People often agree that a “bitcoiner” is someone who keeps a meaningful amount of bitcoin in self-custody. It’s rarely a small sum—usually something substantial, backed by a steady income and enough to cover housing and day-to-day needs. What I still wonder is how many of the loudest voices in the space are actually self-made. That question matters, because catchphrases like “stay humble, stack sats,” sound good but can be risky advice for people who haven’t yet secured their basic needs. There are real stories of people losing everything after putting their entire net worth into bitcoin—often after following popular but poorly thought-out advice from wealthy figures whose reality looks nothing like their own. For working-class people trying to plan for their future, these one-size-fits-all slogans can be especially harmful. Too often, they ignore the limits and realities of people’s financial situations and lead them toward risks they can’t afford.
