor my parents knew what Bitcoin was.
I will soon share how my path crossed with Bitcoin, but first, let me tell you a bit about myself…
My name is Destiny Smart, and I am the brains behind Bitcoin Africa Story– A Bitcoin Only Project.
And this is my Bitcoin Story…
My Bitcoin Story: Discover Why I Had To Go All In
I will SAVE this story for my future kids!
My Journey to being a Bitcoiner began when I was still working my 9-5.
As a young guy from Nigeria who wanted to find a way to financial freedom, I began working independently at sites at the tender age of 15.
Life wasn’t easy for my people and I made a choice to either work harder or die trying…
This mindset deprived me of so many things:
- Like school– yeah I’m a drop-out!
- Family Time– As I was always busy hustling, I forgot I had to spend time with my family and many other things.
So I continued to thrive till I almost gave up, but something unusual happened…
My Path To Bitcoin: Desperation Was The Key
I almost died!!!
It was just last year in 2023 that I landed a high-paying on-site job that pays up to 40,000 Naira/Month which was equivalent to $35 that year…
At first, I felt like I was on top of the world…
And I shifted my mindset to working for 10 years so I could have millions in my bank account.
At least that’s what I thought, but later on, reality slapped me in the face…
Things took a turn for the worse when I unexpectedly fell ill and lost consciousness.
I was forced to take a two-week leave to get checked out at the hospital, hoping for a quick recovery.
Sadly, I spent every single day of that leave confined to a hospital bed, battling my illness.
To make matters worse, I had to use my entire two months’ salary, a total of 80,000 Naira, to cover the medical bills.
And I didn’t like it for once!
But I wasn’t left with a choice…
So I was so desperate that I began searching for the best way to financial freedom and that’s when I discovered Bitcoin, and my journey took an unexpected turn…
When I returned to work, to continue my boring work that I now hate, something happened!
A colleague of mine approached me and said, “Hey Destiny, have you heard of Blink?”
I curiously replied, “No, what’s Blink?”
So he took the time to explain what it was and filled me in on their upcoming November challenge.
Blink Challenge Gone Wrong
Since I Had Nothing To Lose I Went All In…
I was amazed and didn’t have any choice but to join the challenge.
About the Challenge– (let me tell you a little bit about it)
The challenge was all about onboarding people to your Blink Circle, earning 2,100 SATs for each referral.
Knowing this, I eagerly jumped in, and I started referring.
I started with my family—my mom, dad, and siblings—and then reached out to nearly everyone I knew.
I even onboarded most of my colleagues at work.
Little did I know, my inner circle increased from 100 getting to 200
Wow, I overgrew.
Tho, I was confused!
But I didn’t mind, as I was aiming to get the reward and I sure was topping Blink’s referral record!
To cut the long story short, at the end of the challenge when every participant was posting about the SATs they received…
I didn’t!
It wasn’t because I didn’t want to—I simply wasn’t given any SATs. Not even one.
This made me furious and immediately I reached out to the Blink Team via their Telegram group, where I connected with Andrew.
The Great Referral: He Orange-Pilled Me
Yes, I was orange pilled
Andrew was a kind-hearted man, unlike any other foreigner I had met before. He was different.
He helped me discover the issue: some of my referrals were bots!
Ironically, I had been referring bots all along without even realizing it!
What’s even stranger was that I didn’t even know that bot could sign up for a Bitcoin Wallet…
Until Andrew took the time to educate me and rewarded my efforts with some SATs!
To him, he just spared a few SATs to a random guy…
But to me, it was the best moment of my life…
An experience I could never forget.
That was my first Bitcoin transaction, and it opened my eyes to what Bitcoin truly is: Money.
In fact, Real Money—way cooler than paper money.
As the saying goes, “Nothing good ever comes easily”
During this period my boss fired me from work…
Unknowingly to me, while I lay unconsciously on the hospital bed, my colleagues conspired against me at work.
But their betrayal didn’t faze me, as I found hope in Bitcoin and was delighted to be part of it.
While I got fired from my 9-5, I immersed myself in studying copywriting.
Instead of being depressed, I was fueled
After much studying, I eagerly offered to assist the Blink team, but due to my lack of experience in Bitcoin, I didn’t make the best first impression.
At this point Andrew knew what he needed to do; that is to Pill the Orange on me.
So he hopped on another meeting with me to explain what Bitcoin truly was, then connected me with a group of Bitcoiners via WhatsApp!
The group was headed by a Nigerian brother connecting all of us to Felix, a Bitcoin Educator in Kenya and the Founder of The Core.
Working For Bitcoin
I Failed!
Fast forward to today, I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with various Bitcoin economies, including YesBitcoinHaiti and Bitcoin Indonesia.
Additionally, I’m proud to be a part of the Blink Bus Team, where I contribute by writing blog posts and articles for them.
This opportunity has made me connect with great Bitcoiners in the Bitcoin Space like Brindon Mwiine Co-Founder of Gorilla Sats & Bitcoin Kampala, Manlikekweks Founder of POWA, Dread Founder of Flash, and more…
Also, I graduated from The Core, an experience that truly opened my eyes to the essence of Bitcoin.
It was both cool and rewarding.
Honestly, knowing Bitcoin is one of the best things that has ever happened to me…
And I’m ready to give back to Bitcoin in another way… and that is through Bitcoin Education!
Inspired by this newfound understanding, I’ve embarked on my own Bitcoin-only project called Bitcoin Africa Story.
So recently, I began this Bitcoin-only project which you can check via Geyser to promote Bitcoin education in Nigeria, aiming to build a circular economy in the country.
Intending to assist individuals who, like myself, were once unaware of Bitcoin’s potential through education I aim to enlighten them about Bitcoin and illustrate its possibilities.
Also, guide them toward becoming better Bitcoiners.
Unfortunately, I fell short of my promise!
The laptop, I recently acquired developed faults, and I couldn’t afford to replace it with a better one to pursue my long-held dream since embracing Bitcoin.
Now, I’ve been unable to post any blog updates on our free website on WordPress like our last piece on Bitcoin in Africa, or continue with Bitcoin education through MyFirstBitcoin due to this setback.
I firmly believe that; Bitcoin education is crucial for its global adoption.
To overcome this obstacle, I intend to reach out to fellow Bitcoiners worldwide to seek funding for my project on Geyser.
With this support, I aim to begin Online Bitcoin education in Nigeria and connect with other students worldwide.
Receiving this bounty reward would greatly aid in fulfilling my mission!
But if you’d love to be part of the project, please reach out to me via X @Destinysmart_.
I’m always happy to connect with a fellow Bitcoiner
Thank you for reading!
Bitcoin is family.
