In 2012, Bitcoin Black Friday was launched as a way for Bitcoiners to hack the mainstream consumerism holiday and promote their favorite technology as a killer tool for payments and encourage merchant adoption. Thousands of merchants have participated by offering discounts for customers who pay in BTC, but the celebration fizzled in 2017 as the Bitcoin community became embroiled in debates over block size and Bitcoin for payments became conflated with arguments over scaling.
But this year, Bitcoin Black Friday is back with brand new deals that help Bitcoiners make the most of their HODLings. To celebrate, we’re sharing our list of the definitive equipment for your Bitcoin Black Friday wishlist this year.
Being a Bitcoiner is as simple as owning any amount of BTC, and that’s that. But as you go further and further down the rabbit hole, you’ll see how much more this revolutionary technology has to offer, and you’ll be eager to get your hands on everything that can help you Bitcoin better. There are so many fascinating products and services out there that enhance the experience of using Bitcoin in multiple different ways, that you’ll never see this magic internet money the same way again.
To help new and seasoned Bitcoiners alike round out their BTC gear collections, we’ve compiled the below list of must-have equipment to help you participate more fully in the Bitcoin network, better protect your BTC HODLings and generally become a better Bitcoiner.
1. Hardware Wallets
Hardware wallets are absolutely essential for every Bitcoiner to have, no exceptions. Why? Because if you keep your coins on an exchange where you do not control your own keys, it’s a disaster waiting to happen. If you don’t control your private keys, then someone else does, and you don’t really own those coins.
Claim your financial sovereignty by obtaining a hardware wallet for which you control the keys and, therefore, the coins. The other benefits to maintaining a hardware wallet include protection from hackers and some lessons in personal responsibility.
2. Full Node In A Box
Having a full node is an absolute must after you obtain a hardware wallet because you can use them together. When you have a full node linked to your hardware wallet you can verify everything that goes in and out of your wallet yourself, without ever having to trust anyone else to do it for you. Anyone with a full node can check the exact supply of BTC at any given time, which isn’t possible to do with certain other cryptocurrencies. You do the math, you run the numbers.
Bitcoin is a living organism and the node is its heartbeat. The more nodes there are, the stronger and more robust the network becomes. The inexpensiveness of running a full node is key in allowing anyone and everyone to be able to interact with the network. Everyone is on a level playing field.
There are products out there that include everything you need to run a full node, including a complete version of the Bitcoin blockchain to date, all in one box.
3. Books
Knowledge is power and one of the best ways to obtain knowledge about Bitcoin is through reading. Reading allows you to see things from a different perspective and make better decisions for yourself based on the knowledge you’ve gained. It’s the small things — such as reading vs. watching TV — that separates the winners and losers in life. Don’t get caught on the wrong side.
Learning about Bitcoin via the right books is absolutely critical to your education because you can not rely on traditional methods of schooling to teach you about such a new and revolutionary technology. Schools tend to force Keynesian garbage down students’ throats and rarely teach the Austrian Economic principles behind Bitcoin. Governments and mainstream news outlets will bash Bitcoin every chance they get, so always DYOR.
4. VPNs
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) provide security and privacy where you may think it wasn’t needed before. VPNs give you the upper hand over hackers or government surveillance because your VPN makes sure your location is unknown, all of your data is encrypted and you can browse the internet anonymously.
Say you’re out and about using public WiFi, or even at a friend’s house using their internet connection. Hackers can go all Paul Krause on you and intercept all of the data you have to offer. VPNs protect you from these hackers and give you peace of mind while browsing the web.
5. Headphones
As a Bitcoiner, you will find yourself listening to A LOT of podcasts. There are multiple benefits to listening to Bitcoin podcasts such as: keeping up to date with the latest news, learning new things about the technology and getting to know other Bitcoiners better. There are so many great pods out there that you’ll find yourself squeezing as many episodes as you can into your daily routine.
Investing in a nice pair of headphones can make listening to podcasts a more pleasant and enjoyable experience. You may find yourself absorbing more information with high quality, comfortable and clear-sounding headphones, compared to low quality, uncomfortable. and fuzzy sounding headphones.
These are five items that are commonly owned amongst Bitcoiners and that many now find themselves unable to function without. When paired with Bitcoin, each one of these products can be key to one’s financial sovereignty, education and privacy.
Bitcoin Black Friday is the perfect time to make sure you’ve got all of the stuff every good Bitcoiner needs. To find deals on these things and more, check in with Bitcoin Black Friday, follow the brand on Twitter and make sure to celebrate big this year.
The post The Top 5 Products That Every Bitcoiner Needs appeared first on Bitcoin Magazine.
