Why do so many of our friends and loved ones seem so hesitant to explore Bitcoin? There are five recurring states people move through in their relationship with the protocol, and understanding them changes how we show up for others, and for ourselves. These states are not hierarchical, they should not be judged, and no one is better or worse for being in any one of them. Awakening is not a linear path; we can oscillate between states, and the path is unique for each individual.
In the foreword of Beyond Money, Jeff Booth qualified Bitcoin as a “universal mirror,” reflecting back our individual and collective assumptions about money, freedom, and what it means to be human. Looking into that reflection may reveal uncomfortable truths that spark a longing for greater sovereignty, or reveal a deep-seated fear. The ego, preferring the known over the unknown, may initially resist with shame, guilt, or fear. This resistance stems from an inner conflict between our deepest desires and the systemic programming we internalised as children. It manifests as subconscious limitations: the voices of our parents, of society, of government, replaying in our heads.
State 1: Sincere Unawareness
At this stage we are unaware of Bitcoin, or it has entered our awareness and registered as noise. Many people sense that something is not quite right in their lives and in the world, but are encouraged to work harder. Hustle culture and the idea that anyone can make it if they try hard enough are fiat-based ideals that fuel us to do more inside an inflationary system designed to steal our productivity. Others may feel financially secure, trusting of governments, with no perceived problem to solve. In either case, the awareness has not yet arrived.
State 2: Skepticism and Dismissal
Skepticism and dismissal are natural initial reactions to Bitcoin. We might see potential benefits but ultimately conclude it is deeply flawed: used by criminals, bad for the environment, bound to be shut down by governments. After all, human history is rife with broken trust and co-opted money. I know these objections from the inside; I had my own skepticism along the way, and those transmuted fears now give me a deeper understanding of others.
Recently, someone interrupted a presentation I was giving, listing reasons why Bitcoin would fail. My initial internal reaction was to refute each point, but while they were speaking a wave of understanding came over me. Their words were not a personal attack on Bitcoin; it was just them saying “this is my cognitive dissonance.” If they came all the way to that educational event, they had at least some interest in resolving it. I thanked them for sharing and invited them to keep asking questions. I chose to hold space for their concerns rather than battle an ego not yet ready to move further along.
State 3: Curiosity and Discomfort
Now we have noticed something is not quite right. The cognitive dissonance can no longer be ignored; we ask bigger questions and seek deeper truths. What is money? Where does it come from? Why does it have such a hold on our lives?
This is also the stage where fiat-adjacent distractions appear: the allure of other cryptocurrencies, promises of high yields on sats. Paper dreams wrapped in Bitcoin clothing, tied to a fiat reality. Bitcoin always reveals truth when we keep looking.
Where Are You on The Journey?
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Speaking with a couple after a presentation, I learned something that stayed with me. He was in traditional finance, she was curious about the tech; both agreed that fiat is printed money and that we live in a fabricated reality. They asked genuinely deep questions, but every time we agreed on something, they had a new rebuttal. I watched them oscillate between State 2 and State 3 for over an hour. It was clear they were grappling with big ideas, but they were not yet ready for the shift the conversation was asking of them. After over an hour of unwinding conditioning and holding space, I felt completely depleted. I learned that questions are not always readiness.
State 4: Research, Unlearning, Reframing Reality
Bitcoin is a pattern interrupt that requires us to look deeply into the void. An insatiable curiosity and intrinsic motivation are undeniable at this stage; we must resolve the cognitive dissonance.
This part of the journey is akin to ego death, or a spiritual awakening’s dark night of the soul. We need to understand Bitcoin for ourselves. Countless podcasts and books eventually lead us to meetups and conferences. We learn about central banking and the agendas of unelected officials across the political spectrum. We realise “politics are theatre on top of broken money” (Jeff Booth) and begin to see how everything ties back to inflation; from everyday life to the wars and division in the collective.
The excitement is palpable: “Bitcoin fixes this.” We feel hopeful, eager, and empowered with a renewed sense of agency. We almost seem obsessed, because we cannot unsee the light. While hodling is a strong path at this part of the journey, remaining in this mindset can lead to stagnation. There is comfort in the known of this stage; but are we willing to go even further?
State 5: Deeper Engagement and Contribution
The cognitive dissonance has been resolved. Values and actions are aligned. There is a newfound sense of grounded calm, peace, and clarity. The outlook is long-term; we no longer chase clickbait about price or how much Bitcoin we need to own. We embody the signal through the noise.
There is a fine line (a WuWei) between knowing that Bitcoin needs us and recognising that it does not; that it could fail, but it will succeed. We may participate in its success by actively voting with our node and maintaining a secure, decentralised monetary network for all and find fulfilment in channelling our time, energy, and skills into the Bitcoin ecosystem and receiving value in sats in return.
Supporting Others
Most of us, once through the harder stages, feel a genuine pull to help the people we care about do the same. We cannot help someone who does not want to be helped. I wrote a chapter in Beyond Money on this, and it transformed considerably through a year of editing. The first version was about asking questions and meeting people where they are. The published version holds more wisdom: be the change, and welcome those who are ready.
I still find this genuinely difficult with close family and friends. Releasing the desire for them to “get it” and redirecting energy toward organising free Bitcoin educational events that attract those who are ready has been its own ongoing experience. We are all on a unique path, and not everyone will awaken, and that is okay.
Anne Lamott wrote that lighthouses do not go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining. Creating space for others, organising meetups, joining Nostr, running a node, being the change: this is what actually reaches people. The states are a map for understanding where we are and what the resistance we encounter in ourselves and others is actually about, not a destination.
If this framework resonates, Beyond Money goes deeper into exactly this. You can find it at daniella.io/book.
