A person to person use of Bitcoin

While nothing trumps the horror Ukrainians have and are suffering due to Putin’s invasion, I’ve always had a soft spot for decent people on the wrong side of bad sh*t who make a choice to not be part of it. Maybe because it strikes a chord of universal human values.

The truth is, I had watched only a few NFKRZ videos prior to the invasion of Ukraine. Hardly enough to form a stable impression, but seemed like a real person. Someone doing a bit of this and a bit of that, thinking for himself as he went along.

When his “I Left Russia” video appeared — I think I was searching for posts by Russian citizens — I did form a clear impression. He is a young man on the streets of a neighbouring, friendly but foreign country, uprooted by the fear of a descending iron curtain in his native Russia. Not sure how he’s going to get by or where he’ll be in a year.

So I sent him $40 CND worth of bitcoin. Enough, at least, for a good meal.

It does feel a bit magic to be able to do it so easily, person to person, without any hazel. On my cell phone. It took all of 1 minute.

I have also contributed to Ukraine’s national BTC deposit address. What was moving about this, for me, is how personal it felt. I could imagine him using my small gift to buy a little comfort.

Maybe it’s just because it was the first time I’ve done something like this using BTC.